An Ohio-based United States Postal Service employee says he was suspended without pay and could face termination after speaking out about unsafe working conditions during Winter Storm Fern.
Mail carrier Jason Thompson said he was disciplined after posting a detailed Facebook message describing the challenges he and other postal workers faced while delivering mail during the storm. Winter Storm Fern dumped snow and ice across 17 states over the weekend and into Monday, disrupting infrastructure and making roads impassable in many areas.
Thompson shared his experience on Facebook on Monday, calling the conditions “extreme” and criticizing how postal workers were expected to continue operating during the storm.
In one video, Thompson showed mail trucks stuck closely together with large piles of snow between them. In another clip, he explained that he arrived early to work at the Cincinnati district’s Fairfield Post Office, only to find trucks “buried in” after snowplows pushed additional snow into the lot.
He said carriers were forced to perform “extreme hard work” just to dig their vehicles out. According to Thompson, there was no clear plan in place, adding that workers had “no mail, no parcels, no anything, no plan.”
“Why isn’t there a plan for a level two or level three snow emergency that the districts can hand out?” Thompson asked. “We have none; we are sitting here with our hands tied.”
He also said carriers were told they would need to use annual or sick leave if they left work early. “This is not our fault. This is not our situation to handle,” he said.
Thompson urged President Trump, state and local officials, and news outlets to help bring attention to the issue. “This is unsafe, help us out,” he said. “There’s got to be a different and better way.”
In the caption of his post, Thompson praised his supervisors, saying they genuinely cared but were “left without proper instruction or authority,” which he said created serious safety concerns.
After the post went viral, Thompson shared multiple updates, claiming he was warned to take the post down or risk losing his job. In a later update, he said he was placed on emergency leave without pay and noted that an interview would air on Fox 19.
Butler County, where Fairfield is located, recorded more than 13 inches of snow over the weekend, according to WHIO-TV.
A USPS spokesperson told local outlet WXIX that procedures are in place for extreme weather events.
“The safety of our employees is a top priority, particularly during periods of severe cold,” the spokesperson said. “During extremely cold conditions, letter carriers follow established safety precautions.”
The spokesperson added that the Postal Service continuously monitors weather conditions and reinforces safety guidance to ensure employees can deliver mail as safely as possible while maintaining reliable service for customers.
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