Employees

HANDBOOK EL-502 REVISION

CSRS Retirement Guide

Effective July 20, 2006, Handbook EL-502, CSRS Retirement Guide, 233, Annuity Limitation of 80 Percent, is revised to correct erroneous information published in the February 2005 edition. The second paragraph is corrected to state that unused sick leave and voluntary contributions to the Civil Service Retirement System fund may be creditable to provide an annuity above 80 percent of high-3 average salary.

Handbook EL-502, CSRS Retirement Guide

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2 Overview

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23 Determining Service Credit

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233 Annuity Limitation of 80 Percent

[Revise text to read as follows:]

The maximum possible amount of annuity is 80 percent of high-3 average salary. The 80-percent maximum is attained by a combined total of years of service (civilian and military) of 41 years and 11 months (see 251.12, High-3 Average Pay, for an explanation of a high-3 average salary). Retirement deductions withheld after 41 years and 11 months of service are applied toward payment of deposits or redeposits, with any balance automatically refunded to the employee at the time of retirement. Excess contributions may be used as voluntary contributions to increase annuity or be returned to the employee as a refund.

Unused sick leave may be creditable to provide additional annuity above 80 percent. Voluntary contributions made to your CSRS fund may also provide additional annuity.

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We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed version of Handbook EL-502 and also into the 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 HBKs.

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

—Compensation,
Human Resources, 7-20-06

REVISIONS TO THE ELM AND HANDBOOKS EL-307, EL-312, AND EL-505

Glover Settlement Agreement

Effective July 20, 2006, Employee and Labor Relations (ELM) 113.4, 472.4, 473.22, 473.321, 473.322, 473.42, 474.4, 475.23, 475.32, 476.23, 476.33, 476.43, 546.141, 632, 721.2d, and 842.23 are revised. The following handbooks are also revised: EL-307, Reasonable Accommodation, An Interactive Process; EL-312, Employment and Placement; and EL-505, Injury Compensation.

The purpose of all of these revisions is to comply with Section V of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)-approved Settlement Agreement in Glover v. Potter, EEOC No. 320-A2-8011X. A complete copy of the Settlement Agreement is available on the Internet at www.gloverclass.com.

These revisions reiterate that persons in permanent rehabilitation positions have the same rights to pursue promotional and advancement opportunities as other Postal Service employees and that the Postal ServiceTM will not deny promotional or advancement opportunities to persons in permanent rehabilitation positions based upon their disability, if any, in violation of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM)

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1 Organizational Structures

110 General Information

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113 Definitions

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[Add 113.4 to read as follows]

113.4 Disabled and Disability

The words "disabled" and "disability" are found in many statutes, rules, and regulations. They are used by the Department of Labor, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Office of Personnel Management, and the Social Security Administration, among others. Their meaning, however, differs based on the source statute, rule, or regulation that defines what the word means. For example, an individual "disabled" as defined by the Office of Worker's Compensation Programs statute may not meet the definition of "disabled" under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The meaning of these words is controlled by the context in which they are used.

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4 Pay Administration

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470 Recognition and Awards

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472 Certificate of Appreciation

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472.4 Eligibility

[Revise 472.4 to read as follows:]

Customers, contract employees, and noncareer and career employees are eligible to receive the Certificate of Appreciation. Eligibility for Certificates of Appreciation is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.

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473 Service Awards

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473.2 Service Award Pin

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473.22 Basis

[Revise 473.22 to read as follows:]

The Service Award Pin is presented to career employees who have completed 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50 years of creditable service to the government. All federal and military service is creditable. Eligibility for Service Award Pins is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.

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473.3 Service Award Certificate

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473.32 Basis

473.321 Retirement

[Revise 473.321 to read as follows:]

The Service Award Certificate at retirement recognizes employees who retire (a) under the optional provisions of retirement law, (b) due to disability, or (c) under mandatory retirement for postal inspectors. Eligibility for Service Award Certificates is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.

473.322 Death

[Revise 473.322 to read as follows:]

To honor employees with 5 or more years of creditable service who die while still employed, the Service Award Certificate is presented posthumously to the nearest relative. Creditable service is defined as service that qualifies for retirement under the procedures for the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Eligibility for Service Award Certificates is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.

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473.4 Benjamin Franklin Award

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473.42 Eligibility

[Revise 473.42 to read as follows:]

The postmaster general designates those to be honored. Recommendations may not be made to him. Eligibility for the Benjamin Franklin Award is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.

