Effective July 20, 2017, the Postal Service™ is revising the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM), section 665.26, to amend the regulations concerning the possession and consumption of intoxicating beverages.
Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM)
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6 Employee Relations
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660 Conduct
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665 Postal Service Standards of Conduct
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665.2 Prohibited Conduct
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665.26 Intoxicating Beverages
[Revise the text of 665.26 to read as follows:]
Except as provided below, employees must not drink beer, wine, or other intoxicating beverages while on duty; begin work or return to duty intoxicated; or drink intoxicating beverages in a public place while in uniform. Employees found to be violating this policy may be subject to disciplinary action.
A non-bargaining employee may consume beer or wine at an Officer Approved Event. “Officer Approved Event” means: (a) a meeting of Postal Service employees convened by management, such as a working meal, an employee recognition event, or an employee appreciation event; or (b) an event whose primary purpose is to interact with external individuals or entities, such as an industry conference, a sales meeting, or a supplier meeting; that in all cases is either attended by an Officer of the Postal Service who personally decides that the consumption of beer and wine by employees is appropriate, or with respect to which an Officer of the Postal Service has granted specific, written, and advance approval for the consumption of beer and wine by employees.
A non-bargaining employee may consume beer, wine, or other intoxicating beverages at a Postmaster General Approved Event. “Postmaster General Approved Event” means any Postal Service-related event with respect to which the Postmaster General personally approves the consumption of beer, wine, or other intoxicating beverages.
No employee may become intoxicated while at an Officer Approved Event or a Postmaster General Approved Event. Except in connection with an Officer Approved Event or a Postmaster General Approved Event occurring at a Postal Service facility or premises, no employee shall have or bring any container of beer or wine into any Postal Service facility or premises, whether the container has been opened or not. Intoxicating beverages other than beer and wine may never be brought into any Postal Service facility or premises under any circumstances.
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We will incorporate this revision into the next online update of the Employee and Labor Relations Manual, which is available on the Postal Service PolicyNet website:
n Got to blue.usps.gov.
n In the left-hand column under “Essential Links,” click PolicyNet.
n Click Manuals.
The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is blue.usps.gov/cpim.
— Policies and Programs,
Labor Relations, 7-20-17
