Employees

USPS-NPPN NATIONAL AGREEMENT

Changes to Uniform Program Allowance, 1999-2004

Bargaining unit occupational health nurse employees covered by the 1999-2004 USPS-NPPN National Agreement who are eligible to receive annual clothing allowances (as specified in Employee and Labor Relations Manual 932.11, Regular Uniforms, items j and k) are entitled to an increase in their annual uniform allowance.

Effective April 11, 2002, the annual reimbursement for uniforms for full-time employees is $300 per annum. (See Article 26.03(a), Full-Time Employees, USPS-NPPN National Agreement.)

Employee accounts have been retroactively updated to April 11, 2002, and will continue to be updated as individual employee anniversary dates occur.

- Labor Relations Policies and Programs,
Labor Relations, 10-3-02

NOTICE

2002 U.S. Savings Bonds Campaign Results

The 2002 U.S. Savings Bonds Campaign broke the record!

With a total of 13,701 new or increased savers, this year's campaign total exceeds last year's total of 10,130 new or increased savers. In addition to the standard Series EE Bonds, we offered the Series I Bonds. We started 4,994 new allotments for the Series I Bonds. These new Series I Bond allotments will become effective in Pay Period 24-02, which starts November 2, 2002, and will be reflected in your pay check on November 22.

Thank you for supporting the 2002 U.S. Savings Bonds Campaign.

- Information Technology Value,
Chief Technology Organization, 10-3-02

NEW EXAMINATION

New Automotive Mechanic, PS-6, Examination 943

Effective October 1, 2002, a new automotive mechanic, PS-6, exam (examination 943) will be activated. This exam will enhance the selection quality of our future automotive mechanic employees who play a critical role in maintaining and repairing our fleet. Offices will have a six-month window (until April 30, 2003) to transition and open/establish new automotive mechanic, PS-6, registers.

Offices should continue to use examination 940 when recruiting and selecting candidates for automotive technician. Employees currently in the Motor Vehicle Craft with examination 940 eligibility do not have to requalify.

Ordering Materials

Examiners can order the new examination 943 from the National Test Administration Center (NTAC) by e-mail as follows: Complete PS Form 2487, Requisition for Test Material (manually or using F3Fill), and send it as an attachment to NTAC's e-mail address, NTAC Supply.

Note: The new examination announcement, scheduling package, sample questions, and directions for conducting examination 943 are available to examiners from the NTAC's Web site at http://blue.usps.gov/hrisp/ser/ntac.htm.

- Selection, Evaluation, and Recognition,
Employee Resource Management, 10-3-02

Health Benefits Open Season

The 2002 Federal Employees Health Benefits Open Season is scheduled for November 11 through December 9, 2002. During this open season, eligible employees may make any one, or a combination of, the following changes:

- Enroll if not enrolled.

- Change from one plan to another plan.

- Change from one option to another option.

- Change from Self Only to Self and Family.

- Change from Self and Family to Self Only.

- Cancel enrollment.

- Change from pre-tax to post-tax payment of health insurance premiums, or vice versa.

Enrollment changes and new enrollments made during the 2002 open season will be effective January 11, 2003 (Pay Period 03-03).

Distribution of Open Season Materials

Employees

Prior to the start of open season, the 2003 Guides to Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Plans for (1) career employees (RI 70-2); (2) Postal Inspection Service and Office of Inspector General (OIG) employees (RI 70-2IN); and (3) certain temporary noncareer employees (RI 70-8PS) will be mailed from the national level to each employee's address of record. Each 2003 Guide includes:

- An overview of FEHB Program eligibility requirements and election choices during open season.

- A comparison of biweekly premium costs of participating plans.

- An explanation of the pre-tax payment feature, including a revised listing of qualified life status changes.

- Enrollee survey results provided by the individual health plans.

- Information about accreditation of the key systems and processes that managed care organizations use.