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474 Informal Award

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474.4 Eligibility

[Revise 474.4 to read as follows:]

All employees and contractors are eligible to receive the Informal Award. Eligibility for the Informal Award is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.

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475 Formal Awards

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475.2 Spot Award

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475.23 Eligibility

[Revise 475.23 to read as follows:]

All career employees are eligible to receive the Spot Award. Eligibility for the Spot Award is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.

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475.3 Quality Step Increase Award

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475.32 Eligibility

[Change 475.32 to read as follows:]

All career bargaining unit employees are eligible to receive the QSI. An employee cannot receive more than one QSI in any 52-week period. Eligibility for the QSI is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.

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476 Special Awards

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476.2 Team Award

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476.23 Eligibility

[Revise 476.23 to read as follows:]

All career bargaining and nonbargaining unit employees are eligible for Team Awards. Eligibility for the Team Award is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.

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476.3 Vice President Award

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476.33 Eligibility

[Revise 476.33 to read as follows:]

All career bargaining and nonbargaining unit employees are eligible for Vice President Awards. Eligibility for the Vice President Award is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.

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476.4 Postmaster General Award

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476.43 Eligibility

[Change 476.43 to read as follows:]

All career bargaining and nonbargaining unit employees are eligible for the Postmaster General Award. Eligibility for the Postmaster General Award is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.

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5 Employee Benefits

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540 Injury Compensation Program

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546 Reassignment or Reemployment of Employees Injured on Duty

546.1 Law

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546.14 Disability Partially Overcome

546.141 General

[Revise 546.141 to read as follows:]

The procedures for current employees cover both limited duty and rehabilitation assignments. Limited duty assignments are provided to employees during the recovery process when the effects of the injury are considered temporary. A rehabilitation assignment is provided when the effects of the injury are considered permanent and/or the employee has reached maximum medical improvement. Persons in permanent rehabilitation positions have the same rights to pursue promotional and advancement opportunities as other employees.

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6 Employee Relations

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630 Ideas Program

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632 Eligibility

[Revise 632 to read as follows:]

All active career employees are eligible for nonmonetary recognition or a cash award for their ideas. Eligibility is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.

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7 Training and Development

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720 Training and Development Responsibilities and Functions

721 Organizational Responsibilities and Functions

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721.2 Areas

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[Revise 721.2d to read as follows:]

d. Ensure that districts are identifying and developing talented people, including minority members, qualified individuals with disabilities, and women, in a fair and orderly manner, especially within management.

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8 Safety and Health

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840 Safety Awareness Programs

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842 National Safety Awards and Contests

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842.2 Safe Driver Award Program

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842.23 Participation

[Revise 842.23 to read as follows:]

Postal installations having one or more postal employees operating postal-owned, hired, leased, contract, or private vehicles in conducting postal business must participate in the Safe Driver Award Program. All postal personnel operating motor vehicles on official business are eligible to participate in the Safe Driver Award Program under the rules for administering the National Safety Council's Safe Driver Award Plan (Postal Service edition). Eligibility for participation is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or physical or mental disability. Contractors, contract personnel, supervisors, and personnel who drive sporadically or only during seasonal periods, holidays, vacations, etc., are excluded.

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Handbook EL-307, Reasonable Accommodation, An Interactive Process

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1 Introduction to Reasonable Accommodation

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16 Other Laws

161 Multiple Protections

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[Revise the second paragraph of 161 to read as follows:]

Similarly, there are times when both the Rehabilitation Act and other laws may cover an employee. An employee who sustains an on-the-job injury that results in permanent or long-term substantial limitations of a major life activity may be protected by both the Rehabilitation Act and the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA). Persons in permanent rehabilitation positions have the same rights to pursue promotional and advancement opportunities as other employees. In addition, an employee with a serious health condition covered by FMLA may also be covered by the Rehabilitation Act if it is long-term and substantially limits a major life activity. The criteria for any one of the three statutes can be met simultaneously.

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Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement

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1 General

11 Overview

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[Add 115 to read as follows:]

115 Disabled and Disability

The words "disabled" and "disability" are found in many statutes, rules, and regulations. They are used by the Department of Labor, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Office of Personnel Management, and the Social Security Administration, among others. Their meaning, however, differs based on the source statute, rule, or regulation that defines what the word means. For example, an individual "disabled" as defined by the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs statute may not meet the definition of "disabled" under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The meaning of these words is controlled by the context in which they are used.

