USPS promotes threat-free workplace
The Postal Service is committed to fostering a positive and safe work environment that’s free of threats, fear and violence for every employee.
To help fulfill this commitment, a Threat Assessment Team (TAT) is available at headquarters and in every district office to respond to threats and potential violence.
TAT members are trained to assess the danger or harm of threats, whether implied or direct. The goals are to reduce risks to employees and the Postal Service, discourage inappropriate behavior and resolve conflicts.
If you’ve been threatened or believe you’re in a potentially unsafe situation that involves a co-worker or supervisor — or if you’re experiencing a domestic violence situation that could pose a threat in the workplace — notify your immediate supervisor and respective TAT.
Be on the lookout for your district office’s zero tolerance policy and reporting procedures, which will be distributed during the next few weeks.
Report emergency situations to the Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 or call 911.
On the other hand, there’d be alot less violence and fewer threats if management would do something about clowns who walk around looking to provoke people. Being obnoxious, talking way to loudly, yelling at friends 20 feet away in a pathetic attempt to draw attention to themselves (what is it about New Yorkers on this one?), acting like a supervisor, screwing over co-workers by not pulling their weight, etc. A man once said that “civilized” men tend to speak and act in a way that would normally get them killed outside the city walls or in dark alleys, believing that laws and rules will protect them.
I don’t understand the provoking mentality. Okay..so you won b/c you made the guy mad enough to hit you. Now you’re sitting at home nursing a mouthful of broken teeth. Um..congrats?
please………the biggest thugs are in postal mismanagement. saw a black stupidvisor punch a white female stupidvisor in the face in front of 40 union employees…….all he got was a two week suspension. another time he threw a walkie-takie at a MDO’s head, who ducked, and almost hit a mule driver in the head…….again only a one week suspension. one of many like stories over the last 38 years……..this place is just one big joke!
@Bed Time For Bonzo, that is awlful..but I’m tripping off your “stupidvisor” terminology….LOL!
I fought the Joint Statement on Violence & Behavior in the Workplace back in 1992 when it was first proposed. I knew two things – first, if it was to be equitably enforced it would be used against management more frequently than against craft. Why? Because most individuals in management are sociopaths. Supervisors who make a name for themselves by disciplining or firing the most people are the ones who get promoted. Upper management admires supervisors that are able to show no conscience or remorse at hurting another individual in order to achieve their own career advancement. This is a classic definition of a sociopath. It is these sociopathic individuals that are more prone to bullying and violence. The unions have failed where they have not insisted that craft personnel also occupy the Threat Assessment Teams. The second thing that I knew was that this policy was going to be mostly directed at the craft employees. The main use, as I’ve seen it, is when management provokes an employee until they can’t take it anymore. Any perception of violence, such as slamming your fist on the desk, grabbing a piece of mail away from a supervisor who just took it from you, etc., are viewed as potentially threatening behavior. I stood up at our union meetings, and at national convention to urge members NOT to vote for it. My reward was betrayal by the union after the Postal Service fired me for “unacceptable conduct” when they sent me a letter saying that I better go with MSPB because they decided not to arbitrate. This occurred at the time when the biggest crook ever (Sombrotto) ran the NALC. Today’s Business Agents and National Officers are nothing more than suits, more interested in politics than providing dignity and respect for workers. If you disagree, think about this; you are told that you are entitled to dignity and respect in the workplace yet you have to follow the direct order of some idiot sociopath where the authority comes from a brown nose and not gray matter. Further, if you dare to argue with this mentally ill individual you can be charged with insubordination. How is there ANY dignity in that?
The only way to get rid of these sociopaths is through well planned attrition. Promotional boards for managers should consist of craft representatives as well as managers. This is something the unions could have negotiated in contract talks decades ago. I know, because I suggested it and was laughed at. The current authoritarian management style is a form of class warfare. Craft workers are slaves that have to obey the bosses. And when you don’t obey, you’re not beat with a whip, but you’re beat financially and emotionally, including a complete loss of your livelihood. Why don’t the unions provide separation insurance for its members? Something that could either supplement or offset a state’s unemployment insurance.
Thanks for letting me rant. Whenever there’s a discussion about what the unions could or should be doing, it gets me going.
