Effective November 18, 2010, Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) subchapter 470, Awards and Recognition, is revised to reflect changes in Postal Service™ policies. Some revisions are not significant: these include changes in section titles, job titles, and organization names as well as improvements in grammar or style. Significant changes include the following:
n Clarify that this subchapter establishes the conditions and procedures for the recognition of all Postal Service employees except the following:
n Executives and officers assigned to the Postal Service Career Executive Service.
n Employees of the Office of Inspector General.
n Employees of the Postal Regulatory Commission.
n Add a section for U.S. Postal Inspection Service Awards.
n Add a section for Other Awards, to include Ideas Program Awards, the Contest Award, and the Safety Award.
n Set forth changes in procedures required by the implementation of the Human Resources Shared Services Center (HRSSC) and the electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF).
n Clarify when an award provides “ordinary taxable income” and when cash awards are “grossed up.”
n Provide precise definitions of terms such as cash award, noncash tangible award, cash equivalent award, and gift certificate.
n Update the conditions and procedures for granting each award.
n Update the lower and upper limits for all cash and cash equivalent awards.
Because subchapter 470 is completely revised, this article provides a summary of the revisions.
Summary of Changes to ELM 470, Awards and Recognition
We will incorporate the complete text of this revision into the next printed version of the ELM and into the online update available on the Postal Service PolicyNet website:
n Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
n Under “Essential Links” in the left-hand column, click PolicyNet.
n On the PolicyNet page, click Manuals.
(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)
— Compensation,
Human Resources, 11-18-10