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2 Recruitment

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23 Sources of Recruitment

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232 Policy

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232.4 Internal Recruitment and Placement

232.41 General Provisions

[Revise 232.41 to read as follows:]

Most career vacancies within a postal installation are filled internally by reassignment, promotion, or a change to lower level of qualified career employees who are designated the successful bidders or applicants. Persons in permanent rehabilitation positions have the same rights to pursue promotional and advancement opportunities as other employees. When positions cannot be filled by employees who are on the rolls of the installation with the vacancy, secondary consideration must be given to qualified career applicants from other installations within an expanded geographic area subject to appropriate collective bargaining agreement provisions.

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235 Employment of People With Disabilities

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235.2 Reasonable Accommodation

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235.23 Deaf or Hard of Hearing Applicants and Employees

[Revise 235.23 to read as follows:]

Management has an obligation to reasonably accommodate deaf and hard of hearing employees and applicants who request assistance in communicating with or understanding others in work-related situations. See Handbook EL-307, Exhibit 3-1 and Exhibit 5-1, for examples of accommodation.

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235.4 Noncompetitive Career Hiring of Persons With Severe Disabilities

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235.44 Initiating the Hiring Process

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[Revise 235.44c to read as follows:]

c. Interviewers then engage in an interactive process (see Handbook EL-307, at 22) to confirm the essential functions of the job and the abilities and limitations of the applicant. Otherwise, the interview process for an individual with a disability is essentially the same as an interview conducted with an applicant who does not have a disability (see 54, Preemployment Interview, and 621, Preemployment Interview).

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[Revise 235.44f to read as follows:]

e. Following the selecting official's determination that the applicant is medically suitable for employment, the selecting official schedules a meeting with the applicant, rehabilitation counselor, and immediate supervisor or designated operations manager to discuss requirements (e.g., Reasonable Accommodation Decision Guide, reasonable accommodation issues, and essential profession functions) outlined in Handbook EL-307. Documentation of the results of this meeting must be attached to the Reasonable Accommodation Decision Guide and retained for 5 years by the employing office.

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3 Examinations

31 General

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315 Examination Personnel

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315.6 Training

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315.61 Examiner Training

[Revise 315.61a to read as follows:]

Examiners are required to be thoroughly familiar with the instructions in this chapter as well as Chapter 3 of Handbook EL-307, Reasonable Accommodation, An Interactive Process, and they must complete Examinations Self-Instructional Guide, course #21560-02, available from NTAC.

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32 Entrance Examination Process

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324 Scheduling Process

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324.4 Applicants With Disabilities

[Revise 324.4 to read as follows:]

See Chapter 3, Handbook EL-307, Reasonable Accommodation, An Interactive Process, for making accommodations for qualified applicants with disabilities.

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5 Suitability

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57 Medical Suitability

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574 Appointment Decisions

[Revise 574 to read as follows:]

The appointing official ultimately determines whether the applicant will be appointed after careful consideration of the results from the medical assessment, and the applicant's ability to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation, for which the bona fide job offer was extended. When limitations or risks are identified, appointing officials should verify that the assessment was based on accurate job information and contact the selecting official to determine whether the restrictions would permit performance of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation where appropriate. (For a qualified individual with a disability, the appointing official must follow the interactive process described in Handbook EL-307, Reasonable Accommodation, An Interactive Process, to make the appropriate medical suitability decision.) When the appointing official determines the applicant is medically suitable, with or without reasonable accommodation, the applicant is notified and the appointment made. If the appointing official makes a determination not to appoint because of medical unsuitability, the applicant is advised of this final decision in writing. See Appendix A-7.

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7 Assignment, Reassignment, and Promotion

71 Introduction

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714 Selection Definitions and Philosophy

714.1 Definitions Applicable to Selection

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[Revise 714.1a to read as follows:]

a. Requirements. The knowledge, skills, abilities, experiences, and physical and other conditions that pertain to a specific position (or duty assignment). Not all these requirements are appropriate for every position; only those types of requirements that an individual needs to successfully perform the duties of the position upon entry are used. Employees fully meet the physical requirements of a position if they are physically able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation where appropriate, and without posing a direct threat of harm to themselves or others. (See Handbook EL-307, Reasonable Accommodation, An Interactive Process.)

