All applicants for casual, temporary, and noncareer indefinite positions are subject to the usual terms and conditions of employment, including personal and medical suitability screening. In addition, restricting certain positions to applicants entitled to veteran preference must be observed, as well as appropriate collective bargaining agreement limitations.
Veterans’ preference must be recognized in the rating, ranking, and selecting of external applicants for career and noncareer employment. Applicants for temporary appointment to skilled positions may be hired from hiring lists organized in examination score order where veterans’ preference is applied (see 234.4, Skilled and Technical Positions). When no examination ranking is used for selection, all external applicants for noncareer employment must be considered in priority group order, as described in 444.
Noncareer bargaining-unit employees may be hired only within the limitations outlined in Article 7 of the appropriate collective bargaining agreement.
Under certain circumstances, an employee may be appointed to more than one noncareer position in the Postal Service. This is known as a dual appointment.
- The primary purpose of dual appointments is to improve the opportunity of employees who provide relief or leave replacement service. For example, to gain further employment and to minimize unemployment compensation expense:
- A Rural Carrier Associate could hold a dual appointment as a casual Mail Handler, and
- A Postmaster relief (PMR) may hold a dual appointment in more than one 2-hour Remotely Managed Post Office or 6-hour Part Time Post Office.
- Dual appointments also enable the Postal Service to utilize available experienced employees instead of new hires.
In addition, the types of dual employment in 234.232 through 234.233 are valid or invalid in the Postal Service as indicated.
An applicant who works for another federal agency and is under either the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS) may not be hired by the Postal Service for a temporary or noncareer position unless the applicant is willing to relinquish the other agency position and have at least a 4–calendar–day break in service before appointment to the postal position. Applicants who participate in CSRS or FERS who are unwilling to relinquish the position that entitles them to participate in one of these retirement systems are ineligible for noncareer postal employment. This ineligibility includes federal employees under CSRS or FERS on leave without pay or in a furlough status. An applicant who works for another federal agency and who is not under CSRS or FERS may be considered for a temporary or noncareer position, provided that the applicant is available to work the hours required by the Postal Service.
A qualified applicant for a noncareer position who is on active military duty in the Uniformed Services, as defined in 38 U.S.C. § 4303(16), may not be rejected for employment wholly or in part because active duty prevents him or her from starting work on a particular date. The applicant may be selected for the noncareer position and appointed following separation from active military service provided that the applicant meets suitability requirements at the time of appointment and the applicant would still be employed had he or she been appointed at the time of initial selection. Separation from active duty includes, for this purpose, the period when the applicant is on terminal or transitional leave and an unofficial or uncertified copy of the DD Form 214 or qualifying statement of service has been provided and reviewed. All three military branches provide a separating service person with an unofficial or uncertified copy of the DD Form 214 when he or she departs on terminal leave. This form reflects the character of service. After the separation date, the veteran receives the final certified copy of the DD Form 214.
Disabled veterans who are 30 percent or more disabled (see 233.36) and VRA eligibles (see 233.37) may be recruited to fill temporary or noncareer positions, except positions that specifically require that selections be made competitively (e.g., Postal Support Employee, City Carrier Assistant, Mail Handler Assistant, and Rural Carrier Associate). When filling positions restricted to applicants entitled to veterans’ preference, VRA eligibles must also meet the requirements for veterans’ preference.
Noncareer positions may be filled as described in 234 within the limitations noted. Where multiple sources are listed, appointing officials should rely on current local conditions and past recruitment experience in determining which methods will produce the required results.
When offices are recruiting noncareer employees for skilled and technical positions, applicants must meet the appropriate qualifications and screening requirements associated with the skills needed. The following are examples of skilled and technical noncareer positions:
A rural carrier associate (RCA) may be reassigned to another installation. A RCA, who has completed the probationary period and then submits a written request for reassignment, may be reassigned to RCA vacancies at other offices. A regular rural carrier who wants to relocate because of a spouse’s relocation or because of personal hardship may be reassigned as a rural carrier associate, provided there is a leave replacement vacancy in the office where the regular carrier seeks relocation. The regular carrier must resign the career position and take at least a 6–calendar–day break in service before appointment as RCA (see Memorandum of Understanding 10, Appointment of Regular Carrier to RCA Upon Relocation, National USPS–NRLCA Agreement). Otherwise, RCAs must be hired from a competitive hiring list.
Both competitive and noncompetitive recruitment sources may be needed to produce a highly qualified, diverse applicant pool from which to fill casual vacancies.
Vacancies for casual positions may be posted externally on http://about.usps.com/careers/welcome.htm (see 421).
Under this authority, applicants eligible for career reinstatement can also be considered for casual positions. For rules, see 233.33, Reinstatement and Reemployment.
For this recruitment authority, a former casual is one who at the time of application had a casual appointment within the current calendar year or either of the two preceding calendar years, had a satisfactory work performance during the last period of casual employment, and was initially appointed as the result of a competitive recruitment effort. For example, applications solicited from the general public or an approved noncompetitive recruitment referral such as Student Program or State Employment Service that recognized veterans’ preference requirements are competitive efforts. Applicants who meet this definition may be considered for casual vacancies ahead of applicants in the general application file. Former casuals who do not meet these requirements must be considered along with other general application file applicants. Veterans’ preference groupings must be observed (see 234.21).
