432 definitions and general provisions
432.1 employee classifications
432.11 regular labor
432,111 bargaining unit employees
bargaining unit employees are classified as follows:
- full-time employees: annual fee career employees assigned to five 8-hour work schedules in a service week.
- part-time employees: employees categorized as one of the following:
- regular part-time employees: career hourly rate employees who are assigned to work regular hours of less than 40 hours in a service week.
- flexible employees part-time: career hourly rate qualifying employees who are available to work flexible hours assigned by the postal service over the course of a service week.
- Regular Rural Carriers: Annual fee career employees assigned to established rural routes on the basis of three weeks, 5, 5 1/2 or 6 days in a week of service.
- Rural Carrier Associates (RCAS) (hired as of 04/11/87); relief of rural porters (hired between 7/21/81 and 11/12/86); o Substitute rural carriers (hired prior to 7/21/81): Non-career employees with an indefinite appointment are assigned as licensed substitutes on one to three established rural routes during the absence of regular rural carriers. RCAS or substitute rural carriers may also be temporarily assigned (a) to vacant rural routes pending selection of scheduled rural carriers, (b) to routes for which the scheduled carrier is on extended license, (c) to auxiliary routes as auxiliary rural carriers, or (d) as auxiliary assistants.
- auxiliary rural carriers (hired before 1981) — employees who serve auxiliary rural routes (those not designated as regular rural routes). Typically, such positions are filled by temporary assignment of rural carrier substitutes or associates of rural carriers, or by relief employees of rural carriers. however, if these are not available, qualified non-career hourly employees may be appointed for a limited period.
432,112 employees of non-bargaining units
employees of the non-bargaining unit are classified as follows:
- full-time salaried: one of the following categories of salaried employees employed in accordance with procedures established by the postal service:
- exempt salaried: career employees who are exempt from the provisions of the flsa, they are not limited to working a specific number of hours in a service week, and are expected to work or take excused leave for at least 40 hours per week fulfilling the responsibilities of their positions.
- special exemption: career employees who are exempt from the provisions of the fair labor standards act (flsa), whose permanent assignments are to executive and administrative (eas) -15 to -18 positions, and who directly supervise two or more equivalent bargaining unit employees in production operations.
- salaried non-exempt: career employees who are not exempt from (i.e., covered by) the provisions is from the flsa and is assigned work schedules consisting of five 8-hour days in a week of duty.
432.12 supplemental workforce
all employees in the supplemental workforce are bargaining unit employees and are classified as follows:
- casual employees: non-career employees on limited-term appointments used as a supplemental workforce, as described in applicable national agreements or other postal service collective bargaining agreements, performing assigned duties to bargaining unit positions.
- temporary employees: non-career employees with a limited-term appointment of up to 1 year, but not exceeding, who perform tasks that are assigned to non-bargaining units.
- furlough replacements: non-career unlimited-term hourly rate employees employed as relief or furlough replacements during postmasters’ absence.
- temporary relief carriers: non-career employees on limited-term appointments who serve as rural carrier license replacements on regular or auxiliary routes or provide as Auxiliary assistance on regular routes.
432.13 transition workforce
Employees in the transition workforce are non-career bargaining unit employees categorized as transition employees (TEs) and employed in accordance with the terms of their respective collective bargaining agreements. are hourly rate employees contracted for terms designated in the applicable national bargaining agreement.
432.2 payment rates
432.21 basic rate
base rate is the annual, daily, or hourly salary amount provided by the applicable salary schedule for an employee’s assigned position, excluding tcola, overtime, eas extra pay, off-hours premium, sunday premium, holiday – salary worked, and night differential. daily and hourly base rates are determined by dividing the annual base rate (bar) as shown in the following table (see also 432.23).
- annual basic rate (bar).
