Annual Leave Exchange Option

Election opportunity for Annual Leave Exchange begins: November 15, 2006
Election opportunity for Annual Leave Exchange ends: December 15, 2006 (11:59 P.M. CT)

The Annual Leave Exchange Program provides an option for eligible career employees to receive a lump sum payment in exchange for a portion of the annual leave that would otherwise be advanced at the beginning of the 2007 leave year.

Note: Annual leave earned and accumulated through the 2006 leave year, which ends January 5, 2007, cannot be exchanged for cash.

Eligible Employees

Employees eligible for the Annual Leave Exchange Program include the following:

• Career nonbargaining unit employees from rate schedule codes (RSCs) E, F, S, and U who have an annual leave balance of at least 160 hours at the end of the leave year.

• Career bargaining unit employees (except part-time flexible employees) from the following RSCs who have an annual leave balance of at least 440 hours at the end of the leave year and have used less than 75 hours of sick leave during the leave year:

• National Postal Mail Handlers Union - RSC M.

• International Association of Machinists - RSC T.

• American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO - RSCs C, N, and P.

• Operating Services Division Agreement - RSC K.

• Fraternal Order of Police, National Labor Council, USPS No. 2 - RSC Y.

PostalEASE Elections

Employees who meet the eligibility criteria and want to exercise this option must use PostalEASE to make elections. For the election to be considered timely, employees must complete their entries in PostalEASE by 11:59 P.M., CT, December 15, 2006.

Employees who are unable to use PostalEASE to complete their elections should contact the Human Resources Shared Services Center (HRSSC) for assistance before December 15, 2006, as follows: call 1-877-477-3273 and select menu option 5 and then Benefits; or for TTY call 1-866-260-7507; or send a FAX to 1-651-994-3543.

Forms will not be distributed for this election period.

Payment by Lump Sum

Payment under the Annual Leave Exchange Program will be a lump sum calculated on the employee's base salary as of the first day of the 2007 leave year (January 6, 2007). Paychecks dated January 26, 2007, will include the 2007 lump sum payment.

Letter Soon to Be Mailed to Eligible Employees

The Eagan Accounting Service Center will mail a letter providing details of the eligibility criteria and instructions for using PostalEASE to make annual leave exchange elections to eligible employees at their address of record during November 2006. Undeliverable letters will be returned to the employing office of record. When an office receives a returned letter, the office should encourage the employee to update his or her address. Employees with access to Employee Change of Address on the Postal Service Intranet (the Blue page) or to an employee self-service kiosk should use those entry methods. Other employees should submit an updated PS Form 1216, Employee's Current Mailing Address, to the HRSSC.

— Compensation, Human Resources, 11-9-06

Please Post on All Bulletin Boards Through December 15, 2006.

2006 International and
Military Mail Christmas Mailing Dates

To ensure delivery of holiday cards and packages by December 25 to military APO/FPO addresses overseas and to international addresses, we suggest that mail be entered by the recommended mailing dates listed below. Beat the last-minute rush and take your mail to your U. S. Post Office® by these suggested dates.

¹EMMS: Express Mail Military Service is available to selected military post offices. Check with your local Post OfficeTM to determine if this service is available to your APO/FPO of address.

²PAL: PAL is a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. It is available for Parcel Post items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight or 60 inches in length and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface rate of postage for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.

³SAM: Parcels paid at Parcel Post postage rates are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis. The maximum weight and size limits are 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined.

⁴GXG: Global Express Guaranteed is available to over 190 countries via a partnership with Federal Express. See a retail associate at participating locations for a complete list of countries and money-back guarantee details. Some restrictions apply.

⁵GEM: Global Express Mail is available to over 190 countries with delivery in 3 to 5 business days. See a retail associate at participating locations for a complete list of countries. Some restrictions apply.

⁶GPM: Global Priority Mail is an accelerated airmail service available for items up to 4 pounds to 51 countries. The service is available in two attractive-sized envelopes. Customers can also use their own packaging by adding the Global Priority Mail sticker. See a retail associate at participating locations for a complete list of countries. Some restrictions apply.

Please post on all bulletin boards.

— International Network Operations, Network Operations Management, 11-9-06