Guide · Updated October 16, 2026

What is the USPS injury policy, and what should I do if I'm hurt at work?

Postal employees hurt on the job are covered by the Federal Employees' Compensation Act, run by the Labor Department's OWCP, not a state workers' comp plan. Report the injury to your supervisor right away, file a CA-1 or CA-2, ask about a CA-16 for treatment, and choose your own treating physician.

Carriers, clerks, mail handlers and plant workers do physical jobs every day. Slips on wet steps, dog bites, lifting strains, and repetitive motion injuries are all part of the risk. If you work for the Postal Service in the Rio Grande Valley and you get hurt, the steps you take in the first few days matter a lot.

The short version: USPS injuries fall under FECA

Postal employees are federal workers for injury purposes. The Postal Service’s own Employee and Labor Relations Manual, Section 540, says all USPS employees are covered by the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) runs that program.

That means Texas state workers’ comp does not apply to your postal injury. FECA has its own forms, deadlines and rules. Under it, covered benefits include continuation of pay, wage-loss compensation, medical care and vocational rehabilitation.

Step 1: Report the injury right away

Tell your supervisor as soon as you can, even if the injury seems minor. Back and shoulder strains often feel worse the next morning. Get medical care first if it is an emergency.

Step 2: File the right form

Which form you file depends on how the injury happened. Our post on the difference between a CA-1 and a CA-2 explains this in detail.

• CA-1, traumatic injury. Use this for an injury caused by a specific event or series of events within one work shift, such as a fall, a dog bite, or a lifting injury.
• CA-2, occupational disease. Use this for a condition caused by work over more than one shift, such as carpal tunnel from casing mail or knee problems from years of walking a route.

Deadlines to know:

• For a traumatic injury, file the CA-1 within 30 days to protect your right to continuation of pay (COP). Lost time from work must also begin within 45 days of the injury (20 CFR 10.205).
• COP is your regular pay for up to 45 calendar days while you are off work due to a traumatic injury. It does not apply to CA-2 claims. Learn more in our guide to continuation of pay.
• The general deadline to file any FECA claim is 3 years, with some exceptions.

You can find the forms on DOL’s FECA forms page. Keep a copy of everything you submit.

Step 3: Ask about a CA-16 for treatment

For a traumatic injury, your employer must issue Form CA-16, Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment, to the doctor or facility you choose. Under 20 CFR 10.300:

• The employer should issue it within 4 hours of the claimed injury, or within 48 hours if authorization was first given verbally.
• It authorizes treatment for 60 days from the date of injury, unless OWCP ends it sooner.
• The employer does not have to issue one more than a week after the injury, so ask early.
• For an occupational disease, the employer needs OWCP’s permission before issuing a CA-16.

The CA-16 is not posted publicly. It comes from your employer, so ask your supervisor or the injury compensation office for it.

Step 4: Choose your own doctor

You have the right to make the initial choice of treating physician. Your employer should tell you about this right and let you choose a qualified physician, other than one OWCP has excluded. After that first choice, changing doctors requires a written request and OWCP approval, except when your doctor refers you to a specialist.

Pick a provider who is enrolled with OWCP and knows the paperwork. Under FECA, a provider cannot bill you for amounts OWCP reduces under its fee schedule.

Step 5: Light duty and work restrictions

Many postal workers return to modified or limited duty while healing. Your doctor documents your restrictions on Form CA-17, Duty Status Report, and in medical reports. Under 20 CFR 10.506, your employer may track your progress with periodic reports like the CA-17 and may write to your doctor about limits and job assignments. It may not phone or visit your doctor, and copies of that letter and the reply go to you and OWCP.

If an offered job goes beyond your restrictions, tell your doctor and put your concerns in writing.

Step 6: Keep good records

• Write down the date, time, place and witnesses
• Save copies of every form, letter and medical report
• Keep a log of calls with your supervisor, injury compensation staff and OWCP
• Track mileage to medical appointments for possible reimbursement

How Alivio can help

Our federal workers’ compensation doctors treat postal employees and other federal workers, and Dr. Peter Ruiz, MD, reviews and signs FECA medical reports. We are enrolled with OWCP, bill the Department of Labor directly, and offer free OWCP forms help. Call (956) 679-3451 for a free consultation at our McAllen clinic or our Harlingen clinic.

Medically reviewed by Peter Ruiz, MD, Medical Director. MD · Family Medicine · Texas Medical Board license N2270
Last reviewed October 16, 2026 · How we review content