Installations

Distribution will be made to the same list used for Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) materials distribution. This distribution is to all customer service district offices, processing and distribution centers, airport mail centers, bulk mail centers, remote encoding centers, the OIG and selected Postal Inspection Service Divisions, and selected Headquarters field units.

Personnel offices will receive through automatic distribution:

- RI 70-2, 2003 Guide to FEHB Plans (postal career employees) - NSN 7690-03-000-3774.

- RI 70-2IN, 2003 Guide to FEHB Plans (United States Postal Service (USPS) Inspectors and Office of Inspector General employees).

- RI 70-5, 2003 Guide to FEHB Plans (temporary continuation of coverage and former spouses) - NSN 7690-03-000-3772.

- Most fee-for-service plan brochures.

Personnel offices must requisition RI 70-8 PS, 2003 Guide to FEHB Plans (certain temporary/non-career employees) from the Material Distribution Center (MDC) as follows:

• Touch Tone Order Entry (TTOE): Call 800-332-0317, option 1, then option 2.

Note: You must be registered to use TTOE. To register, call 800-332-0317, choose option 8, extension 2925, and follow the prompts to leave a message (wait 48 hours after registering before placing your first order).

• E-mail: Complete PS Form 7380, MDC Supply Requisition (manually or using F3Fill), and send it as an attachment to the e-mail address MDC Customer Service or to mcustome@email.usps.gov.

• Mail: Mail a completed PS Form 7380 to the MDC at the following address:

SUPPLY REQUISITIONS
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
500 SW GARY ORMSBY DR
TOPEKA KS 66624-9702

The relevant ordering information for RI 70-8 PS, 2003 Guide to FEHB Plans, is as follows:

PSN: 7690-03-000-3754
PSIN: RI 70-8 PS
Unit of Issue: Each
Bulk Pack Qty: 100
Price: No cost
Edition Date: November 2002

Automatic distribution of the Rural Carrier Benefit Plan will be made to District and Area Human Resources offices (not to the TSP/FSA installation distribution list). Offices may also requisition additonal copies of RI 72-5, Rural Carrier Benefit Plan, from the MDC. The relevant ordeirng information is as folows:

PSN: 7690-03-000-3809
PSIN: RI 72-5
Unit of Issue: Each
Bulk Pack Qty: 100
Price: No cost
Edition Date: January 2003

Order directly from General Services Administration (GSA) Supply Centers using normal FEDSTRIP/MILSTRIP procedures. Contact your local procurement or material management staff for specific instructions:

- SF 2809, Health Benefits Registration Form (July 1999 edition only) - NSN 7540-01-231-6227.

Order from Headquarters Compensation Insurance Officer, if needed (limited supply):

- PS Form 8201, Pre-Tax Health Insurance Premium Waiver/Restoration Form for Career Employees.

- PS Form 8202, Pre-Tax Health Insurance Premium Waiver/Restoration Form for Non-career Employees.

Order directly from plan sponsors:

- Brochures for health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and Point-of-Service (POS) Plans.

Additional Information

Publication 12, Health Benefits Open Season Administrative and Processing Information (November 2002), addresses FEHB open season administrative issues in more detail than the various guides. It contains information on:

- Open season materials, including details of when and how to requisition a residual supply of materials.

- Eligibility requirements for coverage.

- A list of FEHB health plan withdrawals and other changes.

- Comprehensive medical plan (HMO) contact information.

- Personnel processing information.

- Open season publicity material.

Publication 12 may be found on the Postal Service PolicyNet Web site at http://blue.usps.gov/cpim; click on PUBs.

Compensation,Employee Resource Management, 10-3-02

2002 Combined Federal Campaign Guidelines

Schedule and Responsibilities

Each fall, the Postal Service joins other federal agencies in the Combined Federal Campaign drive. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations, the campaign runs for a 6-week period between September 1 and December 15, as established by the Local Federal Coordinating Committee.

Vice presidents of Area Operations have campaign responsibility. Area offices must ensure that campaign information is disseminated to all offices in their jurisdiction.

