Effective January 22, 2015, the Postal Service™ is revising Handbook EL-505, Injury Compensation, to reflect the more current Snow Arbitration Decision, H94N-4H-C 96090200, dated November 4, 1998, that renders the Snow Arbitration Decision currently cited in Exhibit 11.7c (H0C-3N-C 418), incorrect.
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Handbook EL-505, Injury Compensation
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11. Rehabilitation Program
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Exhibits
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Exhibit 11.7c Contractual Obligations for Rehabilitation Positions
[Revise the text of Exhibit 11.7c to read as follows:]
Reemployment or reassignment must be in compliance with applicable collective bargaining agreements. Individuals so reemployed or reassigned must receive all appropriate rights and protection under the newly applicable collective bargaining agreement.
Contractual obligations may affect rehabilitation assignments in two ways:
n The nature of the assignment itself. For example, contractual obligations affect whether the assignment may be full-time, part-time, to a residual vacancy, or to a uniquely created position for the employee.
n The assigned employee’s rights, such as seniority rights.
The contractual obligations relating to rehabilitation assignments are complex, are not necessarily identical in every collective bargaining agreement, and are fact-driven in their application.
Minimum qualification requirements, including written examinations, may be waived in individual cases for former or current employees injured on duty and considered for reemployment or reassignment. When there is evidence, including that submitted by the medical officer, that the employee can be expected to perform satisfactorily in the position within 90 days after assignment, one of the following may grant a waiver:
n For Headquarters and Headquarters field unit positions, the vice president of Employee Resource Management.
n For area positions, an area HR manager.
n For other field positions, a district HR manager.
Former employees who are reemployed into bargaining unit positions or current career employees who are reassigned into such positions are credited with seniority in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement covering the position to which they are assigned.
Labor Relations must be consulted to ensure that contractual obligations are considered and addressed, as required.
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next online update of Handbook EL-505, Injury Compensation, which is available on the Postal Service PolicyNet website:
n Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
n In the left-hand column under “Essential Links”, click PolicyNet.
n Click HBKs.
The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.
— Injury Compensation and Medical Services,
Employee Resource Management, 1-22-15
