Policies, Procedures, and Forms Updates

Handbooks

Handbook EL-312 Revision: Postal Police Officers and Veterans’ Preference

Effective November 10, 2016, the Postal Service™ is revising Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement, section 232.52, to update policy on the sort plan that identifies postal police officer as one of the positions restricted to applicants for veterans’ preference.

Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement

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23 Sources of Recruitment

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232.52 Positions Restricted to Applicants Eligible for Veterans’ Preference

[Revise the text of 232.52 to read as follows:]

The Postal Service restricts certain positions, whether career or noncareer, to applicants eligible for veterans’ preference under the Veterans’ Preference Act of 1944. This rule applies only to appointments from external recruitment sources, whether competitive or noncompetitive. The Postal Service has restricted the following positions:

a. Building maintenance custodian.

b. Custodian laborer.

d. Laborer custodial.

e. Postal police officer.

Appointing officials may consider applicants who are not entitled to veterans’ preference only when preference eligibles are not available for appointment. Appointing officials must ensure that:

a. They attempt to recruit preference eligibles.

b. They exhaust the list of preference eligible applicants for the vacancy.

Districts have two options when recruiting externally to fill restricted positions:

Use this option…	if…
Restrict competition to preference eligibles only.	Experience has shown that normal public notice will provide enough preference eligible candidates.
Accept applications from preference eligibles and nonpreference eligibles, but refer nonpreference eligibles for employment consideration only when there are no preference eligibles.	Experience has shown that normal public notice will not provide enough preference eligible candidates.
Note: A public notice for a restricted position must have a statement explaining if the Postal Service will accept applications from nonpreference eligibles, and if so, that the Postal Service will not consider the applications, if preference eligibles are available.

Exception: The rule of restricting positions for applicants eligible for veterans’ preference:

a. Does not apply when the Postal Service fills restricted positions through internal career placements such as promotion, reassignment, or change to lower level.

b. Does apply when the Postal Service fills such positions through reinstatement and transfer from another agency.

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We will incorporate this revision into the next online update of Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement, 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.

— Human Resources (HQ),
Employee Resource Management, 11-10-16