From USPS News Link:

Posted 9/13/13 at 11:58 a.m.

As a part of its network optimization effort, USPS has developed a facility ranking strategy to align staffing across the entire mail processing network. Included in this strategy are processing and distribution centers, processing and distribution facilities, logistics and distribution centers, network distribution centers, international service centers and annexes.

New rankings and Executive and Administrative Schedule (EAS) staffing criteria went into effect Sept. 7. With these changes, USPS also will implement an organizational change process that could include a reduction-in-force (RIF).

Communications about these changes began last week. Managers will keep employees informed throughout the process.

As part of the effort to avoid a RIF, USPS is offering a Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) to field EAS employees at all locations, regardless of whether they’re impacted. An incentive is not a part of this VER offering.

VER eligibility is based on a Dec. 31, 2013 VER-effective retirement date. USPS will mail annuity estimates to VER-eligible employees the week of Sept. 16. VER-eligible employees may retire either Dec. 31, 2013, or Jan. 31, 2014. Requests for early retirement must be submitted no later than Nov. 29 and can’t be withdrawn after that date.

More information related to the RIF and the VER is available on the LiteBlue employee website. Go to the Organizational Changes pages and the Workforce Connection site. Employees also can find these links in the “Hot Topics” section on LiteBlue, or the “My HR” section on the upper right corner of the LiteBlue home page.

Employees should check these sites often for updates.

Note: The Federal Times says it was told by USPS Headquarters that the NAPS announcement below contains some unspecified “inaccuracies”.

September 04, 2013
From the National Association of Postal Supervicors:

In the last few days, the Postal Service’s plan to re-rank mail processing plants has become public knowledge despite their best efforts to keep the information confidential until September 6, 2013. The confidential nature of the discussions between NAPS and USPS Labor Relations was due to the fact that the Postal Service had not finalized their plans nor had they briefed Area and District Managers.

During our discussions, the following items were outlined:

• A VERA will be offered to all PCES and Field EAS with the exception of Headquarters employees. The VERA offer also includes all Area, District EAS employees and Postmasters. The notification period will includes written notification from the United State Postal Service beginning on September 16, 2013, and running through September 20, 2013, to all eligible VERA candidates.

• The VERA application period will begin September 20, 2013 with an irrevocable date of November 29, 2013. Two effective dates for retirement have been scheduled: For CSRS applicants the date is December 21, 2013 and for FERS applicants the date is January 31, 2014. The expanded date for FERS is to allow them to utilize 100% of their accrued sick leave balance. VERAs will have an irrevocable date of November 29, 2013.

• Mail Flow Controllers will be allowed to remain in their positions until at least April 18, 2014.

• The re-ranking of the plants will be formally announced on September 7, 2013. This was supposed to be the date that the information was supposed to be released. We expected that this information would be provided to the Executive Board at that time. Now, here are some details regarding the process:

The supervisor staffing ratio in the plants will remain the same. This was confirmed by USPS Headquarters during our meetings. In addition, there will be one MDO per tour and the level of the MDO will be tied into the ranking of the individual plant.

Plants will be classified as: Major, followed by PCES 1,PCES 2, PCES 3, PCES 4, EAS 25 and EAS 24. The support staff, MIPS and TANS Manager will be tied into the ranking of the plant while Maintenance staffing will be tied into the earned maintenance craft complement. Plant Managers, whose plant has been re-ranked, and choose to assume the newly ranked position will have appropriate ELM provisions in force. Employees who earn an increase will see a 2% salary increase while those plant ranking is reduced and elect to remain in the position will have saved salary for two years. Level 22 and below plants will be increase to level 24 and above plants, depending upon the outcome of the re-rankings.

The RIF avoidance timeline will be in effect from September 7, 2013 until February 11, 2014. General RIF notices will be mailed on January 14, 2014 and specific RIF notices mailed on February 12, 2014.

As a reminder all EAS should update their eCareer and any EAS level 16 and below must take the 642 exam. Please read all postings and be aware of eligibility and any limited areas of consideration. As always, there will be a review of SWC’s to determine the number of Supervisors to justify the position and/or posting of vacancies. Finally, there will be no form of incentive offered.

From USPS News Link:

Employees working under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) who are planning to retire this year are advised to review how unused sick leave will be credited as service when calculating retiree benefits.

FERS employees who retire between now and Dec. 31, 2013 will have 50 percent of their earned sick leave credited toward service time. Those who retire after Dec. 31, 2013, will have all unused sick leave credited.

As of Jan. 1, 2014, FERS retirees will join Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) retirees in having all unused sick leave credited.

When unused sick leave is computed in an annuity, it can add to the amount an employee receives every month in an annuity.

