Florida Postal Center Bans Wedding Rings

U.S. Postal Service processing centers across the country may follow the lead of the Seminole County plant in banning employees from wearing most jewelry to work, including wedding rings.

Joseph Breckenridge, spokesman at the regional office in Atlanta, said supervisors at some of the nation’s 40,000 other mail processing centers are considering adopting the safety measure.

Most of the 700 workers at the Lake Mary center - including computer operators - were told last Thursday they no longer could wear jewelry on their hands, wrists or ears if they worked on or near machinery. Even those who walk near machinery to get to their work stations must comply, he said.

Most have complied, but 10 employees who couldn’t remove their wedding rings were sent home Friday. Three cut off their rings and returned to work Monday, but most of the others refused to.

Most processing centers have allowed wedding rings and watches but prohibit dangling jewelry.

Jackie Young of Winter Park has refused to cut off her wedding rings, saying it would be like breaking the marriage vows she took 16 years ago.