The U.S. Postal Service in Missoula has had a problem with hiring and retaining enough staff to keep up with the workload for much of the last few years and that has led to workers being burdened with 80-hour work weeks, fatigue behind the wheel, burnout and stress.
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That’s according to several current and former rural letter carriers who recently spoke to the Missoulian on the condition that their names not be used.
“You’re working 60-80 hours a week and driving for most of it,” said one worker. “It takes a lot of mental fortitude. It does get really taxing. You’re driving at night, you’re driving on icy roads, you work in the dark and snow.”
That worker said that since they spend a lot of time during the day on foot, they were told by management that they don’t technically surpass federal limits on the number of hours a person can drive during the day.