Veteran mail carrier speaks out in Chicago: "Eighteen routes - five people come to work" "The carrier, who wants to remain anonymous, believes the severe USPS staffing shortage is partially due to the emergency federal employee leave enacted this year – which gives postal workers up to 600 hours of paid leave for COVID-related reasons. That’s right, 600 hours – roughly four months of paid time off if employees qualify. “There’s rumors that people that’s using that COVID leave don’t need it,” the carrier said. And that’s not all. The carrier said his supervisor told him package delivery is now a priority over first-class mail."