All USPS facilities and personnel offices; Intergrated Business Solutions Services Centers; National Personnel Records Center; Human Resources Information Systems; Human Resources Shared Services Center; Headquarters; Computer Operations Service Centers; and contractor sites.
Current and former USPS employees, their family members, and former spouses who apply and qualify for federal employee benefits under public law.
- Employee, former employee, and family member information: Name(s), Social Security Number(s), Employee Identification Number, date(s) of birth, place(s) of birth, marital status, postal assignment information, work contact information, home address(es) and phone number(s), personal email address, finance number(s), duty location, and pay location.
- Official Personnel Folder (OPF) or eOPF (electronic version): Records related to appointment support, prior federal civilian employment, postal employment, personnel actions, anniversary dates, retirement, benefits, and compensation.
- Automated employee information: Records generated, approved, and stored by electronic means such as Notification of Personnel Actions, health benefit elections, tax withholding changes, and address changes.
- Reference copies of all discipline or adverse actions: Letters of warning; notices of removal, suspension and/or reduction in grade or pay; letters of decisions; and documents relating to these actions. These are used only to refute inaccurate statements by witnesses before a judicial or administrative body. They may not be maintained in the employee’s OPF or eOPF but must be maintained in a separate file by Labor Relations.
- Nonbargaining unit employee discipline, grievance, and appeals records.
- Job bidding records: Records related to the employee’s bid for a preferred assignment.
- Biographical summaries: Records and photographs used for public relations purposes.
- Level 2 supervisors’ notes: Records of discussions, letters of warning, and any other relevant official records being maintained at the supervisor’s discretion for the purpose of enabling effective management of personnel. (A level 2 supervisor directly supervises bargaining unit employees.)
- Email Addresses: personal email address(es) for retired employees are retained in a separate database and file from other current and former employee information.
39 U.S.C. 401, 410, 1001, 1005, and 1206.
- To perform routine personnel functions.
- To maintain a source of readily available information on employees for administrative purposes.
- To administer the grievance and appeal procedure for nonbargaining unit employees.
- To match a vacant position to the most qualified candidate in bids for preferred assignment.
- To provide public relations information on USPS management personnel.
- To provide federal benefit information to retired employees.
Standard routine uses 1. through 9. apply. In addition:
- Job bidding records may be disclosed on official bulletin boards in Postal Service facilities and to supervisory and other managerial organizations recognized by USPS.
- Records pertaining to financial institutions and to nonfederal insurance carriers and benefits providers elected by an employee may be disclosed for the purposes of salary payment or allotments, eligibility determination, claims, and payment of benefits.
- Records may be disclosed to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in response to its request for investigative purposes, to the extent that the requested information is relevant and necessary.
Automated database, computer storage media, digital files, and paper files. Duplicates of records in the OPF or eOPF and automated employee data may be maintained for localized employee administration or supervision. Records may be filed at offices other than where OPF or eOPF is located, or may be duplicated at a site closer to where the employee works.
By name, Social Security Number, Employee Identification Number, or duty or pay location.
Paper records, computers, and computer storage media are located in controlled-access areas under supervision of program personnel. Access to these areas is limited to authorized personnel, who must be identified with a badge. Nonbargaining unit employee discipline, grievance, and appeals records maintained outside the OPF (hard or soft copy) are kept in locked filing cabinets or secured record storage rooms; and related automated records are protected with password security. Computers are protected by mechanical locks, card key systems, or other physical access control methods. The use of computer systems is regulated with installed security software, computer logon identifications, and operating system controls including access controls, terminal and transaction logging, and file management software.
- Permanent OPF or eOPF records are permanently retained. Temporary OPF or eOPF records are generally retained 2 years and are purged upon the employee’s separation from USPS.
- Except as otherwise provided by a collective bargaining agreement, original or copies of discipline or adverse actions are maintained up to 2 years; or, if an additional or more recent disciplinary action has been taken, for a longer period. After 2 years, or lesser time specified in the decision, the employee may request the disciplinary record be purged from the OPF or eOPF provided no subsequent discipline was issued. Records that support a PS Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action, e.g., the separation of an employee for cause or the resignation of an employee pending charges, are considered permanent records and may not be purged at the request of an employee.
- Reference copies of discipline or adverse actions. These records are kept for historical purposes and are not to be used for decisions about the employee. The retention of these records may not exceed 10 years beyond the employee’s separation date. The records are maintained longer if the employee is rehired during the 10-year period. They may not be maintained in the employee’s OPF or eOPF, but must be maintained in a separate file by Labor Relations.
- Grievance and appeal records of nonbargaining unit employees are retained 7 years.
- Job bidding records are retained 2 years.
- Biographical summaries are retained for the duration of employment.
- Records to provide federal benefit information to retired employees are retained for 10 years. Records may be purged at the request of the retired employee.
Records existing on paper are destroyed by burning, pulping, or shredding. Records existing on computer storage media are destroyed according to the applicable USPS media sanitization practice.
Director of Human Resources, USPS OIG, 1735 N. Lynn Street, 10th floor, Arlington, VA 22209.
Vice President, Employee Resource Management, United States Postal Service, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20260.
Vice President, Labor Relations, United States Postal Service, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20260.
Individuals wanting to know if information about them is maintained in this system must address inquiries to the facility head where currently or last employed. Headquarters employees must submit inquiries to Corporate Personnel Management, 475 L‘Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20260. Inquiries must include full name, Social Security Number or Employee Identification Number, name and address of facility where last employed, and the dates of USPS employment.
Requests for access must be made in accordance with the Notification Procedure above and USPS Privacy Act regulations regarding access to records and verification of identity under 39 CFR 266.6.
See Notification Procedure and Record Access Procedures above.
Employees; employees’ supervisors; USPS customers; law enforcement agencies; individuals who are personal references; former employers, including other federal agencies; and other systems of records.
Records in this system that have been compiled in reasonable anticipation of a civil action or proceeding are exempt from individual access as permitted by 5 U.S.C. 552a(d)(5). The USPS has also claimed exemption from certain provisions of the Act for several of its other systems of records at 39 CFR 266.9. To the extent that copies of exempted records from those other systems are incorporated into this system, the exemptions applicable to the original primary system continue to apply to the incorporated records.