Guidelines Online

Publication 530, Combined Federal Campaign Operational Guidelines, May 1994, explains how to carry out a successful campaign. The November 1998 update of Publication 530 (available only on the Postal Service PolicyNet Web site at http:///blue.usps.gov/cipm; click on PUBs) revised position titles, facility locations, and dates of campaign. The OPM Web site (www.opm.gov) offers additional information on the Combined Federal Campaign, including geographic boundaries. If you do not have access to the Intranet, call the CFC national coordinator at Headquarters at 202-268-3654.

Pledge Form Management Instructions

1. Make sure local campaign staff check pledge forms for completeness.

2. Distribute pledge forms as follows:

a. Central Receipt and Accounting copy - submit to appropriate CFC official.

b. Employee copy - return to employee.

c. Payroll Office copy -

3. Submit corrections to the local Distributed Data Entry/Distributed Reporting (DDE/DR) site, not to the Eagan ISC.

Note: All cards that are illegible or incomplete will be returned to the local CFC coordinator for local processing in pay period 03/03 or later.

Local DDE/DR sites are to be notified by broadcast message of their ability to access D20M, SDI-09 in pay period 03/03 for local entry, changes, or corrections. DDE/DR sites are not allowed access to D20M for CFC charity entries before that time.

Final Report

At the end of each campaign, the Eagan ISC prepares a report from the Postal Payroll System of CFC contributions through payroll deduction (as of pay period 03) as the annual report of national CFC contributions. Each performance cluster manager receives a copy.

- Personnel Operations Support,
Employee Resource Management, 10-3-02

Thrift Savings Plan Policy Changes, TSP Open Season, and PostalEASE

The next Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) open season is October 15, 2002, through December 31, 2002. This TSP open season ends December 31, 2002, at 5:00 P.M. Central Time (CT). The following information is provided to assist personnel offices in conducting this open season.

The booklet TSPBK08, Summary of the Thrift Savings Plan for Federal Employees, provides a good overview of TSP. Newly eligible career employees receive a copy of TSPBK08 from the national level through a direct mailing. Offices can order additional copies of TSPBK08 from the Material Distribution Center (MDC) as follows:

• Touch Tone Order Entry (TTOE): Call 800-332-0317, option 1, then option 2.

Note: You must be registered to use TTOE. To register, call 800-332-0317, choose option 8, extension 2925, and follow the prompts to leave a message (wait 48 hours after registering before placing your first order).

• E-mail: Complete PS Form 7380, MDC Supply Requisition (manually or using F3Fill), and send it as an attachment to the e-mail address MDC Customer Service or to mcustome@email.usps.gov.

• Mail: Mail a completed PS Form 7380 to the MDC at the following address:

SUPPLY REQUISITIONS
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
500 SW GARY ORMSBY DR
TOPEKA KS 66624-9702

The relevant ordering information for TSPBK08 is as follows:

PSN: 7530-03-000-9364
Unit of Issue: EA
Bulk Pack Qty: 150
Price: No cost
Edition Date: 05/01

TSP Policy Changes

Based on changes in underlying law, substantial TSP policy changes have become effective (see Postal Bulletin 22050, 5-17-01, pages 59-63, "Thrift Savings Plan Policy Changes, TSP Open Season, and PostalEASE."). That article explains some of the changes. Additional explanation is provided in booklet TSPBK08 and in TSP bulletins available on the TSP Web site at www.tsp.gov.

TSP Open Season Dates

The dates of TSP open seasons are October 15 through December 31 and April 15 through June 30 (see TSP bulletin 02-12, dated May 2, 2002). The corresponding election periods are December and June. The "election period" is the earliest period during which a contribution election to start or to change the amount of contributions made during a TSP open season can become effective (see TSP bulletin 01-4, dated February 2, 2001).

