Effective October 25, 2007, Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement, is revised to reflect the following changes to employment and placement programs.
Summary of Changes to Handbook EL-312
743.13, Defining the Area of Consideration, is revised to:
743.14, Determining Eligibility, is revised to:
743.43, Closing Vacancy File, is added to set forth (a) procedures for closing vacancy files, (b) time limits, and (c) HRSSC responsibilities.
745.1, Relocation Expenses, is revised to:
Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement
* * * * *
7 Assignment, Reassignment, and Promotion
* * * * *
74 EAS Positions
* * * * *
743 Selection Process
743.1 Internal Recruitment
* * * * *
743.13 Defining the Area of Consideration
[Revise 743.13 to read as follows:]
Selecting officials are responsible for defining the area of consideration. The minimum area of consideration should consist of no less than all eligible career EAS employees within the district.
All eligible EAS employees (including area, Headquarters, and Headquarters field units) may apply if their current work location — where they physically report to work — is physically located within the geographic (service) area of the organizational unit stated in the job posting.
After the assessment of potential applicants, the area of consideration may be expanded to include (a) bargaining employees, (b) larger geographic territory (i.e., area-wide or Postal Service–wide), and/or (c) external advertisement.
743.14 Determining Eligibility
[Revise 743.14 to read as follows:]
Career employees are eligible to apply for EAS positions if they are within the area of consideration.
Other employees are eligible under the following circumstances:
a. Extended eligibility. Eligibility is extended for certain postmaster positions, as follows:
(1) EAS-16 and below postmaster — Postmaster relief/leave replacements (PMR/LRs) may apply and compete for postmaster vacancies within their district. When the PMR/LR applies for his or her Post Office, the PMR/LR must be considered by the selecting official at that Post Office.
(2) Postmaster (self-nomination) — Local career employees from the vacancy office who are qualified and eligible for the postmaster position may exercise the right of self-nomination to ensure review by the selecting official. This opportunity applies to all career EAS employees at the vacancy office, as well as career bargaining employees for those postmaster positions advertised for EAS and bargaining employees.
b. Special nomination for EAS positions. Vice presidents of area operations and the manager of Corporate Personnel Management may nominate employees from any location within the Postal Service for any vacancy advertised so that they may be considered in competition with applicants from within the area of consideration. This nomination process is to ensure expanded opportunities to resolve saved grade situations, hardship, and/or trailing spouse cases.
* * * * *
743.4 Assessing Applications
* * * * *
[Add section 743.43 to read as follows:]
743.43 Closing Vacancy File
A vacancy file is generally “closed” when a selection is made or the selecting official communicates that he has completed (or is no longer conducting) selection activity for that vacancy file. If HRSSC does not receive any communication (a) indicating that a selection was made, or (b) requesting to “close out” the vacancy file by 120 calendar days from the vacancy announcement closing date, HRSSC will close the vacancy file. Vacancy files closed in this manner must include a notation stating that the vacancy has not been filled. In addition, HRSSC must communicate to the selecting official and the applicants that the vacancy has been closed.
Requests for extension of the 120-day period should be made to HRSSC through the manager, Human Resources (district).
* * * * *
745 Funding
745.1 Relocation Expenses
[Revise 745.1 to read as follows:]
Employees who are selected competitively or noncompetitively as a result of application or nomination under a vacancy announcement may be eligible to receive reimbursement of authorized relocation expenses as described in Handbook F-15, Travel and Relocation. This rule also applies when employees voluntarily apply for announced positions at their present or lower levels and are selected. Allowable relocation expenses are paid by the gaining installation.
Relocation expenses are not paid by the Postal Service incident to other voluntary reassignments or other voluntary changes outside of the vacancy announcement process.
Any request for exceptions to the relocation guidelines must be made through the appropriate management channels. Field personnel submit the request to the manager, Finance (district). Headquarters employees submit the request to their approving official.
* * * * *
We will incorporate these revisions into the next online update of Handbook EL-312, available on the Postal Service PolicyNet Web site:
(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet Web site is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)
It 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 Handbooks.
— Selection, Evaluation, and Recognition,
Employee Resource Management, 10-25-07
