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Title: History of the Workplace Environment Analyst Position and its Unilateral Elimination by the USPS
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Blog Entry: Repost from: February 8, 2009 by Steve Musacco For last 15 years, the USPS “Workplace Environment Analyst” position has been a key player, at the postal district level, in the prevention of workplace violence and workplace environment improvement initiatives. As of last week, employees holding these positions have been informed that their positions are to be eliminated. Based on my experience as a former “Workplace Environment Analyst”, it is certain that I and many of my colleagues in this position prevented workplace tragedies from occurring. I was appointed to this position in November 1993, and I retired from the USPS in the position effective January 2007. The position of Workplace Improvement Analyst coincided with the massive restructuring of the USPS in 1992-1993. Initially, the position was not planned. The impetus for creating this new position was related to the numerous postal workplace shootings in the 1980s and the early 1990s as well as congressional investigations, hearings, and inquiries. According to the information shared with me from a postal headquarters of­ficial, immediately after the two workplace shootings on May 5, 1993, several postal executives and an outside consultant convened to develop a job description ad­dressing workplace violence and its prevention, change management, and the postal culture. In 1993, the position was titled “EAP Coordinator” and later changed to “Workplace Improvement Analyst”. In the beginning, there were 85 “Workplace Improvement Analysts” selected, one for each postal district. Interestingly, these new positions were implemented at a time when 36,000 management positions were eliminated. This was the commitment from postal management at the time to deal seriously with the issues of workplace violence and its prevention. Beginning in November 2007, the position title was changed to “Workplace Environ­ment Analyst”. Prior to the position title change in November, 2007, the position reported directly to the Manager, Human Resources at the District. Currently, the Workplace Environment Improvement (WEI) group at Postal Headquarters reports to an executive staff manager under the um­brella of the labor relations department. This is unacceptable because postal labor relations officials historically have been reactive rather than proactive in terms of workplace environment improvements. Because of WEI group’s distance from top postal leadership in the current organizational reporting structure, its capacity to proac­tively address systemic issues of workplace violence and toxic workplace environ­ments is seriously compromised. Additionally, the field workplace environment analysts’ reporting structure was changed. In­stead of reporting to the district’s manager of humans resources, they began report­ing to an area office manager who was a direct report to the area office manager of human resources. This structural change did not radically change how WEIs conduct their job duties or responsibilities, nor was there a likelihood of improving the postal culture. Unfortunately, plans are underway to eliminate all the “Workplace Environment Analyst” positions in the Postal Service, which includes about 55-60 employees domiciled in Postal Districts. With the Postal Service’s history of workplace tragedies, its dramatic increase in toxic workplace environments, and new downsizing initiatives, this does not bode well for the employees of the Postal Service. During this time of dramatic change and turmoil, the need for Workplace Environment Analysts is more important, not less. Clearly, the USPS has not learned the lessons of the 1980s and 1990s, when the workplace shootings were epidemic at postal facilities. As a result of this deplorable, unilateral action by the USPS to eliminate the “Workplace Improvement Analyst” positions, important questions arise. In 1993, these positions were considered essential and critical to deal with the issues of workplace violence and its prevention. So, what has changed for higher-level decision-makers to think that this is no longer an essential and critical priority? Who made the decision to eliminate these positions? Were the postal unions and management organizations informed or consulted on the elimination of the positions, prior to its implementation? Is the Board of Governors aware of this decision? If so, did they support the action? Who is responsible, if there is an escalation of workplace violence as a result of the elimination of these positions? Finally, if the Postal Service does not reverse its decision on the elimination of the “Workplace Environment Improvement” positions, should Congress intervene?