You may change your fund investment choice (contribution allocations) both during and outside of the TSP open season. To make a fund investment choice, you must contact TSP directly, not PostalEASE. If you do not contact TSP, your existing fund investment choice continues. The earnings statement (paycheck stub) continues to show the TSP contribution percentage or dollar amount, but the statement no longer shows the TSP fund investment detail.

Because the TSP has moved the open season election period to December, the increases in the TSP employee contribution limits become effective each December (see TSP bulletin 01-3, dated January 23, 2001). Consequently, during the October 15 through December 31, 2002, open season, employees covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) may contribute up to 13 percent of basic pay in 2003 (the maximum was 12 percent for 2002). Eligible FERS employees still receive the Agency Automatic (1 percent) Contribution and the Agency Matching Contribution of up to 4 percent from the Postal Service - these amounts have not changed. Employees covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and CSRS Offset employees may contribute up to 8 percent of basic pay in 2003 (the maximum was 7 percent for 2002).

The limits for FERS, CSRS, and CSRS Offset employees will continue to increase by 1 percentage point per year through 2005. Then, in 2006, all participants will be eligible to contribute up to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code's annual deferral limit without any percentage limit. The IRS annual deferral limit for 2003 is $12,000. This amount is scheduled to increase by $1,000 each year through 2006 to $15,000. A newly hired career employee may elect to participate in TSP until the 61st day after the date of hire and in every subsequent open season. The waiting period of one to two open seasons continues to apply to the Agency Automatic (1 percent) Contribution and the Agency Matching Contribution for FERS employees.

Using PostalEASE for Enrollment

Employees who wish to make contribution elections must make them during the TSP open season. Employees must use the PostalEASE telephone system or the PostalEASE employee Web site to make contribution elections and cancellations. PostalEase's toll-free number is 877-4PS-EASE (877-477-3273). For web access through the Postal Service intranet, go to http://blue.usps.gov, click on Employee Self-Service, and then click on PostalEASE. You must have your USPS personal identification number (PIN) to use PostalEASE (for information on PINs, see USPS PIN and TSP PIN below).

Note: Personnel and employing offices must not distribute Form TSP-1, Thrift Savings Plan Election Form, to employees for making TSP open season elections. TSP-1 is no longer stocked at the MDC.

Contacting TSP to Make a Fund Investment Election

Employees have three methods to make a fund investment election as follows:

• Web site: Go to the TSP Web site at www.tsp.gov.

• Phone: Call the TSP ThriftLine at 504-255-8777.

• Mail: Mail form TSP-50, Investment Allocation, to the TSP service office in New Orleans.

Note: Personnel offices must not accept and cannot process completed forms TSP-50. Form TSP-50 is not available from the TSP Web site. Form TSP-50 is available from the MDC. The relevant ordering information for form TSP-50 is as follows:

PSN: 7530-05-000-4305
Unit of Issue: EA
Bulk Pack Qty: 3800
Price: No cost
Edition Date: 08/02

The TSP Web site and ThriftLine are convenient methods for making fund investment elections and elections will take effect more quickly than using form TSP-50. To use the TSP Web site or TSP ThriftLine, use your TSP PIN.

Using Pins to Make TSP Elections

To make TSP elections, use two PINs: USPS PIN and TSP PIN.

USPS PIN

The Postal Service maintains the USPS PIN. Use your USPS PIN to (1) begin a contribution percentage or a dollar amount election, or (2) change your current TSP contribution percentage or dollar amount, or (3) cancel TSP participation via PostalEASE. If you do not know your USPS PIN, you must call PostalEASE and do the following steps when prompted: (1) press 1 for PostalEASE; (2) enter your Social Security number; (3) enter your PIN, pause, and then press 2. Your USPS PIN will be mailed to your address of record, usually by the next business day.

Note: When you request your USPS PIN, your USPS PIN does not change (unlike the TSP PIN). Your old USPS PIN remains valid. (The USPS PIN is the same PIN employees use for telephone bidding and computerized bidding.)

