Mail delays are frustrating Philly residents, and a short-staffed Postal Service is struggling to keep up

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Neighborhoods across the Philadelphia region are experiencing significant delays in receiving their mail, with some residents going upwards of three weeks without packages and letters, leaving them without medication, paychecks, and bills.

The delays come at a time when the U.S. Postal Service is experiencing significant changes. The new Postmaster General’s policies eliminate overtime, order carriers to leave mail behind to speed up their workdays, and slash office hours, which — coupled with staffing shortages amid previous budget cuts and coronavirus absences — are causing extensive delivery delays.




According to local union leaders and carriers, mail is piling up in offices, unscanned and unsorted. Mail carriers who spoke with The Inquirer said they are overwhelmed, working long hours yet still unable to finish their routes. Offices are so short-staffed that when a carrier is out, a substitute is often not assigned to their route.

“I understand we are flexing our available resources to match the workload created by the impacts of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic,” said USPS spokesperson Ray V. Daiutolo Sr. “We have a liberal leave policy and we are aggressively trying to hire qualified candidates. We appreciate the patience of our customers and the efforts of employees as conditions change on a day-to-day basis. We are proud of our workforce for the essential role they are playing for the customers they serve.”