- daily basic rate:
time type
calculation
- flsa-exempt mailmasters
bar/260
- regular rural carriers
- enroute h or m (6-day work week)
slash/312
- on route j (5 1/2 day work week)
slash/286
- on route k (5-day work week)
bar/260
- substitute rural carriers
- on route h or m
slash/302
- in route j
slash/276
- on route k
bar/250
time type
calculation
- regular full-time and part-time employees
bar/2080
- flexible and transitional part-time employee
- for calculation of regular time pay, night differential and Christmas work only
bar/2000
- for the calculation of overtime, additional eas pay and all other premiums
bar/2080
432.22 normal rate
The regular rate is defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (see 443.21).
432.23 rounding of rates
When calculating individual earnings, the daily or hourly rate is calculated from the annual rate to four decimal places. fourth place is rounded up to the next higher figure if fifth place is 5 or more. total winnings are rounded to the nearest cent, counting half or more as a whole cent and deducting less than half a cent.
432.3 working hours and overtime limits
432.31 basic work week
The base workweek for full-time bargaining unit employees is defined in applicable labor agreements. postmasters and exempt employees are assigned as needed. otherwise, the basic full-time workweek consists of 5 regular 8-hour days within a service week.
note: the 8-hour daily schedule cannot be extended for more than 10 consecutive hours.
432.32 maximum hours allowed
Except as designated in labor agreements for bargaining unit employees or in emergency situations as determined by the Postmaster General (or designee), employees may not be required to work more than 12 hours in 1 day of service. in addition, the total hours of daily service, including scheduled work hours, overtime and meal times, may not be extended for a period greater than 12 consecutive hours. Postmasters and exempt employees are excluded from these provisions.
432.33 lunchtime
Except in emergency situations or when conditions of service preclude performance, no employee may be required to work more than 6 continuous hours without a meal or rest period of at least 1/2 hour.
432.34 postmasters
A full-time postmaster is scheduled to work a 40-hour workweek. Normally, this regular work schedule is set at 8 hours a day and 5 days a week, Monday through Friday. where a non-exempt postmaster is required to work on the sixth day because no relief is available, a premium of 150 percent of the postmaster’s base salary is paid for this time. no equivalent absence from work is authorized to avoid payment of this premium. therefore, the rescheduling premium is paid without negotiation or postal or flsa overtime, as applicable.
432.4 periods of service
432.41 payment period
A pay period begins on Saturday and ends on Friday. each pay period includes 2 weeks of service.
432.42 weeks of service
A service week is the calendar week beginning at 12:01 AM. m. on Saturday and ends at 12:00 a.m. m. the following Friday. this service week remains fixed regardless of the schedule of hours worked by individual employees.
432.43 days of service
The day of service is a calendar day, from 12:01 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. m. to 12:00 p.m. m. the day of service of an employee depends on his schedule, as follows:
- full-time employees. for a full-time employee whose regular schedule begins at 8:00 p.m. m. or later, the day of service is the next calendar day, and all work hours (including pre-shift work hours), as well as leave hours, are recorded on that calendar day. if the employee’s regular schedule begins before 8:00 p.m. m., the day of service is the calendar day on which the schedule begins, and all hours of work and leave are recorded on that calendar day.
- part-time employees . for all part-time employees who start work or leave at 8:00 p.m. or later, the day of service is the next calendar day and all hours are recorded on that calendar day. if such employees start work or leave before 8:00 p.m. m., the day of service is the calendar day they start or leave work, and all hours are recorded on that calendar day.
- Casual and Temporary Employees . for casual and temporary employees who start work at 8:00 p.m. or later, the day of service is the next calendar day and all hours are recorded on that calendar day. if such employees start work before 8:00 p.m. m., the day of service is the calendar day they start work and all hours are recorded on that calendar day.
432.44 flsa working week
see 443.23.
432.45 work assignments
To comply with the postal policy of basing pay on hours worked in a day of service, managers must allocate employee work hours such that (a) employees do not perform continuous work that is report on 2 different services days and (b) any scheduling change cannot be construed as an attempt to evade overtime pay under the provisions of the flsa (see 443.231).