TSP PIN

The TSP PIN is maintained by TSP. You must use your TSP PIN to make fund investment choices via the TSP Web site or the TSP ThriftLine. If you are a TSP participant and you do not know your TSP PIN, you have three methods for having a new TSP PIN mailed to your address of record:

1. Go to the TSP Web site at www.tsp.gov and select Account Access, or

2. Call the TSP ThriftLine at 504-255-8777, choose 2, enter your Social Security number, and then follow the instructions, or

3. Call the TSP service office at 504-255-6000.

Once TSP has received your TSP PIN request, your former TSP PIN is no longer valid.

Direct Mailings to Employees

Career employees receive from the national level a direct mailing of leaflet TSP1002, TSP Open Season, and PostalEASE instructions at their mailing addresses of record during October.

In addition to receiving TSP1002, newly eligible career employees receive from the national level a direct mailing of TSPBK08, Summary of the Thrift Savings Plan for Federal Employees, as well as a cover letter and PostalEASE instructions at their mailing addresses of record soon after their accession PS Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action, is processed.

The return address for undeliverable TSP enrollment instructions for newly eligible employees is the employing office of record. The disposition of returned items is at the discretion of the district office or other administering office. Forwarding a returned enrollment package to an employee offers that employee an opportunity to submit a correct PS Form 1216, Employee's Current Mailing Address, available at the MDC. Ordering information for PS Form 1216 is as follows:

PSN: 7530-02-000-7354
Quick Pick Number: 118
Unit of Issue: SE
Bulk Pack Qty: 4,000
Price: 0.0171
Edition Date: 06/93

Eligibility

All career employees are eligible to make employee contribution elections this open season (subject to financial hardship withdrawal and cancellation exclusions). FERS employees hired before July 1, 2002, receive Agency Automatic (1 percent) Contributions and Agency Matching Contributions (as appropriate) beginning in December 2002.

All employees who participated in TSP and cancelled their TSP contributions after July 31, 2002, are not eligible to participate in this TSP open season. They must wait for the TSP open season beginning April 15, 2003.

Effective Dates

The windows of opportunity for employees to make TSP open season elections via PostalEASE, which automates the processing of TSP elections and the resulting effective dates, are as follows:

Because PostalEASE provides employees the ability to complete a TSP open season election without contacting the local personnel office and automates the processing of such elections, use of PostalEASE should minimize the use of PS Form 6886, Thrift Savings Plan - Request for Retroactive Contributions. PS Form 6886 is used to correct administrative errors for TSP open season elections.

Personnel offices have the authority to determine whether an administrative error has occurred. If an error has delayed a TSP open season election past the appropriate effective date, personnel offices and the employee must complete PS Form 6886 and submit it to the Eagan Accounting Service Center (ASC). The effective dates for the employees' elections delayed due to an administrative error must be made retroactive to December 14 or December 28, 2002, depending on the date the employee would have otherwise entered his or her open season election via PostalEASE.

Note: PS Form 6886, published in Postal Bulletin 21665 (3-31-88), must be reproduced locally as needed.

Personnel offices also have the authority to determine whether a belated open season election opportunity exists. In such instances, personnel must submit the employee's election to the Eagan ASC for processing, in accordance with administrative instructions provided to personnel offices regarding PostalEASE. Belated open season elections are not retroactive in most circumstances.

Note: Processing deadlines and the closing date of this TSP open season require using only two pay periods as indicated above.

Open Season Materials

In addition to the direct mailing of TSP information to employees, the MDC will automatically distribute residual supplies of the open season leaflet TSP1002, TSP Open Season, to Human Resources at district offices, area offices, processing and distribution centers/facilities (PDC/Fs), bulk mail centers (BMCs), airport mail centers/facilities (AMC/Fs), remote encoding centers, Office of Inspector General, Postal Inspection Service divisions, Headquarters, and selected Headquarters field units.

