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HANDBOOK EL-312 REVISION
Changes to Preemployment Screening Programs
Effective August 17, 2006, Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement, is revised to reflect changes to preemployment screening programs.
Summary of Changes to Handbook EL-312
512.22, Prescreening, removes reference to obsolete
PS Form 2485, Medical Examination and Assessment, and
obsolete PS Form 5902, Request for VA Medical Survey.
Removes reference to PS Form 2488, Authorization for
Medical Report, which is not filed in the preemployment
investigation file. Adds reference to the Medical Assessment Determination.
512.227, Reviewing Replies, removes the reference to
Department of Veterans Affairs medical records.
572, Purpose, clarifies the purpose of the medical suitability screening process.
573.3, Obtaining Medical Records, removes the reference to Department of Veterans Affairs medical records.
Clarifies possible sources of treatment records required by
medical personnel during the assessment process.
Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement
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5 Suitability
51 Employment Eligibility and Suitability
* * * * *
512 Screening Process Philosophy
* * * * *
512.2 Sequence of Screening Activities
* * * * *
512.22 Prescreening
[Revise 512.22m to read as follows:]
m. eMAP medical assessment determination.
* * * * *
512.227 Reviewing Replies
[Revise 512.227 to read as follows:]
Human resources personnel review responses to the inquiries listed above as they are received.
* * * * *
57 Medical Suitability
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572 Purpose
[Replace the first two paragraphs of 572 with the following:]
The purpose of the medical suitability process is to ensure
that selected applicants are able to perform the duties of
their positions without posing a direct threat of harm to
themselves or others. This requirement contributes to the
protection and preservation of human resources and the
overall safety of the workforce, which are urgent and ongoing goals of the Postal Service. An integral component of
the process is the medical assessment, which provides the
hiring official with information needed for an informed hiring
decision. The assessment identifies the individual's medical restrictions or limitations, and it may suggest job modifications or accommodations to allow safe performance of
essential job functions.
Note: Medical personnel are responsible for the medical
assessment, but the hiring official is responsible for the final
medical-suitability determination and the hiring decision.
* * * * *
573 Process Overview
* * * * *
573.3 Obtaining Medical Records
[Revise 573.3 to read as follows:]
Medical information must not be requested before a bona
fide job offer is extended to the applicant. Medical personnel may require medical records from physicians, clinics, or
hospitals to conduct a medical assessment. Applicants
must obtain such records without expense to the Postal
Service. Medical personnel coordinate obtaining this information. These records are filed in the medical office.
* * * * *
We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed
edition of Handbook EL-312 and 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.)
Handbook EL-312 is also available on the Postal
Service Internet:
• Go to www.usps.com.
• Click on About USPS and News, then Forms and
Publications, then Postal Periodicals and Publications, and then Handbooks.
Until the changes described in the article are incorporated into the online version of Handbook EL-312, use this
article to implement the changes.
— Selection, Evaluation, and Recognition,
Employee Resource Management, 8-17-06
USPS-NPPN NATIONAL AGREEMENT
Change to Uniform Program Allowance, 2006-2007
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 the Employee and Labor Relations Manual
(ELM) Section 932.11, Regular Uniforms, items k and l) are
entitled to an increase in their annual uniform allowance.
The increase is effective on or after August 19, 2006
(depending on the employee's uniform allowance anniversary date). Reimbursement for uniforms for full-time
employees will be $323 per annum. (See Article 26.03(a),
Full-Time Employees, USPS-NPPN National Agreement.)
Employee accounts will be updated as individual employees reach their anniversary dates.
— Collective Bargaining and Arbitration,
Labor Relations, 8-17-06
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