RCA injured in accident (not work related), unable to work 3 weeks+

[20ANK17]

Can an RCA be let go if unable to work?  It will be 3 weeks for sure, then maybe light duty for a month or...??  It was a pretty serious accident, I don't know how long they will be unable to work a full route and i'm getting very nervous thinking ahead to December.  I'm currently working for their regular carrier, my aux route being covered by another RCA and the regular carrier whose route i'm assigned to is working their Saturday.  I guess it's working, for now, but how long do we wait to hire a new person?  I'm afraid management will just keep me working for 2 regulars for as long as they can 'get away with it'.   Thanks  

 

[D.B.Cooper]

Well, on the bright side... that should mean twice the $$$ deniro right before Christmas... I'd say that's not all bad...  <img title="Surprised" alt="Surprised" src="https://www.ruralmailtalk.ruralinfo.net/wp-content/sp-resources/forum-smileys/sf-surprised.gif" />

I'd be surprised if they tried to can the RCA for being injured, especially if they can come back to full duty in a couple of months...

 

[btdtret]

20ANK17 -- "Can an RCA be let go if unable to work? "

--  Serious accident -- while on duty or off duty?

--  At a minimum, the USPS has about $8,000 invested in the RCA, so they might not be in a rush to fire him/her.

--  No light duty in the rural craft for RCA's or regulars.

"how long do we wait to hire a new person? "

--  that is up to manglement.

--  If there is no one on the current hiring list, don't forget the training "pipeline" takes a while before it spits out a new RCA.   And then there is the in-house training and learning before the new RCA is some what proficient.

--  Any nearby post offices from which to borrow an RCA?

--  Depending on how many days a pay period you have to work, be happy for the chance to earn additional money and work experience.

 

[dannkim18]

Im not really sure there is a time frame set in stone, PM discretion on that.  We had a sub out 4 months with rotator cuff surgery, not work related, he kept his job but did resign a few months after coming back because it caused him too much pain to continue.

 

[Rt2mailman]

20Ank17, were you hoping to read here a rule cited that "all rca's that happen to get injured in any off duty accidents are fired after 3 months of not working ". No, you are not over worked yet. Wait untill you work every day of the week and split a full route on Saturday, then you should feel overworked. I've known rca's that have been out for over a year due to an off duty accident. Be thankful it's not you, maybe pretend you are a regular for a while even though you aren't working quite as much.

 

[20ANK17]

Yes... my paychecks have been nice and if I was just a relief day RCA I should and would be grateful for the hours and OT, but I already work 6 days a week.  I have a 6.5 hr Aux route 5/1. 

I have been filling in 6 days a week (for 3 weeks now) on the monster route that injured RCA was supposed to be on because the regular is on medical leave. 

My assigned route has been working their relief day. 

Aux sub has been taking around 9hrs to do the 6.5hr route, doesn't want even 1/4 these hours, says not what they were told when hired, may quit soon.

We're all S.O.L. right now. We need another person...soon.

When the regular comes back, the 2 regular routes will be using me for their relief day and run my Aux route the rest of the week.   

What I am afraid of is, that they can't or WON'T hire anymore RCA's with that injured RCA still on the books?   I always thought I would be fired for calling in sick too many times or being unable/unavailable to work. 

But after hearing about the shortage of RCA's all over the place, I guess that's just how it is now-a-days.  Not a lot of incentive for RCA's anymore.  I still really like my job, just frustrated with the BS we have to wade through. 

Thank you all, I have learned so much throughout these forums.  There is no where for me to get information like I can find here, I can ask at work but my boss has to call someone and try to understand what they tell them, then try to repeat it back to me... I am usually more confused lol.

 

[gotstamps]

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>20ANK17 said </strong>
Can an RCA be let go if unable to work?  It will be 3 weeks for sure, then maybe light duty for a month or...??  It was a pretty serious accident, I don't know how long they will be unable to work a full route and i'm getting very nervous thinking ahead to December.  I'm currently working for their regular carrier, my aux route being covered by another RCA and the regular carrier whose route i'm assigned to is working their Saturday.  I guess it's working, for now, but how long do we wait to hire a new person?  I'm afraid management will just keep me working for 2 regulars for as long as they can 'get away with it'.   Thanks    </blockquote>
You shouldn't be working anything other than the Auxiliary & Primary that you are assigned to. Maybe you're getting more hours this way but you're not getting AL & SL not to mention it's against contract. The sub running your Aux should be on that other route and if they can't handle it, mgmt can have you assist them or assist them themselves. 

As long as there is a sub-of-record for each route, mgmt can't hire another sub. It is possible for mgmt to hire seasonal help that usually starts right after Thanksgiving but they would only be running parcels & aren't allowed to touch mail.

 

[20ANK17]

I know I sound cold-hearted, but the accident was very irresponsible and I heard (so, hear-say) that RCA did not have medical insurance... makes me angry.  But my main question was addressed as you sifted though my complaining  

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote">
<strong>gotstamps said </strong>

You shouldn't be working anything other than the Auxiliary & Primary that you are assigned to. Maybe you're getting more hours this way but you're not getting AL & SL not to mention it's against contract. The sub running your Aux should be on that other route and if they can't handle it, mgmt can have you assist them or assist them themselves. 

As long as there is a sub-of-record for each route, mgmt can't hire another sub. It is possible for mgmt to hire seasonal help that usually starts right after Thanksgiving but they would only be running parcels & aren't allowed to touch mail.  

</blockquote>
Yes, sub-of-record.  So we're stuck I guess....there's another glitch. The aux sub should be trained on more routes, was hired when the route was only 2.67hrs/day (they are 'retired' so can't make much $) but a HCR was added to the aux route (I did some complaining in another thread, things still aren't 'right') to make it 6.5hrs.  They have been working for free/paying in because of this for awhile now, but won't quit???!???? None of us can figure that one out.  

As far as being against contract, I thought I read somewhere they can use me in 'emergency' situations for other routes.  I will definitely fight for my AL and SL, thank you for bringing that to my attention. It's been so crazy I hadn't even thought about that... I rarely take time off because my sub is already 'overworked' LOL  

 

[gotstamps]

20ANK17- a sub assigned to an Auxiliary route can be used IN ADDITION TO their route, not instead of. As to the SL/AL issue, I don't see a winnable case. A 5/1 Auxiliary sub only earns AL/SL on the 5 not the 1. They also do not earn on any greencard time that is worked. If the Auxiliary sub were to have chosen 6 for the Aux, then they would earn on all 6 days but not on any assistance given.