Employees

ELM REVISION

Reassignment Rules for Bargaining Unit Employees

Effective April 28, 2005, Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) 422.124, Reassignment Rules, is revised to correct a minor inaccuracy published in the article "ELM Revision: Changes in Computing Promotional Increases for American Postal Workers Union Crafts and Recodification of ELM 420" in Postal Bulletin 22109 (8-21-03, pages 42-70 and 99-110). This correction properly describes how human resources specialists and associates should calculate the next step date during voluntary reassignments to equivalent grades in another bargaining unit. The revised language more accurately complies with Attachment F of the October 8, 1999, Memorandum of Understanding between the Postal ServiceTM and the American Postal Workers Union (APWU).

We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed version of the ELM and also into the next online update, available on the Postal Service PolicyNet Web site:

• Go to http://blue.usps.gov.

• Under "Essential Links" in the left-hand column, click on References.

• Under "References" in the right-hand column, under "Policies," click on PolicyNet.

• Click on Manuals.

The revision soon will be available on the Postal Service Internet:

• Go to www.usps.com.

• Click on About USPS & News, then Forms & Publications, then Postal Periodicals and Publications, and then Manuals.

Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM)

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4 Pay Administration

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420 Wage Administration Policy for Bargaining Unit Employees

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422 Salary Schedules Covered by Specific Agreements

422.1 Postal Service and Mail Equipment Shops/Material Distribution Center Salary Schedules

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422.12 Change Action Pay Rules

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422.124 Reassignment Rules

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c. For reassignments to equivalent grades in another bargaining unit (see Exhibit 418.1), the following provisions apply:

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[Revise item (4) to read as follows:]

(4) Creditable service in the former position is maintained toward a step increase, subject to two situations:

(a) If the employee's salary is increased by the reassignment by at least one most prevalent step in the former grade, a new step waiting period commences on the effective date of the reassignment (see 421.45c).

(b) If the waiting period time already served equals or exceeds that required to advance to the next step following reassignment, the employee is advanced one additional step and a new step waiting period commences on the effective date of the reassignment.

d. For PS and MESC employees, reassignments are handled as follows:

[Revise items (1), (2), (3), and (4) to read as follows:]

(1) Within the PS or MESC Schedules. The employee is reassigned to the same grade and into PS (RSC PB) and MESC (RSC CB) Schedule 2. The step and next step date are not changed following the reassignment.

(2) From Other Rate Schedules To a Grade in the PS (RSC PB) and MESC (RSC CB) Schedule 2 Not Formerly Held. The employee is reassigned to the step in Schedule 2 that is equal to his or her current salary. If the salary falls between two steps, the employee is reassigned to the next higher step. Creditable service in the former position is maintained toward a step increase (see 422.124c(4)).

(3) From Other Rate Schedules To a Grade in the PS (RSC PB) and MESC (RSC CB) Schedule 2 Formerly Held. The employee is reassigned to the appropriate step in Schedule 2, and to the next step date, as if service had been continuous in the grade.

Note: The reassignment to PS Schedule 2 must include service the employee would have had in PS Schedule 1 before conversion to PS Schedule 2.

(4) From the PS and MESC Schedules To a Grade in Another Rate Schedule Not Formerly Held. The employee is assigned the step in that rate schedule that is equal to his or her current salary. If the salary falls between two steps, the employee is assigned to the next higher step. Creditable service in the former position is maintained toward a step increase (see 422.124c(4)).

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- Compensation,
Employee Resource Management, 4-28-05

ELM REVISION

Policies for Salary Assignment in Nonbargaining Unit Positions

The Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) 410, Pay Administration Policy for Nonbargaining Unit Employees, is revised in 412.1b as of April 28, 2005, to reflect a policy change that became effective on January 22, 2005. This policy change applies to how the supervisory differential adjustment (SDA) rate is calculated. Nonbargaining supervisory jobs eligible for SDA handling in the Executive and Administrative (EAS) pay schedule qualify for a higher minimum salary than non-SDA eligible jobs in the same grade levels. For a listing of all SDA-eligible job titles, and their current minimum and maximum salaries, see http://hrishq.usps.gov/scripts/comp/sda_list.cfm.

In the past, the salary minimums applicable to SDA- eligible jobs were set at flat dollar amounts after economic analysis and consultation with the management associations. On January 22, 2005, the method of determining the minimum salaries was changed. On this date, the Postal ServiceTM reestablished a historical practice, which was to set minimums at 5 percent above a targeted bargaining unit salary, depending upon position group. Exhibit 412.1b is reformulated to show this change.

We will incorporate this revision into the next printed version of the ELM and into the next online update, available on the Postal ServiceTM PolicyNet Web site:

• Go to http://blue.usps.gov.

• Under "Essential Links" in the left-hand column, click on References.

• Under "References" in the right-hand column, under "Policies," click on PolicyNet.

• Click on Manuals.

