by Keisha Lewis, Director of Safety and Injury Compensation

NRP UPDATE

April 8, 2010

Santa Ana District has scheduled NRP interviews for Permanent and Stationary employees. It is expected that the employees with receive a new job offer. The employees will have the opportunity to take the job offer to their physician, if they choose to. A second interview will be scheduled for al those who have not accepted the job offer in the initial interview. The employee has a right to union representation at these meetings.

Employees who are requesting to be seen by the District Reasonable Accommodation Committee have a right to union representation, as well.

Employees exercising their right to union representation should inform management and the union their request, as soon as possible

March 11, 2010

Santa Ana District has scheduled NRP interviews for Permanent and Stationary employees in Team 3, which consist of the following Post Offices for Branch 1100: Chino, Chino Hills, El Monte, Pomona, Rosemead, and San Gabriel. The interviews are scheduled from April 16, 2010 –April 19, 2010. It is expected that the employees will receive a job offer. The employees will have the opportunity to take the job offer to their physician, if they choose to. A second interview will be scheduled for all those who have not signed the job offer on the initial interview.

The Postal Service is still sending injured employees home stating they have no operationally necessary work for them. Is it just me? I thought that any work an employee does is necessary. The funny part about it is that one day the same work may be operationally necessary, and another day it may not. It appears that the Postal Service is trying to save money at our injured employees’ expense.

• If you are being sent home due to NRP, you should request your PS 3971 form. You have a right to copies of your PS Form 3971. The benefit of having a copy of your 3971 form is that it is proof to DOL why you are requesting compensation. Also, if you are being compensated by DOL, make sure your supervisor places you on LWOP Code 49. There are different reasons why people are placed on LWOP and Code 49 means Injured On Duty-OWCP. If you are placed onto Code 49, it protects your retirement, when you are LWOP in excess of 6 months. Remember, you can not claim compensation with DOL if you are receiving sick leave or annual leave from the Postal Service.

• Some injured employees have been referred by Department of Labor for vocational rehabilitation. Vocational rehabilitation is when Department of Labor tries to return an injured employee to gainful employment. If the Postal Service states they have no work for the employee, Department of Labor will look for work outside the Postal Service. You are required by OWCP’s regulations to cooperate with the Rehabilitation Specialist and to undertake rehabilitation activities directed toward suitable employment, or benefits may be terminated or reduced. I cannot express why it is so important that we have a grievance on file for you, if you are being sent home due to your on the job injury.

• The Claimant Query System (CQS) now allows you to view your case file status online, 24 hours a day. You can view your accepted conditions and address of record. You can also track compensation and payment through CQS. The link is assessable on our website in the injury compensation department or you can log onto http://owcp.dol.acs-inc.com/portal/main.do.