* * * * *

[Add 714.3 to read as follows:]

714.3 Reasonable Accommodations in the Selection Process

Reasonable Accommodation for qualified applicants with disabilities can take many forms. Ones that may be needed during the selection process include (but are not limited to): providing written materials in accessible formats, providing sign language interpreters, ensuring that recruitment, interviews, performance tests, and other components of the process are held in accessible locations, providing or modifying equipment or devices, and adjusting or modifying applications and employment questionnaires. (See Handbook EL-307, Reasonable Accommodation, An Interactive Process 334.)

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72 Bargaining Positions

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727 Bargaining Selection Procedures

[Revise 727 to read as follows:]

The goal of bargaining selection procedures, whether for entry or inservice positions, is to ensure that qualified people are selected to fill the positions. Eligibles selected, promoted, or reassigned at any level must meet all the requirements of the position as stated on the qualification standard, and the vacancy announcement or job posting. Employees fully meet the physical requirements of a position if they are physically able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation where appropriate, and without posing a direct threat of harm to themselves or others. (See Handbook EL-307, Reasonable Accommodation, An Interactive Process.)

* * * * *

Appendix E Legal and Regulatory Requirements

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[Revise d to read as follows:]

d. Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The law requires federal employers, including the Postal Service, to establish affirmative action plans for the hiring, placement, and advancement of individuals with disabilities, 29 U.S.C. 791(b). The term qualified individual with a disability is defined at 29 CFR 1630.2(m) as an individual with a disability who satisfies the requisite skill, experience, education and other job-related requirements of the employment position such individual holds or desires, and who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of such position. The law also prohibits a federal employer from asking an applicant orally or in writing about the applicant's physical fitness until a bona fide job offer is made.

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Handbook EL-505, Injury Compensation

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Introduction

* * * * *

How to Use the Handbook

The Text

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[Insert the following paragraph between the first and second paragraphs:]

The words "disabled" and "disability" are found in many statutes, rules, and regulations. They are used by the Department of Labor, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Office of Personnel Management, and the Social Security Administration, among others. Their meaning, however, differs based on the source statute, rule, or regulation that defines what the word means. For example, an individual "disabled" as defined by the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs statute may not meet the definition of "disabled" under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The meaning of these words is controlled by the context in which they are used.

* * * * *

11 Rehabilitation Program

* * * * *

Exhibit 11.9b Pre-reemployment or Reassignment Employee Interview Checklist

* * * * *

[In paragraph 4, change the bullet entitled "Bid Rights' to read as follows:]

• Bid rights. Reemployed/reassigned individuals may bid on other positions provided they meet the physical requirements of the job. Persons in permanent rehabilitation positions have the same rights to pursue promotional and advancement opportunities as other employees. If a Rehabilitation Program employee is a successful bidder on another position, the employee will no longer be a Rehabilitation Program participant unless the employee's work restrictions continue.

* * * * *

We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed versions of the ELM and handbooks EL-307, EL-312, and EL-505, and also into the online updates, 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.

• For the ELM, click on Manuals.

• For the handbooks, click on HBKs.

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

The ELM and HBKs EL-307 and EL-312 are also 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 or Handbooks.

—Selection, Evaluation & Recognition Employee Development and Diversity, 7-20-06

NEW POSTER

Our Diversity Is Our Strength

Poster 157, Our Diversity Is Our Strength, is now available. This new poster will help raise awareness and further our goal of maintaining the Postal Service as a diverse, tolerant, and harassment-free workplace. In addition, this poster supplements the Postal Service policy statement titled, "Sexual Orientation, Gender Identification, and Gender Stereotyping."

Poster 157 is 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.

• Then click on Posters.

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

You can order Poster 157 from the Material Distribution Center (MDC) and use touch tone order entry (TTOE): Call 800-332-0317, option 2.

Note: You must be registered to use TTOE. To register, call 800-332-0317, option 1, extension 2925, and follow the prompts to leave a message. (Wait 48 hours after registering before placing your first order.)

Use the following information to order Poster 157:

PSIN: POS157
PSN: 7690-08-000-4672
Unit of Measure: EA
Minimum Order Quantity: 1
Quick Pick Number: N/A
Bulk Pack Quantity: 500
Price: $0.00

—Employee Development and Diversity, 7-20-06