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Helping hand

Postal Employees’ Relief Fund, EAP can provide aid

A photo of a tornado, flooded houses and vehicles during a snowstorm
Employees who suffered losses from natural disasters or house fires may seek help from a variety of sources — including the Postal Employees Relief Fund and Employee Assistance Program.

From tornados, to floods and winter storms, many parts of the nation are experiencing extreme weather — and the Postal Service is reminding employees of resources available to help.

Employees can turn to the Postal Employees’ Relief Fund (PERF), which helps postal employees and retirees whose homes were significantly damaged by natural disasters or house fires.

PERF is not an emergency relief or immediate needs replacement agency such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or the Red Cross, or insurance companies that are paid to replace property. Instead, PERF (which is part of the Combined Federal Campaign) provides relief grants to help qualifying individuals get re-established after a loss, based on an application process.

To help employees and family members cope with a variety of situations — whether a life-altering disaster or changes at work and other more routine issues — the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online or by phone at 800-327-4968 (TTY: 877-492-7341).

As winter continues, employees may visit the National Preparedness site on Blue for information on emergency plans for both work and home. There are also tips to prepare for severe winter weather at ready.gov.

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