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Postal Service: Discipline Practices Vary

GGD-89-79 Published: May 19, 1989. Publicly Released: May 19, 1989.
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Highlights

In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) disciplinary policies, focusing on whether they provided a USPS-wide program of discipline with uniform disciplinary actions for similar infractions.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Postal Service To enhance the consistency and predictability in the enforcement of USPS work rules, the Postmaster General should direct the Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Human Resources, to define major and minor offenses to clarify when predisciplinary discussions should be given in lieu of discipline.
Closed – Implemented
USPS expanded the use of modified discipline procedures being tested at various facilities. These procedures specify the circumstances under which predisciplinary discussions are required. The procedures deal with the problems of distinguishing between major and minor offenses and the handling of subsequent, but different, infractions by the same employee.
United States Postal Service To enhance the consistency and predictability in the enforcement of USPS work rules, the Postmaster General should direct the Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Human Resources, to clarify whether predisciplinary discussions should precede disciplinary action for subsequent, but different, infractions committed by the same employee.
Closed – Implemented
USPS stated that it expanded the use of modified discipline procedures being tested at various facilities. The procedures deal with the problems of distinguishing between major and minor offenses and the handling of subsequent, but different, infractions by the same employee.
United States Postal Service To enhance the consistency and predictability in the enforcement of USPS work rules, the Postmaster General should direct the Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Human Resources, to develop uniform rules for considering prior infractions, including guidance on whether to consider only like infractions or all past infractions, what time frame of past infractions should be considered, and whether to consider grieved past infractions that were reduced or are pending.
Closed – Not Implemented
USPS stated that it plans to remind its supervisors of guidance on how to consider prior infractions.
United States Postal Service To enhance the consistency and predictability in the enforcement of USPS work rules, the Postmaster General should direct the Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Human Resources, to issue guidance to require concurring officials to expand their reviews of proposed suspensions and removals to include the consistency of the penalties.
Closed – Implemented
USPS will require concurring officials to ensure the appropriateness and consistency of discipline.

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Topics

Data collectionFederal records managementInformation systemsLabor relationsPersonnel managementPolicy evaluationPostal service employeesStandards evaluationDisciplinary actionsPostal service