NRP Class Action Lawsuit Update: The USPS Case After the August 2026 EEOC Ruling
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When people search “NRP class action,” they almost always mean the disability discrimination case of injured postal workers against the U.S. Postal Service over its National Reassessment Process (NRP) — McConnell v. USPS, which runs at the EEOC, not in a federal court. On August 6, 2026 the EEOC Commissioners ordered the Postal Service to reissue decisions on each class member's individual claim. As of October 2026 there is no settlement, no new claim form and no payment schedule.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the NRP Case Is About
The National Reassessment Process was a USPS program that started as a pilot in 2006 and went nationwide in 2009. It reviewed the jobs of employees working in limited-duty or rehabilitation assignments after an on-the-job injury, and decided whether their work was “operationally necessary.” Many were told no work was available and sent home or given fewer hours.
The class complaint alleged this violated the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The EEOC agreed: its final decision found the NRP led to injured employees with disabilities having their reasonable accommodations withdrawn, being subjected to disability-based harassment, and having confidential medical information accessed by unauthorized persons. Liability is settled. What has dragged on for years is the second step — deciding what each individual is owed.
Case Details
The case is Sandra McConnell v. USPS, Agency No. 4B-140-0062-06, an administrative class complaint before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Federal-employee discrimination claims start inside the agency and the EEOC, so there is no federal court docket for the class. An EEOC administrative judge certified the class on May 30, 2008; the EEOC upheld certification on January 14, 2010; and the EEOC's final decision on liability issued on March 9, 2018, rejecting the Postal Service's request for reconsideration (APWU summary).
Not the same case: Rush v. The NRP Group LLC, No. 1:18-cv-00886 (M.D.N.C.), was a North Carolina tenant case against an apartment company. It alleged NRP Group threatened tenants with eviction fees as early as the 5th of the month. Per a claims listing, it settled for $425,000 with a claim deadline of December 23, 2019 — long closed. Also separate: Pittman v. Donahoe, a $17.25 million USPS rehabilitation-hours settlement, which the APWU says is “separate and distinct” from NRP.
Status as of October 2026: Claims Sent Back to USPS
A Final Agency Decision is a USPS decision, not an EEOC one. It can accept or deny a claim, and it must explain the right to appeal or file a civil action. Class counsel says it expects USPS to reject almost every claim and plans to appeal to the EEOC within 30 days of each decision. This NRP class action lawsuit update means more waiting, not a payout. There is no NRP class action settlement.
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Who Is in the NRP Class
The class covers current and former permanent rehabilitation and limited-duty USPS employees who were subjected to the NRP between May 5, 2006 and July 1, 2011, whether or not they filed their own EEOC complaint. The APWU estimated more than 130,000 people could benefit, including survivors of deceased class members.
Being in the class was not enough. After the 2018 decision, USPS mailed notices (reportedly on March 19 and 20, 2018), and each class member had 30 days from receiving it to file a claim. More than 28,000 claims were filed. If you filed, your claim is the one USPS must now decide. If you never filed, there is no new sign-up window as of October 2026; claims that USPS calls untimely are being decided on timeliness.
What the NRP Lawsuit Could Pay
Separately, the APWU and USPS reached a grievance settlement on the NRP in 2025 after 18 years. It addresses limited-duty rules under the union contract and does not replace or pay the class claims.
NRP Class Action Timeline
- 1
2006 — NRP Starts as a Pilot
USPS begins reassessing injured employees in limited-duty and rehabilitation jobs; the program goes nationwide in 2009. The class period runs May 5, 2006 to July 1, 2011.
- 2
May 30, 2008 — Class Certified
An EEOC administrative judge certifies McConnell v. USPS. The EEOC rejects the Postal Service's challenge on January 14, 2010.
- 3
March 9, 2018 — Final Liability Decision
The EEOC denies reconsideration; the finding that the NRP discriminated is final. Class members get 30 days from their USPS notice to file a claim. More than 28,000 do.
- 4
2025 — Hearings Stalled on Appeal
Administrative judges issue a pre-hearing order and send it up for review. Briefing at the EEOC Office of Federal Operations is complete in late June 2025.
- 5
August 6, 2026 — EEOC Reverses the 2018 Process
The Commissioners order USPS to reissue decisions on each individual claim, with 120 days to act. Class counsel says decisions are due by February 2027.
- 6
October 2026 — Waiting for USPS Decisions
Claimants are waiting for Final Agency Decisions from USPS. Denials can be appealed to the EEOC. No settlement and no payment schedule exist.
Three Things to Watch For
With more than 28,000 claimants waiting on USPS letters, expect these:
“Your NRP settlement check is ready”
There is no NRP class action settlement and no fund. Relief comes through decisions on individual claims. A call or text asking for a fee, your bank login or your full Social Security number to “release” a payment is fraud.
“Re-file now or lose your claim”
The August 2026 order makes USPS decide claims that were already filed. It did not open a new claim window. Anyone selling a late NRP claim filing is selling nothing.
Forms that quietly sign you up with a lawyer
In 2018 the mail handlers union warned that a law firm's suggested claim form also committed claimants to that firm, and that no lawyer is required. Read anything you sign, especially if it mentions a contingency fee.
NRP Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
What is the NRP class action?
It is McConnell v. USPS, a disability discrimination class complaint before the EEOC over the Postal Service's National Reassessment Process. The EEOC found in a final decision on March 9, 2018 that the NRP discriminated against injured employees in violation of the Rehabilitation Act.
What is the latest NRP class action lawsuit update?
On August 6, 2026 the EEOC Commissioners ordered USPS to reissue decisions on each class member's individual claim, with 120 days to act. Class counsel's later update says decisions are due by February 2027 and that it expects to appeal denials.
Is there an NRP class action settlement?
No. As of October 2026 there is no NRP class action settlement, no settlement fund and no payment schedule. The 2025 APWU agreement with USPS on the NRP is a union grievance settlement, not a payout to the class.
Am I part of the NRP class?
You are in the class if you were a permanent rehabilitation or limited-duty USPS employee subjected to the NRP between May 5, 2006 and July 1, 2011. To receive relief, you had to file a claim within 30 days of the USPS notice mailed in 2018.
I filed a claim in 2018. What happens now?
Watch your mail for a Final Agency Decision from USPS. It can accept or deny your claim and must explain your appeal rights and time limits. Keep the decision and the envelope. If you have a lawyer on the case, send it to them.
How much money could I get?
No one can say yet. Possible relief includes lost pay and benefits, reinstatement and restored accommodations, plus compensatory damages capped at $300,000 for proven harm. Awards depend on what you can document.
Is the NRP Group eviction-fee case the same thing?
No. Rush v. The NRP Group LLC was a North Carolina tenant case against an apartment company. It settled for $425,000, and its claim deadline was December 23, 2019. It has no connection to the Postal Service case.
Do I need a lawyer to pursue my NRP claim?
No lawyer is required, according to the mail handlers union. Many claimants signed a retainer with class counsel when they filed, so check what you signed before acting on your own. The EEOC and USPS deal with whoever is listed as your representative.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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