4. Environment

A. VOE SURVEY

Every postal quarter, one-fourth of the career employee population receives the Postal Service's Voice of the Employee (VOE) survey at their work locations. Participation is voluntary. Employees are given time on-the-clock to complete the surveys and seal them in postage-paid envelopes that are mailed to the contractor for data analysis and quarterly reporting. Six questions have been identified as key indicators of workplace environment factors that can have an impact on employee performance and thus affect business outcomes. Analyzing survey results helps identify organizational issues in order to plan improvement strategies. In 2005 the Postal Service continued to achieve record high national response rates and survey index scores. The national response rate was 66 percent, and the national index score was 63.7 percent favorable responses, 1.6 percentage points higher than the 2004 index score of 62.1.

B. EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM/WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT IMPROVEMENT

The Postal Service Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides free, voluntary, confidential, in-person counseling services to employees and family members from masters-degreed, licensed, professional counselors. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in convenient locations to assist employees and family members with difficulties that affect their personal lives and their work, including emotional, financial, legal, chemical dependency, marital, and family problems.

EAP also provides consultation to managers and supervisors regarding not only individual workers but also the work setting within which they function. The EAP intervenes, when appropriate, through preventive efforts, such as manager coaching and educational seminars on communication and stress management. EAP also provides ameliorative efforts, such as defusing and grief groups after a critical incident (e.g., suicide, hurricane, armed robbery, and accidental death).

In 2005, 54,300 employees and family members received counseling, information, and consultation from EAP. Of the more than 22 thousand employees receiving counseling, 46.2 percent reported some type of work problem that affected their work performance. EAP staff responded to 339 critical incidents and provided assistance to more than 13 thousand employees after these incidents. In the aftermath of the hurricanes in the fall of 2004, EAP staff visited 340 affected facilities to provide support. Health and wellness seminars/training opportunities on topics ranging from stress management to elder care to substance abuse were provided to more than 37,500 employees.

C. VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT

The Workplace Environment Advisory Committee includes representatives of employee unions, management associations, labor relations, and human resources. This group, working closely with the Postal Inspection Service and EAP/Workplace Environment Improvement (WEI), uses a standardized protocol for the identification and resolution of potential "troubled worksites." These are Postal Service sites that may be susceptible to threatening or other undesirable behavior as a result of individual or systemic problems. In addition EAP/WEI assists the field in ensuring that local threat assessment and crisis management teams are in place and that desired training is provided. Finally, EAP/WEI staff members continually respond to potential threats and crisis incidents to ensure prompt response, swift resolution, and maximum safety of Postal Service employees.

D. NATIONAL SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION

Defining appropriate behavior and establishing it as a norm in the workplace is a top priority. The National Workplace Harassment Prevention Program uses awareness and training activities to prevent workplace harassment at all levels of the organization.

In 2005 the Postal Service updated Publication 552, Manager's Guide to Understanding Sexual Harassment, to include a revised Initial Management Inquiry Process and distributed it to all nonbargaining employees. To reinforce the message of Publication 552, the Postal Service developed a presentation for managers entitled What It Is and What Managers Must Do.

E. DEPENDENT CARE

The Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) jointly maintained a contract with a vendor to provide a dependent care resource and referral service to management and APWU-represented employees. The service allows employees to get assistance in locating dependent and elder care resources, as well as offering a variety of options to help balance work and home life.

F. COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN

The Postal Service joins other federal agencies in the Combined Federal Campaign drive each fall. In 2005 Postal Service employees nationwide pledged a total of $38,728,270 to the charities of their choice.

G. POSTAL EMPLOYEES RELIEF FUND

During 2005 the Postal Employees Relief Fund (PERF) provided valuable support to postal employees who were affected by the devastation caused by the series of hurricanes in the Southeast in Fall 2004. PERF, working through a network of local subcommittees in the affected areas, was able to provide grants to the majority of these employees in an effort to help them rebuild their homes and their lives.