(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet Web site is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)

It also will be available on the Postal Service Internet:

• Go to www.usps.com.

• Click on About USPS & News, then Forms & Publications, then Postal Periodicals and Publications, and then Manuals.

Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM)

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4 Pay Administration

410 Pay Administration Policy for Nonbargaining Unit Employees

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412 New Appointment

412.1 Career Appointment

A new employee hired into the EAS schedule is paid the minimum salary for the grade of the position to which hired, although the appointing official has the flexibility to set the starting salary up to the midpoint of the grade. Further variation may occur in the following circumstances:

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[Revise the text of item 412.1b to read as follows:]

b. Supervision of Bargaining Unit Employees. When an appointment is to an exempt EAS-15 through EAS-19 grade position that involves directly supervising two or more full-time equivalent bargaining unit employees, the minimum salary must be equal to, or exceed, the supervisory differential adjustment (SDA) rate as described in Exhibit 412.1b.

[Revise the title and content of Exhibit 412.1b to read as follows:]

Exhibit 412.1b
Position Groups Eligible for Supervisory Differential Adjustment Rate

(effective January 22, 2005)

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413 Promotion to Nonbargaining Unit Positions

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413.2 Promotion Increase

413.21 Nonbargaining Unit Employees

Nonbargaining unit employees may receive promotion increases of from 3 to 10 percent, although increases of up to 12 percent may be granted on an exception basis. Management should consider the full 3 to 10 percent range in determining the amount of a promotion increase, giving consideration to such factors as responsibility and complexity of the job, skill requirements, and the employee's experience, credentials, and salary history. Increases of as much as 12 percent should be reserved for employees with exceptional qualifications and can be granted only with the approval of the functional vice president. Promotional increases are subject to the conditions and exceptions described below:

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[Revise the text of item 413.21b to read as follows:]

b. An increase of more than 10 percent is given if necessary to bring the salary to the minimum of the new grade or the minimum salary rate for certain supervisory positions as described in 412.1b.

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[Revise the text of item 413.21d to read as follows:]

d. For promotions to positions at grades 15 through 19 that require supervising two or more full-time equivalent bargaining unit employees, the amount of the increase must result in a salary that is no less than the minimum salary rate for those employees promoted to positions as described in Exhibit 412.1b.

413.22 Bargaining Unit Employees

Bargaining unit employees permanently assigned to a higher equivalent grade in the nonbargaining unit schedule receive a salary adjustment of 5 percent of their basic salary subject to the following:

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[Revise the text of item 413.22b to read as follows:]

b. An increase of more than 5 percent is given if necessary to bring the employee's salary to the minimum of the new grade or the minimum salary for certain supervisory positions as described in 412.1b.

413.3 Position Upgrade

[Revise the text of 413.3 to read as follows:]

When an employee's position is upgraded through the Workload Service Credit System (WSCS), the Station Manager Evaluation Process, the job evaluation process (JEP), or job-ranking standards and guidelines, a 2 percent basic salary increase is provided. The increase is adjusted higher if necessary to bring the salary to the minimum of the new grade or the minimum salary for certain supervisory positions as described in 412.1b. The increase is adjusted lower if necessary to keep the salary from exceeding the maximum of the higher grade.

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414.2 Rate Adjustment

414.21 Nonbargaining Unit Employees

[Revise the text of 414.21 to read as follows:]

An EAS employee's salary is not changed as a result of reassignment within the EAS schedule except when the employee is reassigned to an EAS-15 through EAS-19 position that involves directly supervising two or more full- time equivalent bargaining unit employees. In this case, the salary must be no less than the minimum salary rate for those employees reassigned to positions as described in Exhibit 412.1b.

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- Compensation,
Employee Resource Management, 4-28-05

NOTICE

Healthy Banking

Sick leave is an important employee benefit that should be "banked." That's the message of the "Protect Your Future - Bank Your Sick Leave" campaign (see the poster on page 9).

The campaign stresses the importance of accumulating sick leave every pay period to develop a "bank" of hours over time. Long-term absence due to serious illness or accident can be "paid" with accumulated leave. Because you can't predict the future - when you will get sick or injured - sick leave can provide the safety net you need.

Few financial investments grow at the rate of saved sick leave. Use an hour of sick leave tomorrow that you earned 15 years ago, and it's paid at your current, higher wage.

The campaign continues to roll out since its launch last June. This year, Headquarters employees have been added to the original field distribution. New videos or poster kits will be distributed in June and September.

- Health and Resource Management,
Employee Resource Management, 4-28-05

NOTICE

eIDEAS Conversion to Employee Identification Number

Effective May 15, 2005, eIDEAS will no longer accept employees' Social Security numbers for access into eIDEAS. Instead, employees will use their employee

identification numbers and their Postal ServiceTM PINs to enter eIDEAS.

- Compensation,
Employee Resource Management, 4-28-05