Some government workers on the social network GovLoop are ambivalent about proposals that would require the U.S. Postal Service to cease mail delivery on Saturdays in an effort to save money. James Evans, a 27-year veteran of USPS who first presented the issue to the site, is one such person.
“I can honestly say that I’m torn on this issue,” Evans said. “I can see the business side as well as the job-security side.”
Several respondents were not bothered by the prospect of losing services on the weekend.
“I have thought for some time that I could easily do without a Saturday delivery of mail,” said Terrence Hill, a human resources specialist for the Department of Homeland Security. “All important correspondence now comes to me electronically.”
Other members’ positions depended on what the proposal entailed. Complicating factors include whether the Postal Service would eliminate both delivery and pickup on Saturdays and whether post offices would remain open.
“I wouldn’t mind losing another day of home deliveries, but Saturday the post office buildings need to be open for business,” said Department of Defense employee Shannon Cunniff. “Folks that work traditional 40-hour work weeks [already] can’t get to the post office very easily.”
Chicago Public Library employee Marie E. Hardy understands the need for cutbacks, but said she would miss weekend delivery. “Saturday is the only day that I am home during the day [and] can actually chat with the postal worker [...] and build upon our rapport,” she says. “My postal worker actually makes me aware of certain community issues since he is out and about in the neighborhoods.”
Many members were concerned about discontinuing Saturday delivery, including the three-day gap in service that would occur over holiday weekends.
“If I were to cut a day, it wouldn’t be Saturday. It’d be Wednesday,” said Denise Petet, a media technician for the state of Kansas. “Make it so that there’s never more than one day without delivery.”
Finance director Victoria Runkle wasn’t as worried. Runkle believes private delivery companies would step in to fill the void left by the Postal Service if it decided to close its stores on weekends.
“Don’t you have those independent mailbox stores around?” asked Runkle. “It might cost a bit more, but they are open on Saturdays and can do everything from just getting your package stamped to taking the original item and packing it.”
One alternative - having customers pick up their mail from the post office themselves - wasn’t as popular.
“Picking up our own mail is a ridiculous proposition. It would increase the time, traffic, pollution, global warming and employees necessary to serve customers,” said Carol Davison, a human resources specialist for the Department of Commerce. “Imagine how angry customers would be when they finally get to the letter carrier serving them.”
“The frustration of waiting would just sow so much ill will that ‘going postal’ would soon mean ‘postal customer tired of waiting three hours to pick up their mail acts out,’” Petet added.
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