Tuesday, September 24, 2024
USPS pilots a program for lactating employees
Participating facilities have received special pods that offer privacy
The Postal Service has begun a pilot program to further enhance the organization’s compliance with the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act.
Also known as the PUMP Act, the 2022 law requires employers to provide a private place, other than a restroom, for many lactating individuals to pump breast milk. The space must be functional and free from intrusion.
These Postal Service facilities have received special pods that provide privacy for employees who need to express milk: the Post Offices in Allentown, PA, and Joliet, IL; the New Jersey Network Distribution Center; and the processing and distribution centers in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, North Houston, Phoenix and Royal Palm in Miami.
“This is another great example of how the Postal Service strives to enhance our employee experience,” said Joseph Bruce, national human resources senior director at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC.
Employees with questions about the lactation pod program can email the USPS employment policy office.
On the Job
She’s a semi-pro
This USPS truck driver loves life on the road — and on the farm
My name is Beth Allen, and I’m a USPS tractor-trailer operator in Lexington, KY.
I got my commercial driver’s license in 1990. My first husband and I went to truck driving school and worked as a team.
After years of driving semis, my stepmom in Texas — who was a rural carrier with a 120-mile route — persuaded me to apply for a job with the Postal Service.
I started as a part-time rural carrier in Ohio, driving a school bus on the side, and became a career carrier in 2008. I absolutely loved it.
But my first love was always driving semis, and when I found out about the opening in Lexington, I went for it. I got my foot in the door by becoming a contractor for Lexington’s main Post Office, and I applied for the open position in February 2022. I was hired that July.
In Ohio, I lived on a 6-acre farm. I wanted more, and in Kentucky, I got it. I now have 62 acres with cattle, horses and chickens.
My children can all drive heavy equipment. The oldest daughter drives backhoes and bulldozers, the middle daughter drives a roll-off container truck, and my son is into tractors.
I’m in the process of finishing up the house now. Until then — you’ve heard of a farmdi-minium? I live in a farmdi-minimum. It’s a converted horse trailer with a kitchen, bathroom, shower and sleeping quarters, also known as LQ, or living quarters.
I just love truck driving. I’ve had my commercial driver’s license for 34 years, and I have a clean record and no accidents.
I also love coming home to my farm.
“On the Job,” a column on individual employees and their contributions to the Postal Service, appears regularly in Link.
October 1, 2024
Datebook
‘Breast Cancer Awareness’
Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar on breast cancer that explains the importance of early detection and offers a look into treatment alternatives.
The session, “Breast Cancer Awareness,” will be held Tuesday, Oct. 1, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern.
Representatives from Kaiser Permanente, a provider of health plans for federal employees, will lead the discussion.
Participants must register before the event on the webinar website.
Participation is voluntary. Nonexempt employees must be off the clock or on authorized breaks.
Employees with questions can email the USPS Benefits and Wellness team.