432.46 five minute leeway rule
432,461 explanation
Although each employee in facilities with time recording devices is required to clock in and out on time, congestion on clocks or other conditions can sometimes cause clock time to vary slightly from established work hours. therefore, up to 0.08 hour (5 minutes) deviation from the scheduled time can be allowed for each chime of the clock. however, the sum of the deviations for the scheduled run must not exceed 0.08 hours (5 minutes).
432,462 applicability
This 5-minute leeway rule applies only to full-time and part-time regular-time employees. Flexible, casual, transitional, and temporary part-time employees are allowed the 5-minute clock punch privilege, subject to ELM 432.464b, but are paid based on their actual clock clocks.
The 5-minute leeway rule applies only to the scheduled duty period. If an employee works in an overtime status that is contiguous with the scheduled tour, the 5-minute leeway rule does not apply to any clock that rings during the entire tour. Employees in this situation are paid for their actual clock time (unless the time is overridden as described in 432.711). however, the 5-minute leeway rule applies to temporary schedules, including after-hours overtime outside of and in lieu of the employee’s regular schedule.
432,463 adjustment
after extending the clock chimes, if (in the case of a full-time regular hour employee) the tour chimes total is between 7:92 a.m. and 8:08 a.m., the time should be adjusted to 8:00 a.m. if a regular part-time employee’s clock time is between 0.08 hours less than or more than their scheduled time, then the time must be adjusted to the employee’s scheduled commute.
432,464 special cases
The 5-minute leeway rule for the late night spread and Sunday premium hours is peculiar and requires special attention:
- In the case of the night differential, eligible employees must be paid the night differential for the exact amount of time they work between 6:00 p.m. m. and 6:00 a.m. m., however, in no event may the total night hour differential for bargaining unit employees exceed the total hours of travel. If the only reason part of an employee’s clock time falls between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. m. is that the clerk clocked him in 0.08 hours or less before 6:00 a.m. m. or left 0.08 hours or less after 6:00 p.m. m., then the employee is not eligible for nightly differential pay.
<Eligible bargaining unit employees receive a Sunday premium for all hours worked during a scheduled tour, any of which falls on Sunday. the amount of the Sunday premium cannot exceed the hours worked, nor can it exceed 8.00 hours per shift. if the only reason that part of an employee's clock time falls on a Sunday is that the employee clocked in 0.08 hours or less before the scheduled tour began or 0.08 hours or less after the scheduled tour ended, then the employee is not eligible for any Sunday premium.
432,465 exception
On some occasions, an employee may have a combination of work and paid leave. in such cases, the 5-minute leeway rule does not apply and the employee is credited for actual hours worked. the balance of the employee’s scheduled trip is charged to leave sufficient to give the employee credit for the total scheduled trip.
432.5 work credit
432.51 flsa-exempt postmasters
Time for FLSA-exempt postmasters is credited in units of whole days, except for absences covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or for the purpose of terminal leave payments or leave payments. immediately preceding an lwop period.
Note: FLSA-exempt postmasters are those who supervise at least two full-time equivalent employees.
432.52 full-time and part-time employees
These employees are accredited as follows:
- Full-time employees who are credited (work or paid leave) for all scheduled service in a pay period are paid on an 80-hour basis.
- part-time employees who are credited (work or paid leave) for all scheduled service in a pay period are paid based on hours of scheduled service.
- employees who perform only one part of the scheduled work in a pay period and do not have the leave credits to cover the balance of the scheduled work are paid for the time actually worked.
432.53 city postmen (rule 7:01)
A city mail carrier who actually works more than 7 hours but less than 8 hours of a normal scheduled day and who is officially exempt from completing the 8-hour commute is credited with 8 hours of work time for of payment. this is known as the 7:1 rule (see 443.212).
432.54 rural carriers
see 444.
