Widow Wins Suit in Postal Worker Suicide

[elehhhhna]

Widow Wins Suit in Postal Worker Suicide

(AP) - PUEBLO, Colo.-Postal worker George Kruest kept a notebook in his office locker that apparently chronicled abusive comments made by his co-workers: "Is this a job you can handle?" and "Go out back and shoot yourself."

Depressed because of the verbal abuse, Kruest shot himself with a revolver in 2002. A final note to his family said: "I no longer can live with myself hurting and having my mind so confused."

A federal worker's compensation investigation has concluded Kruest's suicide was directly linked to work-related depression, the result of hostile comments made by managers and co-workers at the main Pueblo post office.

The U.S. Labor Department awarded his widow $15,000 annually, or about 45 percent of her husband's salary. At the time of his death, Kruest had worked for the Postal Service nearly 20 years.
http://news.findlaw.com/ap/o/632/02-03-2006/d096000c2c227f28.html

[Coventina]

1. Good. Hopefully this will make people take adult bullying seriously.

I've been bullied in the workplace, and it is extremely damaging to one's mental and physical health.

[AGKISTRODON]

2. I don't think I'd want to work for the post office

Does anyone else get the idea that the post office is a bitch to work for?

[Occulus]

3. It's the atmosphere.

I've worked for the postal service since 1996. The atmosphere is thus: you come in, and work for eight hours, lifting and carrying trays or tubs or bags of mail that weigh anywhere from .5 to 75 pounds, and it doesn't stop. There's always more to be done, except on certain equipment at certain times.

It doesn't help that some available employees are not properly allocated, instructed, or even trained. It helps less that some of those employees work for half that of the person next to them, work more hours, receive no benefits, no vacation time, no sick leave, are allowed no union representation, and can be fired at the drop of a hat. This is what happens when you allow a class of employee to be mentioned and ordained in a union contract, but not be covered by the union and not allowed rights under the same contract.

It is disgusting from a purely professional standpoint that the so-called "casual" class of employee is treated as they are. If I want to see my workplace without the AWPU, all I need do is look to the casuals and how they are treated. I'm beginning to believe that the 'attrition' plan claimed by postal management regarding how they intend to reduce the workforce during their "consolidation process" is a smokescreen; we're seeing more and more new casuals getting hired, while at the same time jobs available on our bid board are being reverted (removed from availability; job eliminated)... but older employees are not engaging in a flood of retirements; they're being placed on light duty per the contract as they become too old/infirm to do the regular work out on the floor (not that I blame them; surely that set of employees sees the writing on the wall).

Sorry to rant, but... to put it politely, it is a very, hmm, bureaucratic place to work.

[AGKISTRODON]

4. I worked for small operations

For the most part. I made less money, of course, but when you work for and with people that become good friends, it is a whole different thing. If things happened, like when my father died, or someone got sick, I could take time off, and my check would still come along. They didn't have to do it, just thought it was the right thing to do. You don't mind busting your ass for folks like that.
Hell, there I go, daydreaming again, welcome to the new world, take a number, please!:crazy: