One Day Mail Counts - 1838C
Recently, on Long Island, Management has been conducting, in Post Offices, a one (1) day 1838C on random employees. Questions recently have arisen about one day counts: when and why they are conducted, and how the results can be used. Some carriers are concerned that the information will be used to evaluate and adjust their routes. The applicable language from the M-39 Handbook is clear.
Language from the M-39 Handbook can be applied by postal management solely to check the proficiency of a letter carrier, but cannot be used for the purpose of adjusting a letter carrier route[s]:
M-39 Handbook, Administration of City Delivery Service
141.2 Special Office Mail Counts
When management desires to determine the efficiency of a carrier in the office, a count of mail may be made. The carrier must be given one day’s advance notification of this special count. Use PS Form 1838-C to record count and time items concerned. The carrier must be advised of the result of the office mail count.
When Management conducts these 1838C’s they must account for your fixed office time. That is time you take other than throwing your mail into the case and pulling down your route.
Below is the description of what your fixed office time consists of:
Line 14 – Accountable Mail – 6 minutes minimum time allowance – Time spent when you stop casing mail to get your accountable mail, signing for it, filling out the name or address on PS Form 3849, and casing the notice as a reminder in the morning plus the time it takes to get cleared and go on to your next task in the afternoon/evening.
Line 15 – Withdrawal of Mail – 5 minutes minimum time allowance – This includes time spent withdrawing mail from tubs or trays, cutting straps, removing plastic, etc. This line item also includes time you spend withdrawing mail from both the throwback and hot cases. The M-39 states that, “two withdrawals of letter mail and one of papers for each trip, with a final pull just prior to leaving time, generally are sufficient.”
Line 16 – Sequencing and Collating Mail – Time spent collating or sequencing mail is recorded on this line. For example, time spent collating circulars to get down to three bundles in an FSS environment is recorded on line 16.
Line 17 – Strapping Out Time – Most letter carriers will not use this line item. Line 17 is only used in very limited circumstances. The only time that line 17 is used is when you have motorized curb delivery routes where the majority of the case separations contain more than two addresses per separation. In these instances, the Letter Carrier records the actual time to place the mail in the exact sequence of delivery instead of 1 minute for each 70 pieces.
Line 18 – Break - 10 minutes minimum time allowance – In most offices, a 10-minute credit is given where letter carriers take a morning office break. If your office has a longer break time than 10 minutes, keep in mind that more time must be credited for line 18.
Line 19 – Vehicle Inspection – 3 minutes minimum time allowance – Time spent inspecting your vehicle every morning is recorded on this line. Time starts when you get your key to go to your vehicle and ends when you come back into the office and begin your next task.
Line 20 – Personal Time – 5 minutes minimum time allowance – This time credit covers any personal needs that you may have while in the office such as obtaining rain gear from your locker, restroom needs, etc. This time is not entered on Form 1838-C. Five minutes for line 20 is automatically calculated in the fixed office time. If your office has additional wash-up time such time is entered on line 21 not line 20.
Line 21 – Recurring Office Work Not Covered by Other Line Items – 9 minutes minimum time allowance. This covers a wide variety of office functions that you perform on a recurring, continuing basis. Generally speaking, recurring office time is an office task that occurs at least once per week. Many of these functions are universal and take place on almost all, if not all, routes. Some examples in the morning are getting your scanner and setting it up, trip(s) to the throwback case, getting your parcel hamper, checking for sleepers, AMS/edit book/red book work, replenishing forms, verifying hold mail, weekly safety talks, removing tags, returning empty equipment to a designated area, etc. Some examples in the afternoon/evening are taking care of outgoing mail collected on your route, placing your attempted parcels and 3M mail in the designated location, returning your parcel hamper to the designated location, processing undeliverable mail, trip(s) to the throwback case, returning empty equipment to a designated area, etc.
Hopefully, the above discussion clears up any misunderstanding which carriers in our branch may have. One day counts can only be used to check the proficiency of a letter carrier, and for no other purpose.
Be safe and keep smiling.
