The Postal Service™ is required by federal law to collect information regarding the ethnicity and race of all applicants hired. This information is used for the purpose of producing aggregate statistical reports to show agency data in hiring, placement, and advancement of individuals as it relates to ethnicity and race. Effective for all persons hired after January 10, 2009, ethnicity and race data is to be collected by having the applicant complete PS Form 181-E, Ethnicity and Race Identification. This form must not be given to an applicant until after he or she has been selected and given a job offer. Current employees who wish to correct their ethnicity and race answers should be encouraged to complete PS Form 181-E and submit it to their local Human Resources office for processing.
Processing PS Form 181-E
Process PS Form 181-E as follows:
1. Give PS Form 181-E to an applicant to complete only after the applicant has been selected and given a job offer.
2. Review the completed PS Form 181-E to determine whether the applicant has indicated an answer to both Question 1 and Question 2. Providing the information is voluntary; however, if the applicant chooses not to self-identify, the Postal Service is required to determine ethnicity and race by visual observation and should complete the form on behalf of the applicant.
3. Enter the answers from PS Form 181-E on the accession worksheet and in the applicable system when processing the accession action. An ethnicity and race change for a current employee must be processed as a profile change in the system for processing personnel actions.
4. Destroy the completed PS Form 181-E. Do not file PS Form 181-E in the Official Personnel Folder or in the Preemployment Investigation File.
Viewing PS Form 181-E Online
PS Form 181-E is available on the Postal Service PolicyNet website:
n Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
n Under “Essential Links” in the left-hand column, click Forms.
(The direct URL for the Forms website is http://blue.usps.gov/formmgmt/forms.htm.)
Ordering PS Form 181-E
Personnel Offices may order PS Form 181-E from the Material Distribution Center (MDC). We will publish ordering information as soon as it is available from the MDC.
— Selection, Evaluation, and Recognition,
Employee Resource Management, 1-1-09
