Employees

HANDBOOK EL-312 REVISION

Employment Programs

Effective May 12, 2005, Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement, is revised to reflect changes to employment programs.

We will incorporate the revision to Handbook EL-312 into the online version, 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 HBKs.

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

Handbook EL-312 is available also on the Internet:

• Go to www.usps.com.

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

Summary of Changes

Exhibit 233.32, Competitive Service and Excepted Service Organizations, is revised to add Transportation Security Agency to the list of excepted agencies.

233.342, Between the Postal Service and Other Federal Organizations, is revised to correct reference from 234.23 to 234.231.

317.2, Ordering Materials, is revised to remove the name of a form because material is ordered from the National Test Administration Center (NTAC).

414.5, Order for EAS Scientific and Professional Positions, is revised to restore "scientific and professional" text from section 241.321 of Handbook EL-311 and to remove reference to executive and administrative schedule (EAS) levels.

455.2, Terminated Register, is revised to clarify processing of remaining lost considerations on a register that is terminated.

461, Definitions, is revised to add "Installations must be within commuting distance" to the definition for a conventional register.

462.52, When Offices Should Be Removed, is revised to add additional reason (difficult recruiting) to justify removing an office from an area eligibility register (AER) or mega register.

512.21, Preemployment Orientation, is revised in item b to change salary to pay and to add "probationary/evaluation period, and training requirements that must be met to be retained."

Exhibit 512.22, Interview Sheet and Checklist (page 1 only), is revised to expand Special Agency Check blocks and add recommendation to interviewer certification.

513.2, Minimum and Maximum Age Requirements, is revised to correct the maximum age for an applicant for postal inspector from 35 to 36.

54, Premployment Interview, is revised to add that the interviewer recommends or does not recommend the applicant to the selecting official and clarifies that a new interviewer must take the Interviewer Training course 21585-00.

Exhibit 541, Interview Sheet and Checklist (page 1), is revised to expand Special Agency Check blocks and add recommendation to interviewer certification.

Exhibit 541, Interview Sheet and Checklist (page 2), is revised to add a new block to assess any lost time from military service.

562, Processing OPM-IS Form 86C, is revised to correct "newly hired postal employees" to "newly selected applicants."

Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement

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2 Recruitment

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23 Sources of Recruitment

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233 Career Recruitment

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233.3 External Recruitment Sources

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233.32 Reinstatement

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Exhibit 233.32

[Revise Exhibit 233.32 as shown on page 5.]

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233.34 Dual Employment

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233.342 Between the Postal Service and Other Federal Organizations

[Revise the note in 233.342 by replacing the section number "234.23" with "234.231" to read as follows:]

Note: The Army refers to terminal leave as transitional leave, and issues DA 31, Request and Authority for Leave, to the veteran, that indicates that the individual is on official leave. The Air Force and Navy do not provide leave orders for individuals going on terminal leave. See 234.231 for restrictions on hiring employees of other federal agencies to noncareer positions in the Postal Service.

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3 Examinations

31 General

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317 Examination Materials

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317.2 Ordering Materials

[Revise the text of 317.2 to read as follows:]

Examination administrators order test materials from NTAC when the approximate number of applications received is determined.

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4 Registers

41 Introduction

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414 Arrangement of Applicants

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[Revise the heading and text of 414.5 to read as follows:]

414.5 Order for EAS Scientific and Professional Positions

Applicants for EAS scientific and professional positions are arranged by final numerical ratings, including claimed veterans' preference points, in descending order. To break ties where the final scores are the same, applicants with CP or CPS preference are placed ahead of XP applicants who appear ahead of TP applicants.

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45 Other Applicant Processes

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455 Lost Consideration

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455.2 Terminated Register

[Revise the text of 455.2 to read as follows:]

If a register is terminated before the correct number of lost considerations is given to an applicant, the applicant's name is entered at the top of the successor register according to the score from the terminated register until remaining lost considerations are provided. This is done even if the successor register has different examination requirements. Once the lost considerations have been given, then the score that came from the terminated register becomes inactive. If the applicant qualifies on the new examination, the new score is placed in the usual position on the register.

