Management Instruction

Transcription

1 Management Instruction Date January 18, 2001 Effective Immediately Number FM Obsoletes FM Unit National Accounting Use of Postal Vehicles for Home-to-Work Transportation Donna M. Peak Vice President and Controller Finance Background This instruction provides guidelines for the use of postal-owned or leased vehicles between home and work. This instruction does not affect the use of official vehicles by employees who are: Involved in protective services and criminal law enforcement duties. On official travel or in a detail status to a location away from their home. (The use of vehicles during official travel is governed by travel policies included in Handbook F-15, Travel and Relocation.) Attending official business meetings during the course of the workday. Any officer or employee who willfully uses or authorizes the use of an official vehicle for other than official purposes is subject to suspension from duty without pay for at least 30 consecutive days, or up to and including removal (31 U.S.C. 1349). CONTENTS Background Definitions Postal Policy Fieldwork Policy Exceptions Operating Record Maintenance PS Form PS Form Exhibit A Administrative Vehicle Take-Home Authorization Exhibit B Vehicle Time Record Exhibit C Job Title List Regulations governing the use of official vehicles between home and work are found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), title 41, subpart Definitions official vehicles Postal-owned or -leased vehicles. official purposes Any purpose that would further the mission of the Postal Service. With the exception of the postmaster general, 31 U.S.C specifically excludes transportation between an individual s residence and his or her place of employment from the scope of official purposes. 1

2 authorized employee Employee designated by title (as Exhibit C in this MI or through specific authorization by the postmaster general) to use an official vehicle between home and his or her place of employment. residence Employee s home for his or her main place of work. This includes temporary quarters for employees who are relocating. fieldwork Official work performed by an employee whose job requires his or her presence at various locations that are at a distance from his or her place of employment (itinerant-type travel involving two or more stops within the accepted local commuting area or outside of that area). place of employment Any place within the commuting area, defined by the Postal Service as being within a 50-mile radius of the primary workplace, where an employee performs his or her business, trade, or occupation, even if the employee is there only for a short period of time. The term includes, but is not limited to, an official duty station, home base, Headquarters, or any place where an employee is assigned to work, including locations where meetings, conferences, or other official functions take place. Postal Policy Official postal passenger vehicles may be used to provide transportation only to authorized employees in connection with official business. Only the postmaster general may regularly use a postal driver or chauffeur and an official postal passenger vehicle for transportation between work and home. The comfort and convenience of an employee is not considered sufficient justification for the authorization of home-to-work transportation. Administrative Vehicle Take-Home Authorization (PS Form 8217), which appears as Exhibit A, and Vehicle Time Record (PS Form 4570), which appears as Exhibit B, must be completed for each use of an official vehicle for transportation between home and work. These records are to be maintained at the vehicle dispatch point. Only the postmaster general may authorize the use of an official vehicle for transportation between home and work. 2

3 Fieldwork Use of official vehicles in connection with fieldwork does not include transportation of employees between their residences and places of employment. This includes postal passenger vehicles being driven to, and left overnight at, the postal facility nearest the employee s home. Under very limited circumstances, employees may use official vehicles for transportation between home and work as follows: In connection with overnight travel, where it is not cost effective to begin travel from the employee s place of employment. Within a single day, making two or more official calls on the way to or from the employee s place of employment. In connection with fieldwork by job title. (See Exhibit C.) Postal Career Executive Service (PCES) managers must approve each use of a vehicle for fieldwork. This authority does not permit PCES managers to authorize the use of an official vehicle for transportation between home and work. Unless the employee is an officer, area manager, Headquarters field service unit manager, or a district manager, he or she must also receive advance approval from a PCES manager each time the vehicle is used for home-to-work transportation. All such uses must be recorded, and the records must be maintained according to the record retention schedule. The assignment of an employee to a fieldwork position does not entitle the employee to receive daily home-to-work transportation. Use of the vehicle can be provided only on days when the employee actually performs fieldwork. Note: The fieldwork exception may not be used when the employee s workday begins at his or her assigned duty station or if the employee normally commutes to a fixed location, no matter how far away from his or her official duty station. Policy Exceptions Special requests for use of an official vehicle for home-to-work transportation based on clear and present danger (highly unusual circumstances that present a threat, real and immediate, to the physical safety of the employee s person or property) or compelling operational considerations (such as a large metropolitan area, public transportation is shut down by a labor strike, and authorities are only allowing emergency vehicles to use the roads) should be handled as follows: Complete the authorization form (PS Form 8217). Send the completed form to the manager, Corporate Accounting, (see address below) for review and submission to the postmaster general for approval. 3

