Wednesday • March19

Smart Business Moment

Employee Threats or Harassment

Take Action

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2025HR1-041employeethreatsorharassment

Employee Threats or Harassment

Take Action

If you receive a report that an employee feels threatened or harassed, promptly investigate and discuss it with Human Resources.
A work environment free from harassment is not only more productive, it’s postal policy.

Employee safety is a top priority at the Postal Service.

Taking action on reports of threats or harassment is smart business.

See Publication 552 Manager’s Guide to Understanding, Investigating, and Preventing Harassment

Alternate business moment

Misuse of Postal Vehicle

Not if it’s a postal vehicle.

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2025ET3-307misuseofpostalvehicle

Misuse of Postal Vehicle

Not if it’s a postal vehicle.

You are prohibited from using a postal vehicle to:

drive to the airport for annual leave
perform any task for your outside business or second job
run errands
commute between work and home
transport unauthorized passengers

The minimum penalty for misusing a postal vehicle is 30 days suspension without pay. Different rules apply to use of a postal vehicle while you are on official travel or you are serving in a long-distance detail assignment.

Using a postal vehicle only for postal business preserves the life of the vehicle and eliminates extra fuel expenses.

And that’s smart business.

Smart Safety Moment

Power strips

Beware the tangled web.

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2025ssm-powerstrips

Power strips

Beware the tangled web.

Power strips are just extension cords with multiple receptacles. So when you use them to plug in office equipment, remember that safety precautions for extension cords also apply for power strips. Additional precautions for power strips include:

Only use power strips that have a built-in circuit breaker that will trip if overloaded or shorted.
Plug appliances such as refrigerators, microwave ovens or wall air conditioning units into an electrical outlet — not a power strip
If a power strip feels hot, throw it away and replace it.
Don’t cover a power strip with a rug, furniture or any other item that blocks air circulation.
Don’t daisy chain — plug one power strip into another power strip.

When you use power strips correctly, you’ll get the extra outlets you need and prevent fires caused by overloaded circuits.

And that’s smart safety!

For additional information or guidance, contact your safety office.

Alternate safety moment

Helmets required

Don’t be a hard head — wear a helmet.

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2025ssm-helmetsrequired

Helmets required

Don’t be a hard head — wear a helmet.

Postal Service employees who use a bicycle or tricycle in the performance of outdoor duties must wear a helmet. Helmets should fit snugly without any movement from side to side, have a chin strap and comply with Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations.

Wearing a bike helmet helps prevent head injuries in accidents. For more information refer to Management Instruction EL-823-2016-5, Bicycle Helmets.

And that’s smart safety!

For additional information or guidance, contact your safety office.

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Your Smart Business Moment and Your Smart Safety Moment.

Smart Business Moment