Handbooks

Handbook EL-312 Revision: Assignment, Reassignment, and Promotion

Effective April 2, 2015, the Postal Service™ is revising Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement, sections 716.2 through 717.3 to update policy for Temporary Pro­motions and Promotions to Temporary Positions:

n The heading for 716.2 is revised from Temporary Pro­motion to Temporary Promotion and Promotion to a Temporary Position.

n Text was added to 716.2 to better define a temporary promotion and to add a description of a promotion to a temporary position.

n The text of 716.21 is revised with minor editorial changes and to state that vacancy announcements must clearly indicate that the appointment will not exceed a stated period. Also, a reference to part 743 was added.

n 716.22 is revised to state that a temporary promotion may be made for a limited period, usually two years or less, and to clarify that if the assignment continues after the initial period expires, the employee may continue to serve but it must be determined whether the situation is still temporary. In addition, items a through e were revised:

n Item a now states that the assignment may not exceed one year without the approval of the area vice president (or functional officer for a head­quarters position) and refers the reader to section 716.145 when travel is involved;

n Item b is replaced with new text that says the action is documented on PS Form 50, Personnel Action;

n Item c is reworded slightly to state that the assign­ment may be terminated at any time based on the needs of the Postal Service; and

n New item e states that placement in the assign­ment does not make the employee ineligible to compete for the vacancy if the position is posted.

n The heading for 716.23 is revised from Preappoint­ment Statement to Conditions of the Temporary Promotion.

n 716.23 is revised to state that an employee selected for a temporary promotion will be required to sign an agreement covering the terms of the temporary pro­motion. New items a through f outline items that are to be addressed in such an agreement.

n 717.1a concerning bargaining positions is revised with minor editorial changes.

n 717.1b concerning nonbargaining positions is revised with a new sentence that states that an employee with a disability who desires reassignment to a nonbargaining position should work through the appropriate Reasonable Accommodation Committee at the district, area, or headquarters level. In addition, minor editorial changes and a new reference to sec­tion 743.11 were added.

n 717.1c is revised with minor editorial changes.

n 717.3 is revised with minor editorial changes.

n 717.32 is revised to use the word “exempted” instead of “excepted.”

n Item a contains a minor editorial change.

n Item b replaces the reference to present or former nonbargaining employees with the word current and changes the reference to another section in the handbook from “73-75” to “74.”

n Item c is revised with minor editorial changes.

n New section 717.4 is added to address nonbargain­ing employee changes to a lower level and the procedure an employee with a disability who seeks noncompetitive change to a lower level to a nonbar­gaining position, as a reasonable accommodation must use.

n Previous section 717.4 is renumbered 717.5.

n 717.51 (formerly 717.41) is revised to delete a sen­tence requiring placing notation of a selection pending an effective date to be placed into an employee’s official personnel folder.

n Previous section 717.42 is renumbered 717.52.

n Previous section 717.421 is renumbered 717.521.

n The heading for 717.522 (formerly 717.422) is changed from “EAS” to “Nonbargaining Positions,” and similar revisions are made in the text. This section is further revised with updates to describe current procedures used by employees to apply for a nonbargaining position.

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Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement

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7 Assignment, Reassignment, and Promotion

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71 Introduction

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716 Positions Filled Temporarily

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[Revise the title and text of 716.2 to read as follows:]

716.2 Temporary Promotion and Promotion to a Temporary Position

Temporary promotion to a nonbargaining position which has no time limitation is limited to situations where it is impractical to fill a higher-level position by other temporary means. Such situations include, but are not limited to (a) long-term absence of the incumbent or (b) a need to defer the permanent filling of a vacant position for a lengthy period of time.

Promotion to a temporary nonbargaining position is limited to situations where the position is authorized for a specific limited duration to serve a temporary or transitional need.

In this section, “temporary promotion” refers to both tem­porary promotions to a nonbargaining position and promo­tion to a temporary nonbargaining position.

716.21 Selection Procedures

[Revise the text of 716.21 to read as follows:]

Competitive procedures are used to fill a position through a temporary promotion. The vacancy announcement must clearly indicate that the appointment will not exceed a stated period. When the position is filled permanently, com­petitive or noncompetitive procedures may be used (see 743). An employee who has served in a position through competitive temporary promotion is eligible to recompete, regardless of the duration of the temporary promotion.

716.22 Appointment Duration

[Revise the text of 716.22 to read as follows:]

A temporary promotion may be made for a limited period, usually two years or less, depending upon need. If the employee’s services are still needed in the assignment after the initial period expires, the employee may continue to serve, but it must be determined whether the situation is still temporary or whether the position should be filled per­manently. A temporary promotion:

a. May not exceed one year without approval of the area vice president (or functional officer for a head­quarters position). See 716.145 when travel is involved;

b. Is documented on a PS Form 50, Personnel Action;.

c. Terminates on a specified date, unless extended;

d. May be terminated at any time based on the needs of the Postal Service; and

e. Does not make the employee ineligible to compete for the vacancy if the position is posted.

