Turnover among non-career employees at USPS fell slightly over 2018-2019 from 42.8 to 38.5 percent but that is still above the target rate of 34 percent and dissatisfaction with supervisors is a main reason, an IG report has said.

The report is the latest in a series of studies on the impact of the Postal Service’s shift in recent years toward temporary workers who receive lesser pay and benefits than career employees—and are not guaranteed a set schedule. USPS estimates that it saved about $8 billion in labor costs from fiscal years 2016 to 2019.

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However, the IG’s latest report, focusing on turnover of non-career employees says that management hasn’t developed a single, national strategic plan for recruiting, hiring, and retaining non-career employees.

Those employees who left in 2019 had worked just 81 days for USPS on average, it added. The main reasons they cited in exit surveys were inflexible schedules, dislike of supervisors, and the physical demands of the work. Working too many or too few hours also was cited.

That was consistent with the results of the IG’s own online survey, which found the top reason was “supervisors not treating employees with respect/poor management skills” and inflexible schedules. Pay, benefits and lack of advancement opportunities were also cited.

“While management said it paid attention to exit surveys, we found there was little effective follow-up on addressing concerns,” says a summary. For example, offices were not provided with guidance on how to use the data from those surveys, and managers at 11 of the 28 district offices and facilities the auditors visited said they had received no training on retention.

However, it credited some facilities and offices for taking steps such as giving employees feedback and a chance to improve performance before being fired, setting standards for onboarding and training, and providing refresher training after two months on the job.