Non-Open Season Materials

Most of the current TSP publications and forms will be revised for the new TSP record keeping system. Until notified, all offices must continue to use the current forms. We will publish an article in the Postal Bulletin giving information about new or revised forms when the new record keeping system is implemented.

Upon receipt of the newly printed forms, the MDC will complete its automatic distribution of all non-open season items to Human Resources at district offices, area offices, PDC/Fs, BMCs, AMC/Fs, remote encoding centers, Office of Inspector General, Postal Inspection Service divisions, Headquarters, and selected Headquarters field units.

Ordering TSP Items

Offices may place orders for new or revised TSP items with the MDC on an as-needed basis. It is not necessary to maintain a large stock of forms and/or publications because these materials are mailed to each newly hired career employee from the national level. In all cases where the MDC will stock the new or revised TSP item, the MDC will make an initial distribution to Human Resources at installations as noted earlier. Offices may check the TSP Web site for new or revised items. Note: the TSP-50 will not be available from the TSP Web site.

Participant Statements

Employees with a TSP account will receive a participant statement from the TSP service office in October 2002.

Publicity

Human Resources at district offices, area offices, PDC/Fs, BMCs, AMC/Fs, remote encoding centers, Office of Inspector General, Postal Inspection Service divisions, Headquarters, and selected Headquarters field units receive a supply of posters this open season from the MDC. Installations that receive the posters must widely distribute them and post them on bulletin boards.

To assist in publicizing the TSP open season, all offices must post (1) the open season notice provided on page 10 of this Postal Bulletin through December 31, 2002, and (2) the current TSP fact sheet on bulletin boards.

- Compensation,
Employee Resource Management, 10-3-02

Thrift Savings Plan Policy Changes,
TSP Open Season, and PostalEASE

TSP Policy Changes Include higher contribution maximums and Internal Revenue Service code's annual deferral limit. Change open season dates.

TSP Contribution Use PostalEASE telephone system during TSP open season to begin contributing, to Elections and change contribution amount or percentage, or to cancel TSP contributions. Cancellations

(USPS PIN) To use PostalEASE, you will need your Social Security number (SSN) and
USPS personal identification number (PIN); available only from PostalEASE.

Call toll free: 877-4PS-EASE (877-477-3273).

Don't know your USPS PIN? Call PostalEASE; press 1; enter SSN; when prompted to enter PIN, pause, then press 2. Your USPS PIN will be mailed to your address of record, ususally by the next business day.

Career employees who have trouble using PostalEASE, or who are unable to use a telephone, may contact local personnel office for help.

TSP Fund Investment Contact TSP directly during or outside TSP open season, to change investment
Elections of future TSP contributions or money already in account.

(TSP PIN) Go to TSP Web site at www.tsp.gov, or call the TSP ThriftLine at 504-255-8777. Or mail TSP-50, Investment Allocation, to TSP; available from your local personnel office (election not effective as quickly).

To use the TSP Web site or TSP ThriftLine, you must know your TSP PIN, available only from TSP.

Don't know your TSP PIN? Request it from www.tsp.gov - choose Account Access. Or via TSP ThriftLine at 504-255-8777 - press 2, enter SSN, follow instructions. Or call TSP Service Office at 504-255-6000 and speak to a representative. Your new TSP PIN will be mailed to your address of record.

Reminder: You must dial 1 before placing a long-distance telephone call.

When and Who October 15, 2002, through December 31, 2002 - all career employees.

PostalEASE and TSP A TSP leaflet with PostalEASE instructions is mailed to all career employees. If you Information Mailed to do not receive the mailing by mid-November, contact your local personnel office.
Career Employees In addition, a TSP Summary, cover letter, and PostalEASE instructions are mailed to all newly hired career employees soon after their accession PS Form 50 action is processed.

Closing Date and Time PostalEASE closes 5:00 P.M. Central Time on December 31, 2002, for TSP open
season elections.

Please post on all bulletin boards through December 31, 2002.

®

This office will be CLOSED

Monday,
October 14, 2002,

to observe
Columbus Day.

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