Postal delays impact our clients in many ways. I work for Causey Wright in the accounting department. I have noticed how the recent U.S. Post Office delays have affected our clients. Where it normally takes a day or two for clients to get their checks through the mail, it’s now taking several days, in some cases up to two weeks.
It would be easier, for us and our clients, if all of our clients had direct deposit set up. It would be more efficient if all of the insurance companies that manage workers’ compensation cases could deliver payments to us via electronic deposit. But, for various reasons, they do not.
As a result, we receive most payments from the Department of Labor and Industries electronically, but many payments from insurance companies and self-insured employers are paid by paper check.
Of interest, most self-insured employers will provide direct deposit to their claimants, but refuse to provide payment electronically to a law firm if the worker has representation. Punishment, perhaps?
Most, but not all, of our clients take advantage of our ability to transfer funds to them electronically. Many still prefer to receive a paper check. We have to respect our clients wishes, understand their different situations and work with them to best serve their needs.
Impact of Postal Delays
I don’t think people understand how serious this is, especially for our clients who are either elderly or have serious health conditions. The recent postal delays affect their source of income, their livelihood, and their ability to pay their bills. The post office delays are affecting their standard of living.
These people have worked hard and should be treated with respect for their hard work. Having to recover after an injury is hard enough without postal delays causing more problems. This situation saddens me, especially when this is happening to these populations of people.
My own mother, who is 75 years old, loves to send cards to her family. She likes to send us notes and thank you cards. Now that joy is causing her stress because of the postal delays. I just think that the elderly deserve all our respect and this is causing so much stress on their lives. They deserve to receive their mail on time and to send mail to their family and pay their bills through the mail without being totally stressed about it.