4 Only the postmaster general may determine which employees are allowed to use home-to-work transportation as a result of a fieldwork assignment. These determinations should be updated, as necessary, and recertified every other fiscal year (FY) beginning with FY Requests for authorization of additional positions to be allowed to use home-to-work transportation under this exception must be sent to: MANAGER CORPORATE ACCOUNTING US POSTAL SERVICE 475 L ENFANT PLZ SW RM 8831 WASHINGTON DC The manager, Corporate Accounting, reviews the requests, completes the record keeping required by Public Law , and sends the requests to the postmaster general for authorization. Operating Record Maintenance PS Form 4570 Record all official vehicle use on PS Form 4570, Vehicle Time Record. Be sure to record both the number of hours the vehicle is in the custody of the employee and the number of miles it is driven. PS Form 4570s should be submitted to the office responsible for assigning vehicles at the employee s facility. Employees who have vehicles permanently assigned to them (i.e., district managers, area finance managers, etc.) should record instances of home-to-work use on PS Form PS Form 8217 Employees who have no permanently assigned vehicle should record each use of official vehicles for transportation between home and work on PS Form Be sure that the approving official signs the form each time an official vehicle is used for this purpose. The office responsible for assigning vehicles at each facility maintains a log of PS Form 8217s submitted by employees that use postal-owned vehicles for transportation between home and work. 4

5 Exhibit A Administrative Vehicle Take-Home Authorization 5

6 Exhibit B Vehicle Time Record 6

7 Exhibit C Job Title List Account Acquisition Specialist Account Acquisition (Team Leader) Account Representative Account Management Specialist Account Management (Team Leader) Acquisition Sales Specialist Address Management Systems Specialist Advertising Specialist Architect/Engineer Area Coordinator EI/QWL Processes Area Mail Transport Equipment Specialist Area Maintenance Technician Area Manager Area Security Coordinator Area Vice President Associate Area Medical Director Associate Vice President, ebusiness Associate Vice President, Marketing Associate Vice President, Sales Aviation Mail Security Coordinator Aviation Mail Security Specialist Budget/Financial Analyst Bulk Mail Center Manager Bulk Mail Services Specialist Bulk Mail Technician Business Mail Entry Analyst Business Service Network Specialist Operations Business Service Network (Team Leader) Classification Support Specialist Classification Support Specialist, Senior Communications Programs Specialist Contract Transportation Specialist Contract Transportation Specialist, Senior Customer Relations Coordinator Customer Service Analyst District Customer Service Program Analyst Customer Service Representative Data Collection Technician Director, Operations Sales & Service Integration Directory Analysis Specialist Distribution Specialist District Manager EEO Appeals Analyst/Examiner EEO Compliance and Appeals Specialist EEO Counselor/Investigator EEO Dispute Resolution Specialist EEO Investigator Electronic Technician Elevator/Boiler Inspector Employee Workplace Intervention Analyst Environmental Compliance Coordinator Executive Manager, National Accounts Expedited Services Technician Facility Requirements Specialist Facilities Engineer Facilities Specialist Financial Systems Analyst Financial Systems Coordinator General Engineer Hispanic Programs Specialist Human Resource Analyst Human Resource Specialist Industrial Engineer, Field Industrial Engineer, Field, Senior Information Systems Coordinator Information Systems Specialist International Civil and Military Mail Coordinator Labor Relations Specialist Lead Plant Manager Letter Box Mechanic Local Area Network Administrator Local Area Network Specialist Sales Mailpiece Design Analyst Maintenance Engineer Analyst Maintenance Engineering Specialist Maintenance Management Specialist Maintenance Mechanic Maintenance Software Specialist Managed Account Specialist Manager, Account Acquisition Manager, Account Management Manager, Account Support 7

