Postal Bulletin: Proper Lifting is Not Seasonal

At the United States Postal Service®, lifting and handling injuries are a major contributor to lost workdays from injuries. Additionally, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, back disorders are one of the leading causes of disability for people in their working years. With the Postal Service’s increased emphasis on package delivery,…

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USPS: Federal Injury Compensation Training

Basic training on federal injury compensation rules and procedures is now available through the HERO platform. The self-paced tutorial was developed by the Labor Department’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs. The training is part of FECA Overview, a curriculum of 26 courses on rights and responsibilities under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act. Topics include: •…

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NRP Class Action Lawsuit Update – December, 2020

Status Update We wanted to reach out and give a quick update on the case, and answer some questions that have been raised. The claims, evidence, and legal briefs for all of our clients’ relief claims have been submitted to the EEOC Administrative Judge. The Judge has not yet made clear exactly how she plans…

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USPS OIG Report: Payments to Injured Employees

Objective Our objective was to determine whether the Postal Service is properly paying its injured employees. Postal Service employees are covered by the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) administers FECA, determines injured employees’ eligibility for benefits, and pays direct compensation to claimants or…

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USPS OIG Report: Workers’ Compensation Program Cost Containment Activities

Objective The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) program provides coverage for and assistance to about 2.6 million federal civilian and Postal Service employees who have sustained work-related injuries or disease by providing appropriate monetary and medical benefits and assistance in returning to work. The modern FECA program was created in 1916 with the overall intention…

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Information on FECA Coverage for Coronavirus Disease – 2019/COVID-19

A federal employee who contracts the Coronavirus Disease – 2019, known as COVID-19, while in performance of their job duties would have the full coverage of the FECA for related medical treatment and for wage loss or disability related to that condition or associated complications. However, under 20 C.F.R. § 10.303, exposure to COVID-19 alone…

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USPS OIG: Workers’ Compensation Provider Fraud

The financial impact to the U.S. Postal Service from workers’ compensation fraud cases is so significant, it warrants a good deal of investigative attention. Our special agents – often working with other law enforcement partners – investigate fraud by claimants or providers. The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act provides workers’ compensation benefits to civilian federal employees,…

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OIG: Impact of Prescribed Opioids on Postal Employees Under the Federal Workers’ Comp Program

Objective Our objective was to determine the impact of opioids being prescribed to U.S. Postal Service employees through the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) program. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, pharmaceutical companies in the 1990s assured the medical community that opioid pain relievers were not addictive. As…

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