432.6 guaranteed time
432.61 explanation
Guaranteed time is paid time not worked under the guaranteed provisions of collective bargaining agreements for periods in which an employee has been terminated by the supervisor and clocked out before the end of a guaranteed period. For example, most regular full-time employees in bargaining units are guaranteed 8 hours of work (or pay in lieu) if they are called on their unscheduled work day. If such an employee works 6 hours and is then told by the supervisor to clock out due to lack of work, the remaining 2 hours of the employee’s 8 guaranteed hours are recorded as guaranteed time. it is not possible for an employee to earn guaranteed time while on the clock.
432.62 eligibility
Exhibit 432.62 lists by rate schedule code and employee classifications those persons other than you who are eligible to receive guaranteed time pay. tees receive guaranteed time in accordance with their union’s collective bargaining agreement. If an employee is eligible for more than one guaranteed time, the guaranteed time applies for the greater number of hours. For example, if an employee is eligible for 2 or 4 hours of guaranteed pay, the 4-hour guarantee applies. employees are not eligible for guaranteed time while temporarily assigned to non-bargaining positions.
exhibit 432.62
Guaranteed Time Pay Eligibility Chart
fee schedule
employee classification
regular full time
normal part-time
flexible part time
casual relief, * temporary and pm
b — rural auxiliary
–
–
yes4
no
c — mesc
yes1,3
yes1.5
yes4,5
–
e — easy
no
no
–
–
f — postmasters (a-e)
–
no
–
no
g — nurses
yes1,3
–
no
–
k — hq op. services
yes1,2
–
–
–
l — postmaster replacement
–
–
–
no
m — mail handlers
yes1,3
yes1.5
yes4,5
–
n — data center
yes1,2
–
yes2,4
–
p — pd
yes1,3
yes1.5
yes4,5
–
q — urban carriers
yes1,3
yes1.5
yes4,5
–
r — rural carriers
yes6
–
yes6
–
s — pieces
no
–
–
–
t — tool and die
yes1,3
–
yes2,4
–
y — postal police
yes1,2
–
yes2,4
–
* casual employees are covered by rs-e regardless of the bargaining unit they join.
1. Guaranteed 4-hour work or pay instead of when called outside of regular business hours. it does not apply to an employee who continues to work on or from a regularly scheduled shift.
2. guaranteed 4-hour work or pay in lieu of when you are called to work on an unscheduled day or, if you are a flexible part-time employee, when you are asked to work.
3. Guaranteed 8 hours of work or pay in lieu of being called to work on an unscheduled day.
4. Guaranteed 4 hours of work or pay in lieu of when called back to work on a day when the day’s assignment has been completed and the employee has clocked out. this applies to flexible part-time employees in offices of any size.
5. guaranteed 4 hours of work or pay in lieu if requested or scheduled to work at facilities with 200 or more work years of employment or 2 hours of work or paid in lieu of the same if requested or scheduled to work in facilities with less than 200 years of employment work.
6. 2 guaranteed hours of work or pay in lieu if you are scheduled and show up for work.
432.63 payment computation
As a general principle, when management tells employees to clock out before the end of the guaranteed period, the employees are compensated for the hours in the guaranteed period at the rate of pay they would have received had they actually worked. the hours. however, there are conditions under which employees are not compensated for the remaining hours of the guaranteed period. Typically, this occurs when an employee requests to leave the postal facility due to illness or personal reasons or leaves without proper authorization.
Note: The 5 minute leeway rule does not apply to any clock that rings for an employee entering a guaranteed time status. the employee is credited for the time reflected by the chimes on his watch.
432.7 hours worked
see 443.22.
check 432.71
Supervisors must ensure that employees do not remain on the clock unless specifically authorized to do so. When employees continue to work contrary to a supervisor’s instructions to clock out, the corrective action must be a procedure other than not compensating employees for work performed.
