Working for the United States Postal Service (USPS) demands both physical and mental strength.
Postal workers navigate diverse and often unpredictable environments, delivering mail in all weather conditions, from scorching heat to icy winters. Along the way, they face various hazards, including rough terrain, exposure to allergens, and the occasional encounter with wildlife.
These challenges contribute to a range of common injuries among USPS employees, from repetitive motion injuries to slips and falls. Let’s look at some common injuries we see and the benefits that may be available to you.
Common injuries we’ve seen:
There are many ways you might be injured at your USPS job. In fiscal year 2023, 44,999 postal employees sustained injuries. And that number is likely significantly higher due to unreported injuries. These injuries, illnesses and conditions include:
- Traffic collisions
- Dog bites
- Slip and falls
- Fractures
- Repetitive strain injury
- Shoulder injuries
- Back injuries
- Falls on stairs
- Mental health conditions
The Postal Service consistently has some of the highest—if not the highest—number of injuries in civilian federal service.
The above list is not exhaustive, and any of these injuries could lead to chronic pain or even cause additional damage to other parts of the body that may qualify for benefits.
Physical conditions, such as a back injury, can often lead to mental health issues like depression due to the physical strain and stress associated with work. You shouldn’t have to struggle through your job with multiple conditions, especially when you’re trying to prioritize your health.
You May Be Eligible for Federal Benefits
If you’re injured on the job, you may have more benefits available to you.
The Office of Workers’ Compensation (OWCP) offers benefits to those injured on the job who can’t continue working. There are three OWCP benefit options available to you:
- Wage loss payments: this benefit covers a part of your wages while you recover from your on-the-job injury.
- Schedule award: this benefit provides you with a lump sum payment for a permanent impairment to an accepted body part.
- Medical coverage: this benefit covers medical payments related to your accepted injury.
While OWCP typically lasts for a temporary period, there is a long-term benefit that’s available to you if you can’t return to work at all. Federal Disability Retirement is a long-term disability benefit that USPS employees can qualify for if they’re injured or ill.
What is Federal Disability Retirement?
Unlike OWCP, Federal Disability Retirement lasts until you reach your full retirement age if you can’t keep working due to your injury – no matter when you get approved.
Federal Disability Retirement provides four main benefits that allow you to reach age 62 without returning to work.
You’ll get:
- A secure monthly payment based on your high-3 average
- Continued years of service added to your pension
- The ability to keep your health and life insurance
- The opportunity to work in the private sector and earn added income
All the conditions listed above could qualify for Federal Disability Retirement, including mental health. There’s no set list of conditions that qualify, and you don’t even have to be injured on the job, like for OWCP benefits.
As long as your medical condition began or worsened while working at the USPS, you could qualify for Federal Disability Retirement. This means that if you had a chronic condition, like asthma, before working at the USPS, it could qualify for Federal Disability Retirement if it’s affecting your ability to perform your job.
There are many benefits available to you as a USPS employee; take advantage of that fact and take the time to prioritize your health and your future.
The USPS is the largest agency that we work with, and we know how confusing it can be to apply for these benefits. We can guide you through the process of applying for disability benefits and secure the future you deserve. Give our office a call to schedule a free consultation and get a clear path forward.
