This past week, large portions of the Northeast were buried under two to three feet of snow, forcing businesses to close, schools to shut down, and mail service to slow—except, according to one Ohio postal worker, at his facility.
Jason Thompson, a Cincinnati mail carrier with more than two decades on the job, says he was suspended without pay after he raised safety concerns about working conditions during a historic winter storm that slammed the region January 24–25. The storm affected 24 states and more than 200 million people, bringing dangerous cold and record snowfall to the Cincinnati area.
Despite the conditions, Thompson said carriers were still expected to report in person. In a Facebook post that quickly went viral, he said workers drove in from multiple states only to find there was no work available.
Jason Thompson detailed what carriers encountered when they arrived at work:
"Carriers are driving in from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and surrounding areas—risking their lives just to get to work—only to be told there is no mail and no parcels.”
Thompson, who works out of the Fairfield Post Office in northern Cincinnati, said he was required to report to work despite being snowed in and facing hazardous road conditions. After making the drive, he claims he arrived to find USPS trucks buried in snow and no mail or packages to deliver.
He recalled the commute during the storm:
“I left extra early, it took me 45 minutes, usually takes 20. Roads were snow-covered and dangerous. A lot of people aren’t aware of what we experience every day. That’s fine as carriers, we are kind of used to the expectation.”
While Thompson noted that mail carriers are routinely required to work through “heat waves, blizzards, storms, and emergencies,” he said this situation stood apart due to what he described as a lack of planning and communication.
According to Thompson, the Fairfield facility’s parking lot was barely plowed, leaving USPS delivery vehicles buried under feet of snow. Carriers from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and surrounding areas reportedly made the drive only to find no mail or packages waiting.
In a video, Thompson showed white USPS vans buried in snow and carriers digging them out by hand.
Thompson explained the physical strain of the conditions:
“If it’s two feet on the sides, we’re buried. We need more resources. A shovel isn’t going to do. It’s strenuous on men and women of different ages to accomplish it.”
Despite the lack of assistance, Thompson said management did not send employees home. Instead, workers were told they would need to use sick or annual leave if they chose not to stay.
USPS carriers are typically responsible for clearing snow off their own trucks, Thompson said. In his video, he called on elected officials, news crews, and President Donald Trump to take notice.
He questioned why outside assistance was not brought in:
“Why aren’t we hiring a professional company to come in and dig all these companies out? Instead, you got carriers doing extreme hard work to dig ourselves out.”
He also warned that storm-related delays would only worsen conditions once deliveries resumed. While Thompson praised his immediate supervisors, he said they lacked direction from higher-level management, leaving safety decisions unclear.
Thompson pointed to what he described as missing contingency plans:
“Why isn’t there a plan for a level 2 to level 3 snow emergency? We’re sitting here with our hands tied.”
Roughly five hours after publishing his Facebook post, Thompson said he was contacted by superiors and warned to delete it. As the situation escalated, he edited the post to update readers.
He wrote in all CAPS as the warnings intensified:
“NOW IM GETTING THREATENED THAT IF I DONT TAKE THIS POST DOWN I COULD LOSE MY JOB!!!”
An hour later, Thompson announced he had been placed on emergency suspension without pay. He urged people to share his post and said postal workers “deserve respect, protection, preparation, and value.”
You can view Thompson's post and videos below:
Thompson later told Daily Dot that communication from management had been minimal.
He described the response from supervisors via Facebook message:
“The supervisors within my station have only responded vaguely thru text and seem to be limited to even engaging and little to no response about scheduling a meeting to address the concerns surrounding the events.”
USPS did not comment directly on Thompson’s suspension. However, a spokesperson told WXIX that employee safety remains a priority and that emergency plans are in place.
A USPS spokesperson said in a statement:
“USPS has emergency plans in place, and employees are updated about any operational changes. During extremely cold conditions, employees follow established safety precautions, including wearing appropriate cold-weather gear, taking warm-up breaks as needed, remaining alert to icy or hazardous conditions, adjusting work practices when necessary, and maintaining communication with local management.”
Fox19 Now coverage of Thompson's story can be seen below:
- YouTubeFOX 19 Now Cincinnati
Facebook users largely rallied behind Thompson, praising him for speaking out and questioning where planning and leadership were during the storm. Many commenters argued that workers should never have been put in that position.
You can view the comments below:
Whitney Ann/Facebook
Teri Blanchette/Facebook
Brad Baker/Facebook
RamieKenny D Brobst/Facebook
Lori Craft/Facebook
Beth Millay/Facebook
Angie Smith/Facebook
Ann Bechtold Larkin/Facebook
Kara Nieman/Facebook
Mike Kerekish/Facebook
Lisa Browne/Facebook
Ashley Crenshaw/Facebook
Despite the suspension, Thompson said he has received overwhelming support from fellow postal workers nationwide.
Thompson emphasized that his goal was awareness and change:
“This isn’t meant to be a negative thing. This is for positive awareness. I want some more resources, accountability, and change within the post office, not just in my post office but nationwide.”
Shortly after FOX19 NOW aired the story, Thompson said he was told to return to work the following Tuesday. Uncertain about what he might face, he chose to take time off until he could meet with USPS officials.
As winter continues, Thompson’s concerns may not fade anytime soon. Just over a week after the storm, Punxsutawney Phil emerged at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania, saw his shadow, and predicted six more weeks of winter—raising fresh questions about how prepared facilities like Fairfield will be for what lies ahead.
