Performance is tracked using methodology required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). It measures the number of injuries and illnesses that occur per 100 employees.
The 2010 safety record continues its trend of annual improvements. The frequency rate of 5.49 is a 2.35 percent improvement over last year, equating to 2,876 fewer employee injuries and illnesses. This performance is the result of a longstanding commitment to safety improvement, and variety of practical initiatives to increase awareness as detailed earlier in the Comprehensive Statement.
The 2011 goal is a rate of 5.39. It will be reached by using new and existing tools to focus on prevention, communication, and engagement jointly with employees, unions, and OSHA.
The Postal Service tracks employee engagement using an index developed from its Voice of the Employee (VOE) survey, one of the largest employee surveys in the nation. Every employee receives an annual survey and is encouraged to participate. The VOE survey index questions changed this year to shift focus from conditions of the work place to employee engagement. The VOE survey incorporates best practices in employee engagement research and focuses on items that can be addressed at the local level.
The 2010 score of 62.3 was short of the target and 1.3 points below the 2009 baseline of 63.6 for the new survey index. However, the score also indicates that most employees remain positive despite workplace changes, complement reductions, and reassignments necessitated by continuing mail volume declines. Improvements were seen in the critical area of an improved understanding of postal strategies. For 2011, the target has been increased to 64.5.
