Conditions of work for mail carriers are often strenuous. They must perform their jobs in all types of weather, either on foot carrying a heavy mailbag or pushing a mail cart, or driving in all kinds of traffic and road conditions. For a few hours every day, they work in office buildings, which are usually comfortable. Even when inside, however, carriers must lift heavy bags of mail and be on their feet most of the time.
Working as a mail carrier can be dangerous at times. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reports that there were about 600 reported cases of robbery against postal workers in fiscal year (FY) 2023, up nearly sevenfold from FY 2019.
Regular city mail carriers usually work an eight-hour day and a five-day week. Rural carriers work a six-day week. Most of these employees begin work very early, as early as 4:00 A.M. in the business districts of some cities. Carriers must cover their routes within specified time limits. When mail loads are exceptionally large, workers may feel some pressure to meet time schedules. As a result, the relationship between management and workers in the postal service can be strained. Some workers feel overly pressured and that they are treated unfairly. Employees for UPS, FedEx, and DHL have voiced their complaints in the recent past as well, challenging their levels of benefits and salary. Private delivery company workers deal with more packages than documents, so a lot of heavy lifting and moving is involved. Drivers spend long hours on the road delivering to points on a specific route. Because the business is based on fast delivery, workers are under pressure to meet deadlines.
Both postal service and private delivery workers are also usually responsible for paperwork and other record-keeping duties that may require time spent behind a desk. The states with the highest level of employment of mail carriers are California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois.