U.S. Supreme Court to hear religious bias claim against Postal Service

By Andrew Chung – Jan 13, 2023 Jan 13 (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear an appeal by an evangelical Christian former mail carrier in Pennsylvania who accused the U.S. Postal Service of religious bias after being reprimanded for refusing to deliver packages on Sundays. The justices took up Gerald…

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10th Circuit Says Deaf City Carrier May Not Sue NALC for False Information

By Michael Karlik – August 23, 2022 Even though a Fort Collins letter carrier was unable to sue the U.S. Postal Service for discrimination in time because of false information union leaders allegedly provided her, the federal appeals court based in Denver agreed Lynda Hickey is now barred from suing the union itself for its…

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USPS: Learn about reasonable accommodations

June 23, 2022 The Postal Service, like all federal agencies, must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities, unless doing so would cause undue hardship for the organization. The Postal Service assesses on a case-by-case basis whether an accommodation would cause undue hardship. The goals of an accommodation are to enable a…

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APWU Clerk Craft Telework MOU Extended Through July 1, 2022

June 16, 2022 Clerk Craft Director Lamont Brooks reached an agreement with the Postal Service to extend the MOU, Re: Telework for Clerk Craft Employees at Customer Care Centers (CCCs), Customer Retention Teams (CRTs), and the Mailing Shipping Solution Center. The extension, dated June 10, 2022, was agreed to in an effort for the parties…

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Circuit Court Clarifies Employer Burdens in USPS Religious Accommodation Case

By Cozen O’Connor – June 6, 2022 Religious accommodation cases continue to vex employers. Especially since the rise of COVID-19, employers have had to face a rising tide of employee claims that their religious beliefs entitle them to an exemption from otherwise applicable workplace rules. Employers have been put in the uncomfortable position of having…

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Mental Health Provider’s Role in Requests for a Reasonable Accommodation at Work

Employees with common mental health conditions have a right to a reasonable accommodation at work under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). When requesting accommodations, a patient or client may need supporting documentation from their mental health provider. EEOC’s fact sheet briefly explains the law of reasonable accommodation and the mental health provider’s role in…

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APWU: Telework MOU Extended Until June 17, 2022

On May 6, 2022, APWU Clerk Craft Director Lamont Brooks agreed to extend the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding Telework for Clerk Craft Employees at Customer Care Centers, Customer Retention Teams, and the Mailing Shipping Solution Center (MSSC, i.e., Mailing Requirements Clerks) until June 17, 2022. However, the Postal Service would not agree to extend…

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USPS OIG: Reasonable Accommodation Written Procedures

Overview The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General Reasonable Accommodation Written Procedures, also referred to Standards of Practice, is modeled after the Postal Service’s Handbook EL-307, Reasonable Accommodation, An Interactive Process. This establishes procedures that enable the OIG’s Reasonable Accommodation Committee to assist managers and supervisors with making sound decisions regarding reasonable accommodation…

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