A new version of PS Form 3971, Request for or Notification of Absence, dated December 2011, is available effective August 31, 2012 (see page 10). The changes provide expanded recording capability of both requests and designation of protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
On the front, the notification contains an expanded “Remarks” section and provides more specific instructions for supervisors regarding FMLA designation. Supervisors must confirm the designation of their employees’ FMLA cases before they sign the leave requests. The FMLA case will be either 1) Designation is Pending; 2) FMLA Protected; or 3) Not FMLA Protected. The current status of any approved or pending FMLA case can be confirmed on the Leave Management Screen in the enterprise Resource Management System (eRMS) or by contacting the H.R. Shared Services Center using the appropriate area email account.
On the back of the PS Form 3971, there are employee prompts to help identify the request as a potential FMLA- protected absence. This includes a space to enter an FMLA case number to ensure leave is associated with an already approved or pending designation FMLA case.
The new PS Form 3971 is available in eRMS and on the Postal Service™ PolicyNet website:
n Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
n Under “Essential Links” in the left-hand column, click Forms.
n Click 3000–3999 in the left sidebar.
n Click the icon next to the form name.
(The direct URL is http://blue.usps.gov/formmgmt/forms/ps3971.pdf.)
You can order the form from the Material Distribution Center and use touch-tone order entry (TTOE). Call 800-273-1509. You can also order PS Form 3971 through the eBuy2 catalog.
Note: You must be registered to use TTOE. To register, call 800-332-0317, option 1, extension 2925, and follow the prompts to leave a message. (Wait 48 hours after registering before placing your first order.)
Use the following information to order PS Form 3971:
PSIN: PS3971
PSN: 7530-02-000-9136
Unit of Measure: PD
Minimum Order Quantity: 1
Maximum Order Quantity: 500
Bulk Pack Quantity: 90
Quick Pick Number: 227
Price: $0.6380
Edition Date: 12/11
Offices should discard/recycle any remaining copies of PS Form 3971 dated March 2008 or prior following local procedures.
— Compensation and Benefits,
Labor Relations, 9-6-12
PS Form 3971
