Privacy Act System of Records; Correction, 57947-57950 [2024-15623]

Agencies

• Postal Service

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 16, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57947-57950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[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, [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janine Castorina, Chief Privacy and 
Records Management Officer, Privacy and Records Management Office, 
(202) 268-2000 or via email at [email protected].

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:
     Communicate relevant Human Resource information to 
employees.
     Communicate with employees about human resource related 
topics, employment, and gather feedback through surveys.
     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:

     Added purposes 7 through 9
     Added additional items to Categories of Individuals 
Covered by the System
     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

[[Page 57949]]

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.

[[Page 57950]]

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