* * * * *

46 Change to Register Configuration

461 Definitions

[Revise 461 by replacing "Battery 470" with "Battery 473" and add the sentence "Installations must be within commuting distance" to the end of the part to read as follows:]

An Area Eligibility Register (AER) is a register that serves 2 or more installations, up to a maximum of 50; however, NTAC may authorize combining AERs to serve up to 99 installations. Offices that are not within commuting distance are usually not included in an AER. If commuting distances are not practical, the AER concept may not work effectively. AERs are not used for Battery 473 examination ratings.

A mega register is similar to an AER. It serves up to 99 installations that are not necessarily within commuting distance of each other. Mega registers can only be used with Battery 473 examination results.

A conventional register is a one-list register that may serve more than one installation. Installations must be within commuting distance.

462 Considerations

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462.5 Changes to AER or Mega Registers

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462.52 When Offices Should Be Removed

[Revise 462.52 to read as follows:]

If the AER or mega register does not have an adequate number of applicants available to meet hiring needs for a particular office, human resources may canvass other applicants on the register who wish to be considered for that office but do not currently have that office as a choice. See 462.53. If a canvass does not yield enough applicants for the office, Human Resources arranges an announcement and publicity in all of the communities served by the AER or mega register for the appropriate examination to be reannounced. In some situations that make recruiting difficult such as limited work hours, it may be more efficient for human resources to remove those offices from the AER or mega register and establish a new conventional register, small AER, or small mega register to customize the announcement to the community where the recruitment need is the greatest. Offices removed from an AER or mega register can be set up in a conventional register, small AER, or small mega register format. The scores generated from opening an examination with focused recruiting for a new register can be more easily monitored and evaluated to ensure recruitment goals are met.

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5 Suitability

51 Employment Eligibility and Suitability

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512 Screening Process Philosophy

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512.2 Sequence of Screening Activities

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512.21 Preemployment Orientation

***Applicants are scheduled for a preemployment orientation session consisting of, but not limited to, the following activities:

* * * * *

[Revise 512.21b to read as follows:]

b. Explanation of pay, benefits, terms of employment, job expectations, probationary/evaluation period, and training requirements that must be met to be retained.

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512.22 Prescreening

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Exhibit 512.22

[Revise Exhibit 512.22 as shown on page 6.]

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513 Eligibility Requirements

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513.2 Minimum and Maximum Age Requirements

There is no maximum age limit for appointment to positions in the Postal Service, and the general minimum age requirement is 18 at the time of appointment. The following are exceptions:

[Revise 513.2a by replacing the number "35" with "36" to read as follows:]

a. Postal inspector positions. An applicant must be at least 21 years old, but not older than 36, to apply for postal inspector positions.

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[Revise subchapter 54 and part 541 to read as follows:]

54 Preemployment Interview

The one-on-one interview provides the last opportunity to resolve any questions regarding eligibility and suitability and to gauge the degree of fit between the applicant and the job. This determination should weigh such factors as work setting and job content, and performance dimensions such as communications skills, cooperation, adaptability, and dependability. The interviewer recommends or does not recommend the applicant for employment to the selecting official.

541 Training and Preparation of Interviewers

Prior to the interview, the interviewer who must be an EAS employee or an authorized contractor should thoroughly review the preemployment investigation file containing all the information collected from and about the applicant, including the interview checklist (see Exhibit 541, Interview Sheet and Checklist, Pages 1, 2, and 3). New interviewers must successfully complete the Interviewer Training course 21585-00 using the restricted Interview Guide and the restricted Interviewer's Toolkit. Interviewers must be familiar with the interview process and general interviewing techniques, strategies, and applicable regulatory issues. Interviewers must prepare for each interview by (1) familiarizing themselves with the information that is known about the applicant, and (2) determining what questions to ask the applicant or what information to seek to determine the applicant's viability.

Exhibit 541 (page 1)

[Revise Exhibit 541 (page 1) to read as shown on page 7.]