You hit the nail on the head. The sociopath bully is the management style the post office embraces. They must get a bonus for getting good people to quit or retire is all I can figure.
If only such programs worked then we could get rid of pm’s like the one at 19026
In my experience, after several decades in the USPS, the TAT in our district has been called number of times, and always toward a supervisor or management. I know craft people can be just as bad, but it’s not coincidence that most complaints go toward management, which is only a few people in offices that can have hundreds of workers.
Does anybody with the brains of asphalt really believe management when they say there is zero tolerance for bullying and other threatening behavior? In most instances that I’ve read from across the country, most offenders, some of whom were sex predators and others were just plain violent, were merely transferred to other offices to carry out their mania somewhere else, just like the Catholic priest scandals.
I agree with “very concerned” – only be removal will this threat ever be truly erased. But will it apply across the board? You can bet they’re going to crack down on craft, but if a supervisor for example threatens somebody with bodily harm, whom do we report it to? A postmaster, who may face discipline or worse for allowing it and chooses instead to deny there’s anything going on? A POOM, for the same reason? District, who probably secretly love it when their lackeys treat craft people like dogshit?
I discussed methods in an earlier post how to deal with this situation, and unfortunately, I learned from personal experience, but I, as an officer in the NALC, fought back and after a long battle, finally raised enough hell to convince my district that this person they were protecting was more trouble than it was worth and said person was forced out.
You can use the TAT, NLRB, your union, etc. to fight abuse, but you must stand up to them. Never let a psychotic supervisor or manager treat you like dirt. Get your union officer immediately, do not let management get you alone to harass you away from witnesses, cite Weingarten rights for fear you may be disciplined, thus guaranteeing you union representation, and get your fellow craft people organized and be willing to be reliable witnesses. Weingarten rights are Federal law and management can get in a helluva lot of trouble over that, and it’s a good tool. If management says you don’t need representation, the second they ask investigative questions pertaining to an alleged offense, cite Weingarten and refuse to speak.
That doesn’t mean if they say it’s a nice day you’re being questioned.
When abusive supervisors and managers see craft employees standing up as a unit against abuse it will make it harder for them. As an officer, I had more leeway, and one poor fellow who was as kind as you could imagine and a good worker just never wanted to fight back against the psycho supe I referred to earlier. Seeing he didn’t have the stomach for it, I announced loudly that anybody who screwed around with so-and-so would be screwing around with me, and since I could be a real pain in the ass and a hellion when I deemed it necessary, he had some protection.
You can help out others who are in similar circumstances. Don’t let your fellow worker being abused unfairly stand alone.
in addition to TAT another team has been assembled to help employees learn to only express their thoughts in their mind, the team is called Thinking Inside Thoughts or TIT. so now we basically have TIT for TAT.
Management need not worry.
I totally agree with “very concerned” as we are dealing with the same at our office. The people on the threat assessment teams are also the threats. The OIG won’t do anything about it because they claim they’re too busy. Like they said, “good luck!”
It will be hard for management to enforce this since the majority of threats and harassment comes from them.
How are members of this team chosen? What kind of training do they have? Are members chosen from all types of employees? Do these teams have links to professionals educated in these types of matters, ie social workers? Is there a real whistleblower protection program strictly adhered to in this program? Is the team empowered to remove anyone of any rank and position who is perceived as a threat to protect the initial complainant and his/her fellow employees?
Is this another dog and pony show or is it a real attempt to get at a long simmering problem? Any how will all employees know the difference?
Without all these questions being answered, why would anyone risk destroying their own career, livelyhood and well-being by coming forward to one of these TAT’s?
I fear the acronym will be be further modified to include that anyone who comes forward will be know as a TATletail and ground under in the process.
Until USPS does do something to remove a person from the office without them ever comming back again, why would anyone report the threats, abuse, etc. as we have to our MPOO & other Postal MNGT, without any results from trying to get help to permantly removing this manager, this will be like all the rest of USPS’ promises and a quaranteed ruined future in the postal environment by the manager as revenge from that manager “because they can” and continue to get away with it, & all have just made it worse on themselves by reporting it as we have. Good luck!