USPS carrier says he was suspended, threatened with firing after slamming ‘extreme’ winter conditions. Why you can’t blast your employer without risk

Thompson, who will soon turn 46, told Moneywise that brushing the snow off his mail truck created a three-foot pile on the ground that only blocked it in further. The struggle, meanwhile, added to the flurry of frustrations that had accumulated throughout his 26 years at the USPS — concerns ranging from dog attacks on routes to “unsafe” mail trucks to the countless other safety issues that Thompson says mail carriers often encounter.

“We’ve experienced so much over the years [in terms] of lack of communication and put in extreme unsafe conditions, but yet preached safety,” said Thompson. “And anytime you bring up anything or try to raise awareness or try to make a change, it's met with opposition and it's met with no real call to action. You feel hopeless and exhausted and drained.”

The final straw came as Thompson watched an older co-worker “huffing and puffing with a shovel, trying to dig herself out.” He choked up as he recalled his worry that she could get hurt or even suffer a heart attack. “Pretty much from that moment I knew something had to change … someone had to cry for help and have a desperate plea,” he added. “And I did.”

So with his boots still in the snow, Thompson pulled out his phone and took photos and short videos showing the snowy conditions. Then he posted it all to his personal Facebook account (2), along with his frustrations about the situation — including a perceived lack of USPS preparation for a snowstorm forecast in advance, and the fact that carriers were told they had to use their sick leave if they wanted to go home, despite there being no mail for them to deliver. He also expressed his desire for “a better plan,” “safety-first decisions,” “accountability” and “change.”

By dinner time, the Facebook post had made the evening news, rallying support from across the country while leaving Thompson’s own job at the USPS in limbo.

Breaking the ice on workplace safety concerns

Thompson explained that he made the Facebook post not out of malice toward the USPS, but because he wanted people to “band together and try to make a change” by illustrating the dangerous conditions, while “giving recognition to supervisors [and] carriers that, hey, we got great people here, but we have no communication.”

Moneywise reached out to the USPS about Thompson’s comments but received no response. However, in a statement shared with a local Fox affiliate (3), the organization called employee safety “a top priority” and added that the USPS “continuously monitors weather conditions and reinforces safety guidance to help ensure employees can deliver mail as safely as possible.”

Still, Thompson noted things “got really ugly really quick” after his post went live. A supervisor called another employee to tell Thompson that the latter could lose his job if he didn’t take the post down. Thompson, unclear as to why they didn’t call him directly, updated the post to reveal his job was in jeopardy. “This is the very point that I'm trying to make,” he said. “We have no voice.”

Meanwhile, reaction to the Facebook post snowballed, eventually racking up more than four thousand shares. Later that day, Thompson says he received a call from work telling him he was being put on emergency placement (EP), a sort of suspension without pay. Then, after his post aired on dinner-time television news broadcasts, he received “a vague text message that says, ‘return to work tomorrow. Thank you.’” Thompson declined.

“I'm extremely stressed and anxious and nervous and vulnerable at this point that I don't know what I'm coming back to,” he explained. Instead, he went on stress leave and said his union is in talks to meet with his district manager to discuss the situation.

Thompson, however, harbours no regrets about the post. He says that he’s “so humbled and overwhelmed by the response” he’s received from across the country, with other workers reaching out to thank him for raising the issue of safety concerns on the job. He also added that he’s happy to work with elected officials at any level to help affect positive change, and any person or organization that can lend their time and skillsets to help advance the cause.

Thompson reiterated, though, that his movement is rooted in positivity. It’s not an attack on the USPS but, rather, a desire to make it a safer workplace. He also encouraged others to speak up about any important issues they’ve encountered at their own workplaces.

“You're going to be met with opposition. It's going to be tough to be heard. But when the volume does get turned up, there has to be a decision made as to ‘what are we going to do about it?’” said Thompson. “And I'm excited that I'll hopefully get to be a part of the ‘what are we going to do about it’ [part] and hopefully make some good change.”

What to know about social media posts and the workplace

For the record, Thompson says he respects the opinions of those who believe that venting about your workplace on social media is a bad idea. He simply added that it was his truth, noting that “I heard the cries of all my coworkers. I listened to them with concern. This was my decision and I'm willing to accept that decision.”

When it comes to the law, however, protections for workers who criticize their employer on social media exist, depending on the situation. The First Amendment right to free speech generally holds true, but isn’t a failsafe guard against termination — especially for public-sector employees like USPS workers.

For example, whistleblowers — including those who speak up about unsafe working conditions on social media — are legally protected from termination (4). However, making false statements about your company on social media, even if it’s under the guise of whistleblowing, is a fireable offence. As well, if your post violates your company’s social media policy — which you presumably agreed to upon accepting employment — that could also lead to problems.

A 2023 directive for members of the National Association of Letter Carriers (5) — the union representing USPS mail carriers — says employees “should not post [on social media] while on the clock.” It also points to a directive in the Administrative Support Manual for postal workers that says employees should “not verbally attack other individuals or companies. This includes fellow employees, contractors, customers, vendors, and competitors.”