The U.S. Postal Service® has entered into a settlement to resolve all claims in a national employment discrimination class action lawsuit filed by Postal Service™ deaf and hard of hearing employees and applicants. Among other things, the settlement requires the Postal Service to select an independent ombudsperson who will serve for a period of three years, beginning October 29, 2013. In cooperation with the Postal Service headquarters disability program manager, the ombudsperson will monitor the Postal Service’s compliance with the injunctive relief provisions of the settlement through the establishment of a call center and designated email address. Deaf and hard of hearing Postal Service employees will be advised that they can register a comment or concern about communication accommodation issues via a designated email address and/or through a toll-free number or other device provided by the call center. Deaf and hard of hearing Postal Service employees will further be advised that use of the email address and toll-free number or device to register a comment or concern does not affect their rights to file a grievance or complaint in any other process, nor does it serve as initial contact for any other process such as a grievance or EEO pre-complaint processing pursuant to 29 CFR 1614.105.
The Disability Program Manager will provide qualifying deaf and hard of hearing employees and applicants with information regarding how to contact the ombudsperson. Such individuals may register a comment or concern about communication and accommodation issues they have experienced in the workplace or during their employment application process with the Postal Service call center and/or designated email address. To be able to identify and address specific comments and/or concerns, individuals will be asked to supply information specific to them, such as their name, residential addresses, Employee Identification Number (EIN) or Applicant Identification Number (AIN). If necessary, the ombudsperson will investigate the comments and/or concerns in order to make an independent assessment.
The Postal Service is amending system of records (SOR) 100.900 Employee Inquiry, Complaint, and Investigative Records to account for the collection of applicant identification numbers from applicants who file an inquiry or complaint with the ombudsperson via the call center or designated email address. Additionally, to facilitate the record location process, retrievability is being updated to include Employee Identification Numbers and Applicant Identification Numbers.
Handbook AS-353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management, was revised to include these modifications, which were published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2013 (78 FR 79026-79027).
Handbook AS-353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management
* * * * *
Appendix — Privacy Act Systems of Records
* * * * *
Section E. Complete Text of Systems of Records
* * * * *
USPS 100.900
SYSTEM NAME:
Employee Inquiry, Complaint, and Investigative Record
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM
[Revise the text of (2) to read as follows:]
* * * * *
2. Non-employee information: Name, gender, Applicant Identification Number, and contact information.***
* * * * *
RETREIVABILITY
[Revise the text to read as follows:]
* * * * *
By employee and non-employee name, Employee Identification Number, Applicant Identification Number, subject category, facility, finance number, district, area, nationally, or case number.
* * * * *
We will incorporate these revisions into the next online issue of Handbook AS-353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management, which 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 PolicyNet.
n Click HBKs.
(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)
— Privacy Office,
General Counsel and Executive VP, 2-6-14
