§ 13.4 NA2022

§ 13.4 General Policy Procedures

1. Every effort shall be made to reassign the concerned employee within the employee's present craft or occupational group, even if such assignment reduces the number of hours of work for the MHAs. After all efforts are exhausted in this area, consideration will be given to reassignment to another craft or occupational group within the same installation.
2. The full-time employee or part-time flexible employee must be able to meet the qualifications of the position to which the employee is reassigned on a permanent basis. On temporary reassignment, qualifications can be modified provided excessive hours are not used in the operation.
3. The reassignment of a full-time employee or part-time flexible employee to a temporary or permanent light duty or other assignment shall not be made to the detriment of any full-time employee on a scheduled assignment or give a reassigned part-time flexible preference over other part-time flexible employees.
4. The reassignment of a full-time employee or part-time flexible employee under the provisions of this Article to an agreed-upon light duty temporary or permanent or other assignment within the office, such as type of assignment, area of assignment, hours of duty, etc., will be the decision of the installation head who will be guided by the examining physician's report, employee's ability to reach the place of employment and ability to perform the duties involved.
5. An additional full-time regular position can be authorized within the craft or occupational group to which the employee is being reassigned, if the additional position can be established out of the part-time hours being used in that operation without increasing the overall hour usage. If this cannot be accomplished, then consideration will be given to reassignment to an existing vacancy.
6. The installation head shall review each light duty reassignment at least once each year, or at any time the installation head has reason to believe the incumbent is able to perform satisfactorily in other than the light duty assignment the employee occupies. This review is to determine the need for continuation of the employee in the light duty assignment. Such employee may be requested to submit to a medical review by a physician designated by the installation head if the installation head believes such examination to be necessary.
7. The following procedures are the exclusive procedures for resolving a disagreement between the employee's physician and the physician designated by the USPS concerning the medical condition of an employee who is on a light duty assignment. These procedures shall not apply to cases where the employee's medical condition arose out of an occupational illness or injury. On request of the Union, a third physician will be selected from a list of five Board Certified Specialists in the medical field for the condition in question, the list to be supplied by the local Medical Society. The physician will be selected by the alternate striking of names from the list by the Union and the Employer. The Employer will supply the selected physician with all relevant facts including job descriptions and occupational physical requirements. The decision of the third physician will be final as to the employee's medical condition and occupational limitations, if any. Any other issues relating to the employee's entitlement to a light duty assignment shall be resolved through the grievance-arbitration procedure. The costs of the services of the third physician shall be shared by the Union and the Employer.
8. When a full-time regular employee in a temporary light duty assignment is declared recovered on medical review, the employee shall be returned to the employee's former duty assignment, if it has not been discontinued. If such former regular assignment has been discontinued, the employee becomes an unassigned full-time regular employee.
9. If a full-time regular employee is reassigned in another craft for permanent light duty and later is declared recovered, on medical review, the employee shall be returned to the first available full-time regular vacancy in complement in the employee's former craft. Pending return to such former craft, the employee shall be an unassigned full-time regular employee. The employee's seniority shall be restored to include service in the light duty assignment.
10. When a full-time regular employee who has been awarded a permanent light duty assignment within the employee's own craft is declared recovered, on medical review, the employee shall become an unassigned full-time regular employee.
11. When a part-time flexible on temporary light duty is declared recovered, the employee's detail to light duty shall be terminated.
12. When a part-time flexible who has been reassigned in another craft on permanent light duty is declared recovered, such assignment to light duty shall be terminated. Section 4I, above, does not apply even though the employee has advanced to full-time regular while on light duty.