Employees should note that unused sick leave does not count towards the time required for retirement eligibility, and is not credited for deferred retirements.

From USPS News Link:

Employees planning to retire or leave the Postal Service should review their electronic earnings statements for a complete listing of annual leave used and earned.

Employees who have taken leave that has not been earned will have to reimburse USPS when they leave or retire. Electronic statements — not the earnings statements USPS mails to employees — include “Annual Leave Advanced, year-to-date” as a separate line.

Employees can review their electronic earnings statements LiteBlue under My HR, Access ePayroll.

via USPS News Link Story – Check those electronic earnings statements.

APWU Web News Article #143-12, Nov. 28, 2012

USPS Retirement Incentive Information Newsbreak, 10/01/12:  USPS Offers Retirement Opportunity   To APWU Employees [PDF] LiteBlue:  APWU Incentive at a Glance [PDF] LiteBlue:   Frequently Asked Questions [PDF]

Employees covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) who are contemplating retirement should consider that they may be eligible for a FERS Annuity Supplement. With deadlines approaching for APWU-represented employees to qualify for a $15,000 retirement incentive, annuity supplements could influence the choices union members make.

Who is eligible?

• Employees may be eligible for the supplement if they retire at their Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) with 30 years of service. The MRA is from age 55 to 57, based on the employee’s birth year.
• Employees may be eligible for the supplement if they retire at age 60 with 20 years of service.
• Employees who accept a Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) offer before reaching their MRA become eligible for the supplement upon reaching their MRA (between ages 55 and 57).

Employees who retire at age 62 or older are ineligible.

FERS Annuity Supplements are paid each month until retirees reach age 62.

Click here for information from the USPS [PDF] about how the supplement is calculated, as well as circumstances that may limit the amount.

Additional information can be found in questions #18-24 in Questions and Answers on Benefits, Pay, and Leave Under Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) [PDF], prepared by the USPS.

Employees contemplating retirement are eligible for retirement counseling and are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity.

Full-time employees except those in Non-Traditional Full-Time (NTFT) duty assignments of less than 40 hours must indicate their intent to accept the incentive offer on or before Dec. 3, 2012. Part-time employees and full-time employees in NTFT assignments of less than 40 hours must indicate their intent to accept the incentive offer on or before Jan. 4, 2013.

Give Management Your Address

APWU members who are considering retirement are reminded that it is important to make sure that management has the address where you want your incentive payments to be sent.

The incentive retirement agreement stipulates that eligible employees will complete PS Form 3077, Request to Forward Salary Check, and submit it to their employing office. The incentive payments will be distributed to the address provided by the employee.  In the absence of the submission of PS Form 3077, both payments will be mailed to the location where employees worked before they retired or resigned.

APWU employees face decision

Full-time career employees in the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) bargaining units have until Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, at 8:30 p.m. EST to take advantage of their special incentive offer. Part-time employees and non-traditional, full-time employees with schedules less than 40 hours per week have until Jan. 4, 2013 to accept the offer.

Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) employees also may be eligible for an annuity supplement, paid in addition to their FERS retirement annuity payments. Click here for additional information about this annuity supplement.

Last October, USPS offered a Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) and Special Incentive Offer to APWU employees represented by the APWU. Eligible APWU employees who want to leave under the VER — as well as APWU employees who have reached their minimum retirement age and service requirements and those who wish to voluntarily resign — are eligible for this special cash incentive.

Complete details of how to accept the offers, as well as FAQs and retirement videos, are available at the Workforce Connection website on LiteBlue. Employees with questions can contact the Human Resources Shared Services Center at 877-477-3273, option 5.

USPS encourages this information to be shared with all eligible employees.

APWU Web News Article #140-09, Nov. 19, 2012

Employees contemplating retirement are eligible for retirement counseling and should take advantage of the opportunity, Executive Vice President Greg Bell is reminding union members. “The decision to retire is among the most important you will ever make. I encourage you to consider the decision carefully and urge you to participate in USPS-sponsored counseling so you can make an informed decision.”

Retirement counseling will be conducted via phone in group sessions not to exceed 10 participants. Sessions are available five days per week during the hours of 7 a.m. EST – 8:30 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.

Counseling is available for employees who are eligible for optional (regular) retirement and those who are eligible for Voluntary Early Retirement.

Individual Counseling, Spouse Present

Employees requesting additional help after a group session will be accommodated on an individual basis. In accordance with a 2009 pre-arbitration settlement [PDF], local management must arrange reasonably private space for employees who wish to receive individual counseling on the clock.

Employees are permitted to have their spouse and/or advisor present during counseling.

Employees who cannot obtain counseling from Human Resources Shared Services Center (HRSSC) without assistance will be offered help from local management. Whether an employee is unable to start or complete the retirement counseling without assistance will be determined jointly by local management and the union on a case-by-case basis.

