Notice2024-15623
Privacy Act System of Records; Correction
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 16, 2024
Issuing agencies
Postal Service
Abstract
The United States Postal Service[supreg] (Postal Service) is providing a correction to a General Privacy Act System of Records (SOR) that was previously published on August 18, 2021. The previous modifications to the SOR were made to support improved communication efforts within USPS Human Resources employee applications or systems and to reflect current system manager titles. This corrected version of the SOR is being provided to provide notice and promote transparency.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 136 (Tuesday, July 16, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 16, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57947-57950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-15623]
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POSTAL SERVICE
Privacy Act System of Records; Correction
AGENCY: Postal Service.
ACTION: Notice of a corrected system of records.
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SUMMARY: The United States Postal Service[supreg] (Postal Service) is
providing a correction to a General Privacy Act
[[Page 57948]]
System of Records (SOR) that was previously published on August 18,
2021. The previous modifications to the SOR were made to support
improved communication efforts within USPS Human Resources employee
applications or systems and to reflect current system manager titles.
This corrected version of the SOR is being provided to provide notice
and promote transparency.
DATES: These corrections are effective immediately without further
notice.
ADDRESSES: Privacy and Records Management Office, United States Postal
Service Headquarters, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c39690939093b1aab5a2a0ba85a6a791a6a48dacb7aaa0a683b6b0b3b0eda4acb5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f5a0a6a5a6a5879c8394968cb39091a79092bb9a819c9690b580868586db929a83">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janine Castorina, Chief Privacy and
Records Management Officer, Privacy and Records Management Office,
(202) 268-2000 or via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#366365666566445f4057554f7053526453517859425f5553764345464518515940"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ffaaacafacaf8d96899e9c86b99a9bad9a98b1908b969c9abf8a8c8f8cd1989089">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is in accordance with the
Privacy Act requirement that agencies publish their systems of records
in the Federal Register when there is a correction, revision, change,
or addition, or when the agency establishes a new system of records.
The Postal Service is publishing a corrected version of USPS SOR
100.00, General Personnel Records.
I. Background
The Postal Service previously published an incorrect version of
USPS SOR 100.000, that erroneously duplicated the content of USPS SOR
100.100, Recruiting, Examining, and Placement Records, that appeared in
the same Federal Register Notice (Document Citation--86 FR 46281). As
information, SOR 100.000 was formerly published in its entirety on
February 25, 2019 (Document Citation--84 FR 6022).
II. Rationale for Changes to USPS Privacy Act Systems of Records
The Postal Service is publishing a corrected version of USPS SOR
100.000, General Personnel Records. This notice is being provided to
correct the previous version published on August 18, 2021. As indicated
in the previous Federal Register Notice, Human Resources required the
need to capture and store an employee's personal email and phone number
for both pre-hire and after the effective date of the appointment in
order to:
<bullet> Communicate relevant Human Resource information to
employees.
<bullet> Communicate with employees about human resource related
topics, employment, and gather feedback through surveys.
<bullet> Communicate with employees regarding training assignments
and requirements both prior to and after effective date of employment
or placement.
Summary of changes added to facilitate communication between the
Postal Service and individual employees:
<bullet> Added purposes 7 through 9
<bullet> Added additional items to Categories of Individuals
Covered by the System
<bullet> Added additional items to Categories of Records in the
System, #1
III. Description of the Modified Systems of Records
A report of the correction to SOR 100.000 has been sent to Congress
and to the Office of Management and Budget. The Postal Service does not
expect that the corrected version of the system of records will have
any adverse effect on individual privacy rights. Accordingly, for the
reasons stated above, the Postal Service is providing the corrected
version of USPS SOR 100.000, General Personnel Records in its entirety
as follows:
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
USPS 100.000 General Personnel Records.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
None.
SYSTEM LOCATION:
All USPS facilities and personnel offices; Integrated Business
Solutions Services Centers; National Personnel Records Center; Human
Resources Information Systems; Human Resources Shared Services Center;
Headquarters; Computer Operations Service Centers; and contractor
sites.
SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:
Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Human Resources Officer, United
States Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20260.
Vice President, Human Resources, United States Postal Service, 475
L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20260.
Director of Human Resources, USPS OIG, 1735 N Lynn Street, Suite
103, Arlington, VA 22209.
AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
39 U.S.C. 401, 410, 1001, 1005, and 1206.
PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
1. To perform routine personnel functions.
2. To maintain a source of readily available information on
employees for administrative purposes.
3. To administer the grievance and appeal procedure for non-
bargaining unit employees.
4. To match a vacant position to the most qualified candidate in
bids for preferred assignment.
5. To provide public relations information on USPS management
personnel.
6. To provide federal benefit information to retired employees.
7. To facilitate communication between the Postal Service and
individual employees, including current and former employees, retirees
and new hires.
8. To share relevant information and topics about the Postal
Service with individual employees, including current and former
employees, retirees and new hires.
9. To gather voluntary feedback from individual employees,
including current and former employees, retirees and new hires.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
Current and former USPS employees, retirees, new hires, their
family members, and former spouses who apply and qualify for federal
employee benefits under public law.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
1. Current and former employee's information, including retirees
and new hires, and family member information: Name(s), Social Security
Number(s), Employee Identification Number, date(s) of birth, place(s)
of birth, marital status, postal assignment information, work contact
information, home address(es) and phone number(s), SMS text message
number, personal email address, finance number(s), duty location, and
pay location.
2. Official Personnel Folder (OPF) or eOPF (electronic version):
Records related to appointment support, prior federal civilian
employment, postal employment, personnel actions, anniversary dates,
retirement, benefits, and compensation.
3. Automated employee information: Records generated, approved, and
stored by electronic means such as Notification of Personnel Actions,
health benefit elections, tax withholding changes, and address changes.
4. Reference copies of all discipline or adverse actions: Letters
of warning; notices of removal, suspension and/or reduction in grade or
pay; letters of decisions; and documents relating to these actions.
These are used only to refute inaccurate statements by witnesses before
a judicial or administrative body. They may not be
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maintained in the employee's OPF or eOPF but must be maintained in a
separate file by Labor Relations.
5. Nonbargaining unit employee discipline, grievance, and appeals
records.
6. Job bidding records: Records related to the employee's bid for a
preferred assignment.
7. Biographical summaries: Records and photographs used for public
relations purposes.
8. Level 2 supervisors' notes: Records of discussions, letters of
warning, and any other relevant official records being maintained at
the supervisor's discretion for the purpose of enabling effective
management of personnel. (A level 2 supervisor directly supervises
bargaining unit employees.)
9. Email Addresses: personal email address(es) for retired
employees are retained in a separate database and file from other
current and former employee information.
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
Employees; employees' supervisors; USPS customers; law enforcement
agencies; individuals who are personal references; former employers,
including other federal agencies; and other systems of records.
ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
Standard routine uses 1. through 9. apply. In addition:
a. Job bidding records may be disclosed on official bulletin boards
in Postal Service facilities and to supervisory and other managerial
organizations recognized by USPS.
b. Records pertaining to financial institutions and to nonfederal
insurance carriers and benefits providers elected by an employee may be
disclosed for the purposes of salary payment or allotments, eligibility
determination, claims, and payment of benefits.
c. Records may be disclosed to the National Labor Relations Board
(NLRB) in response to its request for investigative purposes, to the
extent that the requested information is relevant and necessary.
d. Disclosure of the employee name and past or present grade, duty
station, dates of employment, job title, and salary information may be
made to a credit bureau or other commercial firm from which a current
or former postal employee is seeking credit.
e. Disclosure of a current or former postal employee's name and
past or present grade, duty station, dates of employment, job title,
salary information, date and reason for separation may be made to a
prospective employer upon request. With respect to former employees,
the reason for separation must be limited to one of the following
terms: Retired, resigned, or separated.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
Automated database, computer storage media, digital files, and
paper files. Duplicates of records in the OPF or eOPF and automated
employee data may be maintained for localized employee administration
or supervision. Records may be filed at offices other than where the
OPF or eOPF is located or may be duplicated at a site closer to where
the employee works.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
By name, Social Security Number, Employee Identification Number, or
duty or pay location.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
1. Permanent OPF or eOPF records are permanently retained.
Temporary OPF or eOPF records are generally retained 2 years and are
purged upon the employee's separation from USPS.
