ARTICLE 19
215. A letter carrier may designate the line of travel as the approximate break location for their street breaks.
216. A street break may not be taken in the office.
217. Breaks must be recorded on Form 1564A and shall have a specific time noted on the form as to when they occur.
218. Breaks may not be taken in conjunction with a lunch period.
219. A part-time flexible will only be allowed to take a break if they work a minimum of eight hours.
220. Personal comfort stops are deducted from total street time during route examinations.
221. A one-day count and inspection may not be used as the sole basis to establish a standard against which the carrier's performance may be measured for disciplinary purposes.
222. Where an employee meets the criteria of M-39, Section 271.g. and requests a special route inspection in writing, discipline for excessive office or street time is inappropriate.
223. Management may not require foot carriers to carry parcels weighing more than two pounds.
224. Letter carriers may not verify an entire mail count.
225. Management must provide permanent adjustments to routes to place them in as nearly an eight hour basis as possible.
226. Management may use a one-day 3999 to determine the actual street time of a route.
227. A Union Steward's activities if occurring weekly or more often, may be appropriate for inclusion on line 21 of the 1838-C.
228. Management may set an appropriate pace at which a letter carrier must walk.
229. A special route inspection is conducted in accordance with the applicable provisions of the M-39.
230. One-day counts per 141.2 of the M-39 can be utilized to substantiate discipline for lack of performance.
231. If management has a problem with an employee's office efficiency they should conduct a one-day count.
232. When management refuses to properly conduct a special route exam a monetary remedy should be requested.
233. A letter carrier who is on an eight hour limitation cannot qualify for a special route inspection.
234. Earlier start times during count week are at the discretion of management.
235. Management can perform one day counts without using an 1838C.
236. Management must conduct carrier requested special inspections within 4 weeks, even during June, July, and August.
237. Management may delay 271(g) requests if a unit review is scheduled within 60 days.
238. Management can only use current route inspection data in implementing DPS.
239. Carriers who case faster than standard will suffer less of an impact in office time under DPS methodology.
240. During route adjustments near term in a DPS environment for routes at more than 8 hours, management is prohibited from adjusting routes territorially.
241. A current event is defined as the day DPS begins.
242. Management has no obligation to maintain DPS quality after obtaining the threshold percentage.
243. In stations without 6 shelf cases, management will determine the definition of a letter.
244. Management may unilaterally cancel previously authorized lunch locations.
245. Letter carriers may not pursue activities other than eating lunch during their authorized meal period.
246. A letter carrier may take his lunch at the end of his eight hour shift.
247. The workload assessment process, in certain examples, may be used to replace the route inspection process.
248. The DUVRS system is not the established criteria for the development of office time.
249. Reference volume alone can be the basis to substantiate wrongful expansion of street time.
250. The Postal Service requires random drug testing of all present employees.
251. The Service may test certain drivers for drugs.
252. The Postal Service may schedule a fitness-for-duty examination at any time per their discretion.
253. An employee may not be scheduled for a fitness-for-duty examination on their non-scheduled day.
254. When an employee is called in for a fitness-for-duty examination on a non-scheduled day, the Postal Service must guarantee them 8 hours pay.
255. In the case of a limited duty carrier, they may not be required to undergo an FFD during non-work hours.
256. Management must explain that an injured employee is guaranteed a choice of treating physician.
257. Supervisors are allowed to accompany an employee to non-emergency work related doctor visits.
258. Supervisors are allowed to accompany an injured employee in emergency treatment cases.
259. Management may not issue forms locally, nor locally revise, existing forms.
260. Only letter carriers may relabel cases and fill out the Forms 313.
261. Form 1571 is a defunct form and should not be utilized by carriers.
262. Form 1750 which is utilized to evaluate probationary employees, can be used to evaluate employees who are not probationary.
263. Only carriers should maintain Form 3982.
264. A copy of Form 3996 may be requested by a carrier and shall be provided.
265. Individuals who provide carrier assistance shall complete the lower portion of the Form 3996 as instructed on the form.
266. A vehicle repair tag Form 4565 may be filled out the following day if the employee is in an overtime status.
267. Local management may develop local forms provided the local Postmaster has authorized such form.
268. Management may require carriers to write their leaving and returning times on the carriers' case during the commitment process.
269. Letter carriers may be required to sign local forms as a condition of employment.
270. Remedies for supervisors intimidating employees or violating the Violence and Behavior in the Workplace Memorandum can call for that supervisor to be barred from supervising letter carriers.
271. Written apologies are inappropriate as remedies for management's misconduct toward employees.
272. There is a limitation as to how many bundles that may be required on a mounted or curbline route.
273. In offices where there is a CFS or CMU function, letter carriers are not required to forward or return any class of mail, including oversized parcels.
274. When carrying marriage mail, both the cards and the related item are to be cased and collated with the appropriate class of mail.
275. The Postal Service may not require letter carriers to deliver mail without a specific address affixed as a third bundle.
276. If the Postal Service requires that two simplified address mailings are to be delivered on the same day, the correct procedure is to collate the two bundles so that they may be handled as a third bundle.
277. Pre-sequenced mail (letter or flat size mail with the specific address affixed that arrives pre-sequenced in the order of delivery) is always to be collated in the appropriate size of mail.
278. Samples too large for delivery to a customer's mailbox should be left outside of the box if adequate protection is provided.
279. A letter carrier should never leave a form 3849-A, Delivery Notice or Receipt, for a sample.
280. Carriers are not required to sign for stamps by mail.
281. The Postal Service may bar the release of medical records under the Privacy Act.
282. Local management can allow schedule changes for employees' personal convenience without the concurrence of the local union.
283. Management's rights are absolute and they can choose to disregard other contractual provisions or handbook cites in the exercise of those rights.
284. Part-time flexible letter carriers may be assigned to perform clerical duties and required to pass examinations on schemes if their assignment anticipates use of scheme knowledge as provided by part 124 of the M-41 Handbook.
285. An unassigned regular's schedule is set based upon the work hours and days off of the first week of work within that category and relevant local memoranda.
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