VER Eligible Employees

Full-time employees except employees in Non-Traditional Full-Time (NTFT) duty assignments of less than 40 hours must indicate their intent to accept the incentive offer on or before Dec. 3, 2012. Employees who wish to revoke the decision must do so by Dec. 3, 2012.

Employees whose VER application and Statement of Irrevocability (SOI) were received by Friday, Nov. 9, 2012, should have group counseling appointments available on or before the irrevocable date of Dec. 3, 2012.  Group counseling sessions should be scheduled by the employee no later than Nov. 20, 2012, to ensure appointment availability.

In the event a VER group counseling appointment is not available, employees wishing to revoke their decision may withdraw their VER application in writing by close of business Dec. 13, 2012.

Full-time employees will have a separation date of Jan. 31, 2013, with the exception of employees in Accounting Services position of the Information Technology/Accounting Services (IT/ASC) bargaining unit, who will have a separation date of Feb. 28, 2012.

In the event a VER group counseling appointment is not available, employees wishing to revoke their decision may withdraw their VER application in writing by the close of business Dec. 13, 2012.

Regular Retirement

Please note that employees eligible for optional (regular) retirement may revoke their decision up to the effective date of their retirement.

Part-time employees and full-time employees in NTFT assignments of less than 40 hours must indicate their intent to accept the incentive offer on or before Jan. 4, 2013. Employees wishing to revoke the decision must also do so by Jan. 4, 2012.

Employees whose VER application and SOI are received at HRSSC by Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, will have group counseling appointments available on or before the irrevocable date of Jan. 4, 2013.    Group counseling sessions must be scheduled by the employee no later than Dec. 21, 2012, to ensure appointment availability.

In the event a VER group counseling appointment is not available, employees wishing to revoke their decision may withdraw their VER application in writing by close of business Jan. 14, 2012.

Retirement Counseling.

The APWU has been informed by the Postal Service that a problem occurred in the mailing of retirement incentive offer letters to full-time employees who are eligible to take optional retirement, Executive Vice President Greg Bell has reported.  Due to a technical problem at the printing center, some individuals may have received an annuity estimate intended for another individual.

The USPS believes [PDF] the problem occurred in a limited area in California.

The Postal Service will be resending the special retirement incentive letter to all full-time employees eligible for optional retirement in California to ensure all eligible employees have accurate information.  The new incentive offer letter is scheduled to be mailed on Friday, Oct. 26, 2012.

Any employee that received material concerning another postal employee should shred or otherwise destroy it.  The information should not be retained and does not need to be returned.

The APWU has been informed by the Postal Service that letters offering incentives to APWU-represented employees who are eligible for voluntary early retirement (VER) were mailed on Oct. 10, 2012, and to employees eligible for regular retirement shortly after.  Eligible employees should receive their incentive offer information no later than Monday, Oct. 22, 2012, Executive Vice President Greg Bell said. Read the rest of this entry »

APWU Web News Article 124-2012, Oct. 10 , 2012

The USPS is scheduled to send letters offering incentives to APWU-represented employees who are eligible for regular retirement or voluntary early retirement (VER) during the week of Oct. 10. The letter and additional information will be mailed to employees at their home address of record.

Employees who do not qualify for regular or early retirement may resign in order to receive the incentive, provided they mail a signed original PS Form 2574, Resignation from the Postal Service, effective Jan. 31, 2013, to:

Human Resources Shared Service Center
P.O. Box 970520
Greensboro, NC 27497-0520

Employees must note on the  Form 2574 that their resignation is for the “Special Incentive Offer.”  The form must be received by the HRSSC no later than Dec. 3, 2012.

To qualify for regular retirement, employees must have at least:

• 30 years of service and be 55 or older; or
• 20 years of service and be age 60 or older; or
• 5 years of service and be age 62 or older.

To qualify for early retirement, employees must have at least:

• 20 years of service and be 50 years of age or older, or
• 25 years of service at any age.
• For employees in the Civil Service Retirement System, the annuity is reduced 2 percent for each year workers are under age 55.

Employees who as of Sept. 28, 2012, had a scheduled resignation date before Jan. 31, 2013, may still resign on their scheduled resignation date and be eligible to receive the incentive.

Employees who had a previously scheduled resignation date after Jan. 31, 2013, must change their date to Jan. 31, 2013, in order to receive the incentive.  They must contact the Human Resources Shared Service Center (HRSSC) no later than Dec. 3, 2012, and change their resignation date to Jan. 31, 2013.

For further information regarding the Incentive Offer, see APWU Incentive at a Glance [PDF]USPS LiteBlue, and Frequently Asked Questions [PDF] USPS LiteBlue