$15,000 to Quit Your Job

August 28, 2009

By Rebecca Gannon

(WICHITA, Kan.)

Next week, the U.S. Postal Service will update a list of facilities it may close. While 750 branches are under review, about 200 are expected to close.

At the same time, the Postal Service looks to cut costs - by paying people to leave their job.

The Post Office is offering mail clerks and mail haulers $15,000 to leave their jobs. That's about 34,000 stamps.

Kent Bounous has worked for the Postal Service for 32 years - 20 years as a mail clerk. He stood behind the desk at the Munger branch at 13th and Oliver Friday afternoon. He is one of the people who could take the $15,000 and leave the job behind.

"It's up to the individual, it's what they decide," he said from the desk. "I'll get some information from the mail industry next month telling me where I'm at, and look it over and see."

The Post Office says fewer people are sending things in the mail these days. And the mail that is being sent is sorted by machines. So the post office turned to cold, hard cash to thin down it's workforce.

"I think each person will have to decide what will work for them," said Brenda Bishop, Customer Relations for the Wichita USPS Branch.

The United States Postal Service wants to save about $6 billion by the end of the year; trimming it's payroll will save about $500 million.

Bishop says many of the employees at the Munger Branch seem interested. "It just depends what's happening in somebody's life at this time, if it's going to work for them."

Bounous isn't saying if he'll take the incentive. But the Post Office expects about 30 thousand other employees will.

Postal workers will learn more about the incentive next week. They must decide if they want to take the money by September 25th.

The $15,000 will come in two payments -- $10,000 up front, and the last $5,000 within the year.

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