Handbook F-15, Travel and Relocation Revision

Effective July 17, 2008, Handbook F-15, Travel and Relocation, is revised to clarify approved trips home during extended duty assignments or details.

Handbook F-15, Travel and Relocation

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8 While You’re Traveling 8-1 Allowable Expenses

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8-1.9 Trips Home During Extended Travel

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8-1.9.1 During Long-Term training

[Revise 8-1.9.1. to read as follows:]

 

If Your Training Lasts…	Then…
a. 3 weeks or less	None.
b. More than 3 weeks	You must refer to the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM), part 716, for an explanation of what’s allowed.

8-1.9.2 During Extended Duty Assignments Or Details

[Revise 8-1.9.2 to read as follows:]

The approving official who approves your expense report determines the frequency of your paid intermediate trips home.

Important: A weekend return trip is authorized only to the employee’s permanent duty station. Travel to another loca­tion must be authorized in advance by the employee’s manager. Cost differential in travel between employee’s permanent duty station and alternate approved location is absorbed by the employee.

The following chart clarifies when an intermediate trip home is allowed:

 

If Your Assignment Lasts…	Then You Are Allowed This Many Weekend Trips Home…
a. 3 weeks or less	None.
b. More than 3 weeks and up to 6 weeks	One.
c. More than 6 weeks and up to 9 weeks	Two.
d. More than 9 weeks and up to 12 weeks	Three.
e. Weekend trips for extended duty assignments or details of longer duration are authorized based on the same time increments.

The Postal Service may allow you to return home every weekend if the total cost of your trip home — including such items as transportation, mileage, parking, and per diem — is less than the cost of staying at your temporary duty station for that weekend. Be sure to have such weekly trips approved in advance and to include a cost comparison with your expense report when you request reimbursement.

If your spouse is traveling with you, see 9-7.1 for informa­tion about his or her trip home.

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We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed edition of Handbook F-15 and into the next update of the online version accessible on the Postal Service™ Pol­icyNet Web site:

• Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
• Under “Essential Links,” in the left-hand column, click References.
• On the PolicyNet Web site, click HBKs.

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

— Corporate Accounting,
Finance, 7-17-08