8 Job Title List (continued) Manager, Accounting Manager, Acquisition Management Manager, Address Management Systems Manager, Administrative Support Services Manager, Airmail Center Manager, Airmail Facility Manager, Area Retail Operations Manager, Budget Manager, Business Customer Relations Manager, Business Development Support Manager, Business Mail Entry Manager, Business Service Network Manager, Capital Metro Operations Manager, Consumer Affairs Operations Manager, Customer Service Operations Manager, Customer Services Manager, Delivery Programs Support Manager, Delivery & Customer Services Programs Manager, Design and Construction Manager, Distribution Networks Office Manager, Distribution Operations Manager, EEO Complaints Manager, EEO Compliance and Appeals Manager, EEO/Dispute Resolution Manager, Facilities Service Office Manager, Field Maintenance Operations Manager, Field Retail Operations Manager, Field Revenue Verification Manager, Finance Manager, Finance and Administration Manager, Human Resources Manager, Information Systems Manager, Injury Compensation Manager, In-Plant Support Manager, Labor Relations Manager, Maintenance Manager, Maintenance Operations Manager, Maintenance Operations Support Manager, Marketing Manager, Marketing Support Manager, Networks Manager, Operations Sales Integration Manager, Operations Service Integration Manager, Operations Program Support Manager, Operations Support Manager, Personnel Services Manager, Postal Business Center Manager, Post Office Operations Manager, Postal Business Center Manager, Process and Integration Manager, Processing and Distribution Manager, Processing and Distribution Center Manager, Processing and Distribution Facility Manager, Public Affairs & Communications Manager, Quality Manager, Real Estate Manager, Remote Encoding Center Manager, Remote Encoding Center Operations Manager, Retail Manager, Safety and Health Manager, Safety/Injury Compensation Manager, Sales Centers Manager, Sales Integration Manager, Sales Support Manager, Statistical Programs, District Manager, Statistical Programs Service Center Manager, Training Manager, Training Services Manager, Transportation Contracts Manager, Transportation Networks Manager, Vehicle Maintenance Facility Marketing Specialist Marketing Support Analyst Material Logistics Specialist Material Management Specialist Mechanical Engineer Medical Officer National Accounts Representative Network Planning Specialist Network Specialist Office Services Assistant Officer-in-Charge Operational Requirements Specialists 8

9 Job Title List (continued) Operations Manager, Classified Station Operations Program Analyst, Area Operations Quality Improvement Analyst Operations Quality Improvement Specialist Operations Sales/Service Integration Specialist Operations Support Specialist Photographer Postal Business Center Representative, Senior Postal Inspector Postal Inspector in Charge/Assistant Postal Inspector in Charge Postal Operations Analyst Postal Police Officer Postal Police Officer in Charge Postal Systems Coordinator President, Expedited/Package Services Professional Specialist Trainee Purchasing Specialist Quality Assurance Specialist Real Estate Specialist Retail Operations Analyst Retail Specialist Revenue Assurance Analyst Safety Specialist Sales Analyst Sales Analyst Specialist Sales Financial Analyst Sales Specialist Sales Support and Account Management Specialist Sales Support Specialist Senior Area Medical Director Senior Account Representative Senior Budget/Financial Analyst Senior Diversity Programs Coordinator Senior Manager, Distribution Operations Senior Plant Manager Statistical Programs Analyst Statistical Programs Coordinator Statistical Programs Specialist Supervisor, Business Mail Entry Supervisor, Customer Services Supervisor, Maintenance Operations Supervisor, Transportation Operations Team Leader Sales Acquisition Team Leader Account Managers Telecommunications Specialist Sales Traffic Management Specialist Transportation and Equipment Specialist Transportation Procurement Analyst Transportation Specialist Vehicle Maintenance Program Analyst 9