POSTAL SERVICE ATTENDANCE POLICIES

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EMPLOYEE AND LABOR RELATIONS MANUAL (ELM}

Section 511.23 Postal EmployeesPostal employees:a. Request leave by completing PS Form 3971, Request for or Notification ofAbsence.b. Obtain approval of PS Form 3971 before taking leave - except in cases ofemergencies.c. Avoid unnecessary forfeiture of annual leave.

Section 511.4 Unscheduled AbsencelJnscheduled absences are any absences from work that are not requested andapproved in advance.

Section 511.43 Employee ResponsibilitiesEmployees are expected to maintain their assigned schedule and must makeevery effort to avoid unscheduled absences. In addition, employees must provideacceptable evidence for absences when required.

Section 512.412 EmergenciesAn exception to the advance approval requirement is made for emergencies;however, in these situations, the employee must notify appropriate postalauthorities of the emergency and the expected duration of the absence as soon aspossible. When sufficient information is provided to determine that the absencemay be covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the followingDepartment of Labor forms will be mailed to the employee's address of recordalong with a return envelope:

a. WH 381, FMLA Notice of Eligibility and Rights and Responsibilit ies; and

b. One of the following forms, as appropriate:1. WH-380-E, FMLA Certification of Health Care Provider for

Employee's Serious Health Condition.2. WH-380-F, FMLA Certification of Health Care Provider for Family

Member's Serious Health Condition.3. WH-384, FMLA Certification for Qualifying Exigency for Military

Family Leave.4. WH-385, FMLA Certification for Serious Injury or lllness of Covered

Service member - for Military Family Leave.

Attendance PoliciesFebruary 2015

pS Form 3971 , Request for or Notification of Absence, will be provided to theemployee upon his or her return to duty. When sufficient information to determinetnai tne absence is covered by FMLA is not provided in advance of the absence,the employee must submit PS Form 3971 and applicable medical or othercertification upon returning to duty and explain the reason for the emergency to hisor her supervisor. Supervisors approve or disapprove the leave request. When therequest is disapproved, the absence may be recorded as LWOP or absent withoutleave (AWOL) at the discretion of the supervisor as outlined in 512'422-

Section 513.33 Requests for Sick LeaveExcept for unexpected illness or injury situations, sick leave must be requestedon PS Form 3971 and approved in advance by the appropriate supervisor.

Section 513.332 Unexpected lllness or InjuryAn exception to the advance approval requirement is made for unexpectedillness or injuries; however, in this situation the employee must notify appropriatepostal authorities of his or her illness or injury and expected duration of theabsence as soon as possible.

Section 513.36 Sick Leave Documentation Requirements513.361 Three Days or LessFor periods of absence of 3 days or less, supervisors may accept the employee'sstatement explaining the absence. Medical documentation or other acceptableevidence of incapacity for work or need to care for a family member is requiredonly when the employee is on restricted sick leave (see 513.39) or when thesupervisor deems documentation desirable for the protection of the interests of thePostal Service. Substantiation of the family relationship must be provided ifrequested.

Section 513.362 Over Three DaYsFor absences in excess of 3 days, employees are required to submit medicaldocumentation or other acceptable evidence of incapacity for work or of need tocare for a family member and, if requested, substantiation of the familyrelationship.

Section 513.63 Disapproved Sick Leavelf sick leave is disapproved, but the absence is nevertheless warranted, thesupervisor may approve, at the employee's option, a charge to annual leave or acharge to LWOP.

Section 513.64 Absence Without LeaveAn absence that is disapproved is charged as LWOP and may bead ministratively considered as AWOL.

Section 513.365 Failure to Furnish Required Documentationlf acceptable substantiation of incapacitation is not furnished, the absence maybe charged to annual leave, LWOP, or AWOL.

Section 665.41 Requirement of Regular Attendance

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Employees are required to be regular in attendance. Failure to be regular inattendance may result in disciplinary action, including removal from the PostalService.