432,711 time not allowed
If an employee’s clock rings more than 8:08 a.m. and the employee was not engaged at work or work-related activities while in the time over 8 state, supervisors should override the time on the clock that it was not worked. In such a case, the supervisor must prepare a written entry on PS Form 1017-A, Time Disregard Record, as to the factual basis for his or her knowledge that the employee was not working during the time disregard period. examples of times that can be properly rejected include, but are not limited to:
- washing time: time spent by employees changing clothes and/or washing themselves after the end of their tour that exceeds the time allocated for such purposes in the applicable collective agreements.
- time wait time: time spent by employees waiting to start work at the start of a tour when they have not been instructed or required to wait.
- personal time: time spent by employees, before work begins their tour or after their tour ends, attending to personal business.
- meal time: time employees spend “on the clock” during a designated meal period, provided, of course, the employee is completely relieved of all duties and responsibilities and has not performed work during this period.
432,712 time allowed
Supervisors must credit employees for all time designated as work time under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Examples of time that must be credited as work time if the supervisor knows or has reason to believe that the activities are taking place during the time include:
- time employees spend performing tasks that are part of, or related to, the employees’ primary work activity, such as pulling mail from a distribution box, gathering tools or supplies, and adjusting bars break time.
- time spent continuing to work after a round ends to correct a mistake, prepare records, or complete a task.
- time spent working during meal periods.
- time spent distributing work to workstations.
432.72 medical discharge time
When an employee is discharged from work and directed by management to an on-site or off-site health services unit due to illness or injury, all time spent waiting for and/or receiving medical care at the day of service in which the illness or injury occurs and that would have been worked had it not been for medical care, including all time the employee would have had to work that day beyond his or her regularly scheduled commute, is included and is credited as working time.
432.8 indemnity due for deceased employee
432.81 definition
Unpaid compensation is the pay and allowances applicable to a deceased postal employee for the performance of services. includes, but is not limited to:
- amounts of paychecks and allowances that were not delivered by the postal service to the employee during the employee’s lifetime.
- amounts of uncashed paychecks and allowances returned to the postal service because of the employee’s death.
- payment for the balance of one tour and scheduled overtime for the day the employee reported; or if the death occurs on a day of duty before reporting to work, for all travel when the day is part of the employee’s normal work schedule (excluding full scheduled overtime travel).
- payment for accrued annual leave and unused (current) annual leave actually earned during the year of death. leave pay is equal to the pay the deceased employee would have received if the employee had lived and remained in the postal service through the end of the annual leave period.
- paid sick leave in accordance with 513.83 .
- payroll deduction bonus balance refund for us. uu. savings bonds.
- amounts owed for payment of cash prizes for employee suggestions.
- indemnities for official change of season.
- amounts owed by the carrying out official trips.
432.82 recipient of unpaid compensation or money owed
order 432,821
the payment of unpaid compensation is made in the following order of precedence (the payment prevents another person from recovering the amounts so paid):
- first: to beneficiary(ies) designated on standard form 1152, beneficiary designation: unpaid compensation from deceased civilian employee, or otherwise by the employee in writing received in the postal service prior to the death of the employee.
- second — if there is no designated beneficiary, to the employee’s widow(s).
- third — to the employee’s children and descendants of the children deceased by proxy.
- fourth: to the parents in equal parts or the entire amount to the surviving parent.
- fifth: to the duly designated executor or administrator of the estate.
- sixth: to the person(s) entitled under the laws of the state in which the employee was domiciled at the time of death.
432,822 missing beneficiaries
The procedures when the beneficiaries are missing are as follows:
- the first beneficiary does not claim. where the person(s) who would otherwise be entitled to payment have not filed a claim and cannot be located within 2 years after the death of the employee, payment is made to the person(s)( s) in the same class of right, or, in the absence of someone in the same class, then to the next person(s) in order of precedence as described in 432.821.
- postal service decision. if, within 2 years after the employee’s death, a claim for unpaid compensation is not filed by a person entitled under the order of precedence, and neither the employee’s facility nor the accounting service center has been notified that such claim is made, payment may be made to the claimant who in the judgment of the postal service is equitably entitled to it. payment made pursuant to this paragraph precludes recovery by another person.