Students who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment on a full-time basis during the regular school year in an accredited institution of higher learning — including universities, colleges, vocational schools, and technical schools — can be considered for appointment as casual and temporary employees. Student applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.
- Applicants must provide documentation certifying enrollment, or acceptance for enrollment, in an institution of higher learning on a full-time basis during the regular school year.
Students employed under this authority are terminated if they drop out of school for any reason, or if they are unable to furnish satisfactory evidence of enrollment for the next scheduled term. Veterans’ preference groupings must be observed (see 444).
Persons currently unemployed and listed on the rolls of the state unemployment compensation office as actively seeking employment may be considered for employment in casual and temporary positions when referred to the Postal Service by the state. Persons referred under this authority must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, or they must be high school graduates who are no less than 16 years of age.
- Applicants must be appropriately referred by the state unemployment compensation office.
Prior approval to use this hiring authority must be obtained from the district Human Resources manager. When approval is obtained, a postal representative should file a written notice of intent to use this authority with the state unemployment office, using Sample Letter C–1, Appendix C. Certification letters (see Sample Letter C–2, Appendix C) must be filed on the right side of the official personnel folder of each individual hired under this authority. When selections are made under this authority, veterans’ preference groupings must be observed (see 234.21).
The noncompetitive process of employment of people with severe disabilities can be used to hire for casual and other temporary positions. See 235.4 for procedures.
Students who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment on a full–time basis during the regular school year in an accredited institution of higher learning — including universities, colleges, vocational schools, and technical schools — can be considered for appointment as casual and temporary employees. Student applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.
- Applicants must provide documentation certifying enrollment, or acceptance for enrollment, in an institution of higher learning on a full–time basis during the regular school year.
Students employed under this authority are terminated if they drop out of school for any reason, or if they are unable to furnish satisfactory evidence of enrollment for the next scheduled term. Veterans’ preference groupings must be observed (see 234.21).
Persons currently unemployed and listed on the rolls of the state unemployment compensation office as actively seeking employment may be considered for employment in casual and temporary positions when referred to the Postal Service by the state. Persons referred under this authority must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, or they must be high school graduates who are no less than 16 years of age.
- Applicants must be appropriately referred by the state unemployment compensation office.
Prior approval to use this hiring authority must be obtained from the district Human Resources manager. When approval is obtained, a postal representative should file a written notice of intent to use this authority with the state unemployment office, using Sample Letter C–1, Appendix C. Certification letters (see Sample Letter C–2, Appendix C) must be filed on the right side of the official personnel folder of each individual hired under this authority. When selections are made under this authority, veterans’ preference groupings must be observed (see 234.21).
Appointing officials may query their registers to determine whether eligibles are interested in noncareer employment. In addition, the registers of nearby installations may be queried in accordance with procedure (see 442).
The noncompetitive process of employment of people with severe disabilities can be used to hire for casual and other temporary positions. See 235.4 for procedures.
A Postmaster Relief (Remotely Managed Post Office (RMPO)), hereinafter “PMR”, staffs RMPOs that have part-time retail hours of 2 hours per day. A Postmaster Relief (Part Time Post Office (PTPO)), herinafter “PMR”, relieves a Part Time Postmaster in PTPOs that have part-time retail hours of 6 hours per day. More than one PMR can be assigned to a 2-hour RMPO or 6-hour PTPO, and PMRs are eligible for reassignment to other PMR positions. See 234.72 for special authority to hire annuitants for the position of PMR.
When normal internal and external recruitment efforts for PMR positions fail to attract qualified individuals, appointing officials may request authorization from the district Human Resources manager to recruit Postal Service retirees to serve in PMR positions. A retired Postal Service applicant can work in this position for a period limited to 180 days in a calendar year without an offset to his or her annuity under a dual compensation waiver granted by the Office of Personnel Management. The waiver applies to this position only, and it may be used only when normal recruitment sources fail to identify qualified applicants. This authority does not allow an assignment to any career position or to any other temporary position.
Key points of this recruitment alternative are:
- This hiring authority can be used only:
- With the approval of the district Human Resources manager; and
- When normal recruitment does not yield qualified applicants for a PMR position.
- Appointing officials must continue recruiting efforts for PMR positions occupied by annuitants with a dual compensation waiver.
- This authority limits employment to appointments of no more than 359 calendar days, and:
- Within this period, an annuitant may work no more than 180 days in a calendar year. Any days worked beyond 180 in a calendar year are subject to an offset of salary.
- Postmasters and annuitants must carefully monitor work schedules to ensure appointments are terminated at:
- The end of 180 days of actual work; or
- The end of 365 calendar days, whichever comes first.
- If it is necessary to employ the services of an annuitant for more than one 359-calendar-day appointment, then a 6-calendar-day break in service is required between appointments.
- Hiring officials must comply with special administrative and reporting requirements when employing annuitants to fill PMR positions (see Appendix D, Tracking Procedures and Sample Letters for Use With Dual Compensation Issues).
- When calculating the 180 days worked in a calendar year, calculate the number in actual days. Do not calculate the number of hours that would equal 180 days.
- Any amount of work on a given day qualifies as one day of work.
