Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and David McKinley (R-WV) reintroduced H.R. 597, the Postal Employees Appeal Rights Amendments Act, to expand U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board appeals rights to mid-level U.S. Postal Service Management. Connolly and McKinley previously introduced the legislation in the 115th Congress.
“This is about ensuring a fair review process. All Postal Service employees should have the basic right to appeal an adverse personnel action,” said Connolly. “Unfortunately, up until now, some mid-level managers have been left exposed without access to MSPB appeal rights. Our legislation seeks to remedy this unintended carve-out.”
“All Postal Service workers should have the ability to appeal personnel decisions that will negatively impact them. Under current law, around 7,500 USPS employees don’t have this right,”McKinley said. “Our legislation will create a fair process that will protect these employees from unjust decision making. This bipartisan reform will make government more efficient and I’m hopeful we can pass it through the House soon.”
Despite the intent of Congress to confer appeal rights to most USPS management personnel, approximately 7,500 mid-level management employees within the U.S. Postal Service do not possess the right to appeal adverse personnel actions to the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. This has resulted in an inequity among USPS employees and created unnecessary costs, and in some cases, prevented the disclosure of fraud, waste, and abuse.
H.R. 597 would extend MSPB appeal rights over adverse personnel actions to any Postal Service employee who is a non-bargaining unit career and non-career employee in a supervisory, professional, technical, clerical, administrative, or managerial position covered by the Executive and Administrative Schedule; and has completed 1 year of current continuous service in the same or similar positions.
Full text of the legislation can be found here.
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