Section 665.42 Absence Without PermissionEmployees who fail to report for duty on scheduled days, including Saturdays,Sundays, and holidays, are considered absent without leave except in caseswh'ere actual emergencies prevent them from obtaining permission in advance. Inemergencies, the supervisor or proper official must be notified of the inability toreport as soon as possible. Satisfactory evidence of the emergency must befurnished later. An employee who is absent without permission or who fails toprovide satisfactory evidence that an actual emergency existed will be placed in anonpay status for the period of such absence. The absence may be the basis fordisciplinary action. However, once the employee provides management withnotice of the need for leave in accordance with Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)-required time frames, and the absence is determined to be FMLA protected, theemployer must change the AWOL to approved FMLA-LWOP, and delete theAWOL status from the record.

Section 665.43 TardinessAny employee failing to report at his or her scheduled time in installations wheretime recorders are not used is considered tardy. Tardiness in installationsequipped with time recorders is defined as any deviation from schedule.

F.21 HANDBOOK TIME AND ATTENDANCE

Section 142.21 Employees Required to Use Time GlocksUpon arrival, employees required to use time clocks must clock in at theirscheduled reporting time and report to their work location ready to work.Employees must not be permitted to clock in more than 0.08 hours (5 minutes)before their scheduled reporting time nor more than 0.08 hours (5 minutes) aftertheir scheduled reporting time.

Section 143.21 Regular Schedule EmployeesOnly full-time and part-time regular schedule employees are permitted to makeup a period of tardiness by extending their tour. The supervisor may exercise hisor her own best judgment as to whether the request for an extension should begranted. Part-time flexible, casual, and temporary employees do not haveestablished work schedules. Therefore, record actual total hours and hundredthsworked.

Section 145.12 Definition of o'S-Minute Leeway Rule"Although each employee is required to clock in and clock out on time, congestionat time clocks or other conditions can sometimes cause clock time to vary slightlyfrom the established work schedule. Therefore, a deviation may be allowed fromthe scheduled time for each clock ring up to 0.08 hours (5 minutes). However,the sum of the deviations for the scheduled tour must not exceed 0.08 hours (5minutes). This "S-minute leeway rule" applies only to full-time and part-time regularschedule employees. Parttime flexible, casual, and temporary employees areAttendance PoliciesFebruary 2015

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allowed the S-minute privilege for clocking purposes but are paid on the basis of

their actual clock rings.

Section 323.2 Emergenciesln emergency situati6ns, employees must notify appropriate postal_authorities as

soon "r-posiibl"

as to the emergency and the expected duration of the absence.

As soon as possible after return to duty, employees must submit Form 3971 and

explain the reason for the emergency to their supervisor.

Section 333.3 Authorization and Supporting PS FormsSick leave must be requested on Form 3971 and approved in advance by the

appropriate supervisor, except for unexpected illness/injury situations, in which

.li" irmployees must submit a request for sick leave on Form 3971 as soon aspossible after return to dutY.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR POSTER WH.142O

Employee Responsibilities for FMLAfmptoyees must provide 30 days advance notice of the need to take FMLA leave

when t-he need is foreseeable. When 30 days notice is not possible, theemployee must provide notice as soon as practicable and generally must complywith an employer's normal call-in procedures.

Employees must provide sufficient information for the employer to determine if

the'leave may qualify for FMLA protection and the anticipated timing and durationof the leave. Sufficient information may include that the employee is unable toperform job functions, the family member is unable to perform daily activities, theneed foi hospitalization or continuing treatment by a health care provider, or

circumstances supporting the need for military family leave. Employees alsomust inform the employei it the requested leave is for a reason for which FMLA

leave was previously iaken or certified. Employees also may be required toprovide a certification and periodic recertification supporting the need for leave.

Provided to emPloYee bY: Date

Attendance PoliciesFebruary 2015