[Revise the title and text of 716.23 to read as follows:]

716.23 Conditions of the Temporary Promotion

Applicants for temporary promotion must be informed of the conditions of the placement, including the expected duration. An employee selected for a temporary promotion will be required to sign an agreement covering the terms of the temporary promotion. The purpose of the agreement will be to avoid any misunderstanding as to the conditions of the temporary promotion. The agreement must state that by accepting promotion to the temporary position, the position becomes the employee’s position of record, and must also address:

a. The effect on the employee’s salary during the tem­porary promotion;

b. Relocation benefits, if any;

c. Security clearance requirements, if applicable;

d. The employee’s ability to apply for other positions in­cluding lateral reassignment at the grade of the position to which temporarily promoted;

e. Reassignment to a comparable nonbargaining posi­tion at the end of the temporary promotion; and

f. That if prior to the termination of the temporary pro­motion the competitive area where the position is located undergoes a RIF, the employee’s rights are determined based on that position, not under the agreement he or she signed.

717 Positions Filled Permanently

717.1 Reassignment

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[Revise the text of items a, b, and c to read as follows:]

a. Reassignment to a bargaining position. General poli­cies and procedures governing reassignments to bargaining positions are contained in the applicable collective bargaining agreement. (See 72, Bargaining Positions, and 76, Bargaining Position Qualification Standards, for detailed policies and procedures.).

b. Reassignment to a nonbargaining position. Manage­ment may reassign nonbargaining employees noncompetitively (see 743.11). Employees with saved grade may be considered noncompetitively for positions up to the level of their former position or at any intervening level. Employees who desire reas­signment may also apply in the same way as employees who desire promotion consideration. Ad­ditionally, an employee with a disability who desires reassignment should work through the appropriate Reasonable Accommodation Committee at the dis­trict, area, or headquarters level.

c. Mutual exchanges. Career bargaining employees may exchange positions at the same level, if the ex­change is approved by management at the installa­tions involved, subject to the provisions of the applicable collective bargaining agreement. An ex­change of positions does not necessarily mean that the employees involved take over the duty assign­ments of the positions.

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717.3 Promotion

[Revise the text of 717.3 to read as follows:]

A promotion is the permanent assignment with or without relocation of an employee to an established position with a higher level than the employee’s previous position, or to an established position with a higher than equivalent level in another schedule (see ELM 413, Promotion to Nonbargain­ing Unit Positions). Restrictions on the promotion, or rec­ommendation for promotion, of immediate relatives of nonbargaining employees are set forth in Chapter 5. The following policies apply to promotion:

a. Promotion to a bargaining position. General princi­ples governing promotions to bargaining positions are contained in the applicable collective bargaining agreement (see 72, Bargaining Positions).

b. Promotion to a nonbargaining position. General poli­cies and procedures governing promotions to nonbargaining positions are contained in ELM 350, Assignment, Reassignment, and Promotion. (See 73–75 of this handbook for specific policies.)

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717.32 Exceptions to Competitive Procedures

[Revise the text of 717.32 to read as follows:]

The following promotion actions are exempted from com­petitive promotion procedures:

a. Promotion of an incumbent to a position reclassified at a higher level without significant change in duties and responsibilities.

b. Promotion and assignment of current nonbargaining employees to higher–level nonbargaining positions under the specific conditions described in 74. This in­cludes employees with retreat rights, those previously reduced in level, or those serving with saved grade.

c. Promotion of an employee who satisfactorily com­pletes an approved training program that specifically provides for promotion, if: (1) the employee was selected for the program under competitive proce­dures; and (2) the fact that selection could lead to promotion was made known to potential candidates for the program.

[Add new section 717.4 to read as follows:]

717.4 Change to Lower Level

Management may approve a nonbargaining employee’s vol­untary request for change to a vacant nonbargaining posi­tion at a lower grade consistent with section 743.11 and Employee and Labor Relations Manual, section 354.23(f). An employee with a disability who desires noncompetitive change to a lower level nonbargaining position should work through the appropriate Reasonable Accommodation Com­mittee at the district, area, or headquarters level.

[Renumber current 717.4 as new 717.5 to read as follows:]

717.5 Absent Employees

[Renumber current section 717.41 as new 717.51 and revise the text to read as follows:]

717.51 Not on Active Military Duty

Employees on extended leave including leave without pay will also be considered provided they are otherwise eligible and have applied for promotion. If the employee is selected for promotion, the personnel action is processed upon return to postal duty. The date placed on the personnel action is the date the promotion would have occurred had the employee not been absent.

[Renumber current 717.42 as new 717.52 to read as follows:]

717.52 On Active Military Duty

[Renumber current 717.421 as new 717.521 to read as follows:]

717.521 Bidding on Positions

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[Renumber current 717.422 as new 717.522 and revise the title and text of 717.522 to read as follows:]

717.522 Nonbargaining Positions

Nonbargaining and bargaining employees on military duty who are interested in being considered for nonbargaining positions are required to submit to Human Resources per­sonnel a completed Candidate Profile for vacancies in desired positions and locations. Human Resources per­sonnel will treat the Profile as if it were an application when there is a vacancy in the desired position and location. The application is considered in accordance with the area of consideration noted on the announcement. Applications resulting in a nonselection are reconsidered for other vacancies as they occur in the desired position and loca­tion, until the applicant has been successfully selected. Applications from employees who are on active duty with the uniformed services are to be accepted at any time for subsequent consideration when an appropriate vacancy is announced.

Nonbargaining employees on active military duty may also request reassignments to lateral or lower level positions in accordance with the nonbargaining selection policy. Selected individuals are to be placed in the new position with the appropriate pay level by initiating a personnel action while in the leave without pay (LWOP) status.

An audit trail of the selection activity must be established and retained by Human Resources. Upon return from active military service, the responsibility for submitting bids or applications for nonbargaining positions reverts to the employee.

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We will incorporate these revisions into the next online update of Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement, which is 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 Click HBKs.

The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.