Exhibit 541 (page 2)

[Revise Exhibit 541 (page 2) to read as shown on page 9.]

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56 Special Agency Check

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562 Processing OPM-IS Form 86C

[Revise 562 to read as follows:]

OPM-IS Form 86C, Special Agreement Check, dated August 1995 or later, and SF 87, Fingerprint Chart, dated April 1984 or later, with OPM's originating identifier (ORI) USOPMOOOZ FIPC, Boyers, PA, must be completed for all newly selected applicants. Special Agency Check with Inquiries (SACI) requests are submitted to OPM once an individual has been given a bona fide job offer.

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- Selection, Evaluation, and Recognition,
Employee Resource Management, 5-12-05

Exhibit 233.32
Competitive Service and Excepted Service Organizations

Competitive Service and Excepted Service Organizations

Individuals employed by executive branch organizations designated as competitive service organizations may be eligible for noncompetitive transfer into the Postal Service, provided they were hired competitively into a career or career-conditional position and are currently serving satisfactorily in such a position. Individuals employed by executive branch organizations designated as excepted service organizations by Executive Order, by the Office of Personnel Management, and by statute are not eligible for noncompetitive transfer to the Postal Service.

An applicant may not be eligible for transfer even though he or she is employed by an agency listed under competitive service organizations below. For agencies not listed, contact them to determine their status. The hiring authority information on an applicant's PS Form 50 will aid employing offices in determining transfer eligibility.

Examples of Competitive Service Organizations

Note: This is a partial listing of competitive service organizations:

Examples of Excepted Service Organizations

Note: This is a partial listing of excepted service organizations:

HANDBOOK EL-814 REVISION

Postal Employee's Guide to Safety

Effective May 12, 2005, Handbook EL-814, Postal Employee's Guide to Safety, is revised to update policies and procedures because of changes in Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards and Postal ServiceTM policies:

We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed edition of Handbook EL-814 and into the online version accessible 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.

• Then click on HBKs.

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

Handbook EL-814, Postal Employee's Guide to Safety

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Introduction

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[Revise the fourth paragraph to read as follows:]

If you observe an unsafe condition or an unsafe act, report it immediately to your supervisor. Use PS Form 1767, Report of Hazard, Unsafe Condition, or Practice, to document the condition. If you wish to submit your report anonymously, file the PS Form 1767 directly with your installation's safety officer or collateral-duty safety officer. PS Form 1767 should be available in your work area.

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Section III - Fire Prevention and Protection

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E. Flammable Materials

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[Revise the fourth bullet to read as follows:]

• Follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of your facility's Hazardous Materials & Spill Response document and also follow guidance found in Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for handling spills and leaks of specific products and chemicals.

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Section IV - Personal Safety and Protective Equipment

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B. Personal Protective Equipment

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1. Eye and Face Protection

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[In the first bullet, revise the bulleted sublist to read as follows:]

At a minimum, face shields for the following types of work are mandatory:

- Handling or pouring acid or other corrosive chemicals.

- Using an emery wheel or grinding, riveting, chipping, or sandblasting equipment.

- Working in areas designated as rewrap operations, where eye hazards exist.

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Section V - Housekeeping and Sanitation

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F. Using Compressed Air

[Revise the second bullet to read as follows:]

• Do not use compressed air to clean machinery or parts in mail processing areas. Use vacuum cleaners for this purpose. Follow the most current maintenance policies and procedures.

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Section X - Motor Vehicles

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E. Driving Regulations

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4. Parking

[Revise the first bullet to read as follows:]

Whenever you leave the vehicle, park it, following these steps:

1. Apply the foot brake and place the automatic transmission in the park position. Place manual transmissions in gear.

2. Curb the wheels.

3. Set the hand-parking/emergency brake.

4. Turn off the engine and remove the key.

5. Lock any sliding door(s) between the truck body and the cab.

6. If the vehicle will be out of your sight, lock the vehicle.

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- Safety Performance Management,
Employee Resource Management, 5-12-05