ELM Revision: Basic Pay Determination — Post Office Downgrades

Effective August 30, 2007, Employee and Labor Rela­tions Manual (ELM) ELM 421.521, Explanation, is revised by adding a new item c that provides guidance regarding the basic pay of bargaining unit postal clerks when they are involuntarily reassigned to lower grades due to a change in the Cost Ascertainment Group (CAG) of a Post Office™.

Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM)

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Employees with a saved rate will continue to be paid the wage they received in the previous higher grade position, augmented by any general increases occurring while the saved rate is in effect. A saved rate differs from a protected rate in that it continues for an indefinite period, subject to the conditions explained below (see 421.522 through 421.526) and occurs in several different circumstances, as follows:

a. An employee is given a permanent, nondisciplinary, and involuntary assignment to a lower grade due to a management action such as a change in job ranking criteria affecting more than one position under the same job description. In this case, saved rate means that the employee continues to receive the wage of the higher grade position.

b. Management action effects a general increase that, when added to an employee’s wage, produces a wage above the maximum rate for the grade. In this case, saved rate means that the amount of the gen­eral increase is added to the employee’s wage and the employee continues to receive the new wage even though it is above the maximum for the grade.

[Reletter current item c as new item d. Add new item c to read as follows:]

c. An employee is given a position reevaluation down­grade assignment to a lower grade due to a change in the Cost Ascertainment Group (CAG) of a Post Office.

d. An employee accepts a job offer based on his or her limitations due to an injury on duty (see 546.143e).

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We will incorporate this revision into the next printed version of the ELM and 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.
• On the PolicyNet page, click on Manuals.

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

The ELM is 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.

— Compensation,
Human Resources, 8-30-07