2. Except as otherwise provided by a collective bargaining
agreement, original or copies of discipline or adverse actions are
maintained up to 2 years; or, if an additional or more recent
disciplinary action has been taken, for a longer period. After 2 years,
or lesser time specified in the decision, the employee may request the
disciplinary record be purged from the OPF or eOPF provided no
subsequent discipline was issued. Records that support a PS Form 50,
Notification of Personnel Action, e.g., the separation of an employee
for cause or the resignation of an employee pending charges, are
considered permanent records and may not be purged at the request of an
employee.
3. Reference copies of discipline or adverse actions. These records
are kept for historical purposes and are not to be used for decisions
about the employee. The retention of these records may not exceed 10
years beyond the employee's separation date. The records are maintained
longer if the employee is rehired during the 10-year period. They may
not be maintained in the employee's OPF or eOPF but must be maintained
in a separate file by Labor Relations.
4. Grievance and appeal records of nonbargaining unit employees are
retained 7 years.
5. Job bidding records are retained 2 years.
6. Biographical summaries are retained for the duration of
employment.
7. Records to provide federal benefit information to retired
employees are retained for 10 years.
Records may be purged at the request of the retired employee.
Records existing on paper are destroyed by burning, pulping, or
shredding. Records existing on computer storage media are destroyed
according to the applicable USPS media sanitization practice.
ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
Paper records, computers, and computer storage media are located in
controlled-access areas under supervision of program personnel. Access
to these areas is limited to authorized personnel, who must be
identified with a badge.
Non-bargaining unit employee discipline, grievance, and appeals
records maintained outside the OPF (hard or soft copy) are kept in
locked filing cabinets or secured record storage rooms; and related
automated records are protected with password security.
Computers are protected by mechanical locks, card key systems, or
other physical access control methods. The use of computer systems is
regulated with installed security software, computer logon
identifications, and operating system controls including access
controls, terminal and transaction logging, and file management
software.
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
Requests for access must be made in accordance with the
Notification Procedures below and USPS Privacy Act regulations
regarding access to records and verification of identity under 39 CFR
266.5.
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
See Notification Procedures and Record Access Procedures.
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
Individuals wanting to know if information about them is maintained
in this system must address inquiries to the facility head where
currently or last employed. Headquarters employees must submit
inquiries to Corporate Personnel Management, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW,
Washington, DC 20260. Inquiries must include full name, Social Security
Number or Employee Identification Number, name and address of facility
where last employed, and the dates of USPS employment.
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EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
Records in this system that have been compiled in reasonable
anticipation of a civil action or proceeding are exempt from individual
access as permitted by 5 U.S.C. 552a(d)(5). The USPS has also claimed
exemption from certain provisions of the Act for several of its other
systems of records at 39 CFR 266.9. To the extent that copies of
exempted records from those other systems are incorporated into this
system, the exemptions applicable to the original primary system
continue to apply to the incorporated records.
HISTORY:
August 18, 2021, 86 FR 46281; February 25, 2019, 84 FR 6022;
January 26, 2018, 83 FR 3777; July 19, 2013, 78 FR 43247; February 22,
2013, 78 FR 12368; June 17, 2011, 76 FR 35483; April 29, 2005, 70 FR
22516.
* * * * *
Sarah Sullivan,
Attorney, Ethics & Legal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024-15623 Filed 7-15-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 16, 2024.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.