Phantom route, what happens? (2025)

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has any experiences of being assigned to a phantom route due to an on the route injury?

Becauce of rotator cuff injury, 2 shoulders, two surgeries, almost two years of therapy, I’m almost at the two year mark where I might have to relinquish my route. I understand this Is up to themanagement, not the carrier.

I fully intend to come back to work, but it just might be longer, past the two year mark.

So, what really happens?

Has anyone been on phantom route status, then recuperated, and returned to work?

Same office?

Different craft?

How does this affect health insurance?

I realize that every case is different, but thanks in advance.

MartinWalden -- Never having dealt with a "phantom route, so sorry, can't answer your questions. Here are some references.

-- Have you contacted your Assistant District Representative?

-- Search for "phantom route" in RI's KNOWLEDGEBASE section. The result is the short version of what it in the F-21.

-- F-21 ( Time and Attendance handbook ), Section 555 - 555.4 covers Phantom Routes

-- MOU #6 of the current contract mentions the creation of routes # 980-989 without referring to "Phantom Routes".

-- The USPS just lost a EEOC Class Action case for mistreating on-duty-injured employees through the National Reassessment Process. Might want to Google it to see if it applies to you.

Thank you btdtret,

i had already found and read the F-21 and the mou #6 references.

i haven’t contacted the assistant district rep. I will look into that.

i don’t feel I’ve been mistreated in any way, but I’ll look the court case up too.

MOU #6 is pretty clear. At or prior to the 2 years, mgmt is supposed to send a certified letter giving you 30 days to provide documentation that you are cleared to get back on your route. If you cannot, you will be placed on a phantom route until you can. You can be put in a modified position if one is available until you can do the job. When you are cleared for full-duty, mgmt will keep you on the modified duty until a vacancy appears. The injured carrier will be an excised carrier as stated in the MOU.

If mgmt allows the "holding" of your route, then they are violating the contract. Any carrier, PTF, or RCA can file a grievance against Mgmt for violating the contract. A shop Steward can also file a class action on behalf of the subs.

Good luck in your recovery!

Sorry for you injury and time off. But as mentioned before, when the 2 years is up, your route is posted. Had this happen in my office. Carrier was off for 2 years and awaiting disability retirement approval. The senior RCA couldn't wait until the exact date of the 2 years and had the 8191 filled out and ready to file on day 1 after the 2 years.

While it seems unfair to someone coming back to full duties with another month or 2 of rehab, the contract says 2 years and the senior RCA has rights...... Also the route might be wanted by some other regular. In our case, the carrier was never going to improve but management kept hoping. The modified job while on limited duty actually made her condition worsen. Carrier was worried about getting fired before her disability was approved and didn't say anything about how she hurt worse doing the modified job than if she was on the route.

I hate to comment without being in someone else's shoes... and I certainly don't want to be disabled, or have any sort of injuries that keeps me from being able to do my job or other activities that I might want to do... and I'm pretty sure nobody else wants that either...

But, imo... and maybe I'm just being naive here... but it would almost seem to me, that if the good ole USPS is so hail bent on posting someones route at the 2 year mark, then they should be equally ready to be approving a disability retirement at that point as well... aren't carriers eligible for disability retirement with as little as 2 years of service?? Apparently that's another one of those deals that's easier said than done... seems to be lots of those, especially when it comes to things that might help the carrier... <img title="Confused" alt="Confused" src="https://www.ruralmailtalk.ruralinfo.net/wp-content/sp-resources/forum-smileys/sf-confused.gif" />

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>D.B.Cooper said </strong>
I hate to comment without being in someone else's shoes... and I certainly don't want to be disabled, or have any sort of injuries that keeps me from being able to do my job or other activities that I might want to do... and I'm pretty sure nobody else wants that either...

But, imo... and maybe I'm just being naive here... but it would almost seem to me, that if the good ole USPS is so hail bent on posting someones route at the 2 year mark, then they should be equally ready to be approving a disability retirement at that point as well... aren't carriers eligible for disability retirement with as little as 2 years of service?? Apparently that's another one of those deals that's easier said than done... seems to be lots of those, especially when it comes to things that might help the carrier... <img title="Confused" alt="Confused" src="https://www.ruralmailtalk.ruralinfo.net/wp-content/sp-resources/forum-smileys/sf-confused.gif" /></blockquote>
It's not the PO that's "hail bent on posting someone's route". It's a contract violation if they don't. This is one the Union put in there as some folks will falsify documents & injuries to not have to work & still get a paycheck. What is sad is a carrier that falls ill (i.e. Cancer, depression, etc.) will lose their route after 1 year although it's to no fault of their own AND mgmt cannot put those folks into a modified/limited duty position since it's NOT an OJI.

What you likely won't see the Union put in a contract is phantom-routing a carrier on 204b assignment. Some of the DRs/ADRs (& higher) like knowing that they can quit the Union office & will have a route to go back to. If they pushed the 204b route-loss, their position might get tossed in with it.

DB, most times a carrier not able to complete all duties within the 2 year period ( and didn't go out on disability) will be put on a modified assignment. At least that the way it used to be before the thing that PS lost in the EEOC case. Not sure how things were done during that timeframe.

Carrier would be placed on route and might only case it, or might only carry it. Sometimes maybe case 1 hour and carry 3 hours. It depended upon the restrictions the medical professional placed upon the carrier. About 20 years ago, management would move the carrier to the clerk craft because clerks don't work as hard LOL

Clerks filed grievance and won over being the whipping "people" when someone couldn't do the "hard" work in the carrier crafts. They claimed their jobs were just as hard and if the person couldn't do a carrier position, why did management thing they could do a clerk job. I started at po as a casual clerk unloading trucks, clerks work just as hard but not so much repetition unless you were on a LSM.

Thank to everyone for your concern and input.

I’m not so concerned about being put on to a phantom route status, it seems to me that it is a lot like what I’m doing now. Trying to recover from surgery and being provided with the wage benefit through owcp.

I know I won’t be fired, and when I am recovered I will be put in some position.

But what position and where?

I understand that all the rca’s out there want their chance for a full time position. In fact, that’s how I got my position over twenty years ago. Previous carrier when out on medical reasons and didn’t come back, though I didn’t have to wait the full two years, the wait may not have been that long back then.

so far the comments have been about carriers that haven’t returned to work.

I’m really interested in the first hand experiences of those who have come back after having to relinquish their route.

Again thanks for your input.

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>MartinWalden said </strong>
Thank to everyone for your concern and input.

I’m not so concerned about being put on to a phantom route status, it seems to me that it is a lot like what I’m doing now. Trying to recover from surgery and being provided with the wage benefit through owcp.

I know I won’t be fired, and when I am recovered I will be put in some position.

But what position and where?

I understand that all the rca’s out there want their chance for a full time position. In fact, that’s how I got my position over twenty years ago. Previous carrier when out on medical reasons and didn’t come back, though I didn’t have to wait the full two years, the wait may not have been that long back then.

so far the comments have been about carriers that haven’t returned to work.

I’m really interested in the first hand experiences of those who have come back after having to relinquish their route.

Again thanks for your input.</blockquote>
Look up "excessed junior carrier" as that's basically what you will be until a route within your office or 50 miles of it comes open. If I recall, in Formula offices mgmt can create a PTF position while waiting for a route to open up. Other than that, it's difficult to say. In larger offices, a body manning the access door by the clerks is helpful for pulling Hold mail & overflows, pkg pickups, & writing up CBU lock changes. Good luck in whatever may come.