Christmas Overtime Period begins in:

Just wanted to put out a few important points for the Christmas OT period which will begin on Saturday December 1st, 2018 and ends on Friday, December 21st, 2018. Below are a few things you need to know.

REGULAR RURAL CARRIERS
1. You will receive OT if you work in excess of the WEEKLY evaluation, not the DAILY evaluation.
2. They can send you home "in anticipation" of you going over your weekly evaluation. Some have been told they will be sent home without pay. That is WRONG. They may send you home, but you will get the full evaluation for the week.
Example :
Lets say you are a 42k, and Saturday is your K day off, and by the end of Thursday you have already worked 36 hours, which leaves you only 6 hours to complete the route on Friday before going into OT. They may only let you work 5.5 hours on Friday and send you home. They still would have to pay you for the full day of evaluation even though you only worked 5.5 hours..
3. Annual and Sick leave count as hours worked during the Christmas OT period..
4. They CAN'T force you to take LWOP during the Christmas OT period
5. Treatment of X days during the Christmas OT period. A. Carriers who work a relief day during this period and who are entitled to a future day off (X day) must be given that X day in the same pay period.
6. Carriers may not use any X days that were earned in previous pay periods during this period.
7. Additional(2nd) Trips to the route during the Christmas period do NOT receive additional pay, but the carrier will receive additional EMA IF they use their own vehicle for the route and the total miles for the day are over 40 (Note: This does not mean a carrier can refuse to do second trips, it just means there is no extra pay. The time used DOES count towards your weekly hours)

LEAVE REPLACEMENTS
1. Aux route carriers serving any auxiliary route are compensated at the hourly rate for actual hours worked during the Christmas OT period. During this period, carriers are not paid the evaluation of the route. Overtime is paid only when the carrier exceeds 40 hours for the week.
2. If you are an RCA not in any one of the situations above, NOTHING CHANGES for you. You will be paid the same as you are paid all year long. You will be paid evaluation of the routes you work unless you go over 40 hours in the week. Then you will be paid hourly

SOME IMPORTANT LINKS
This link provides the official document on Christmas pay procedures from the Postal Service
USPS and NRLCA Sign MOU Expanding Use of ARCs During 2018 Peak Season
New MOU Allowing Sunday Work for Regular Carriers During 2018 Peak Season
Position of the National Board on Christmas Overtime Directives
Test your Christmas Period Knowledge
Take our Christmas period quiz to test your knowledge.
In the example you say if they send us home with 5.5 hours and we had 6 left to work, they must pay us for the DAY’S EVALUATION. Is that correct, or is it the difference in the week’s evaluation? Can they send us home early and pay us for only part of the day?
If I read this correctly – RCA’s are not ent*tled to any overtime pay ? If it is a 7 hour route and it takes 10 hours, because of the increase of DPS and parcels, unless I week over 40 hours a week, I just get paid for the 7 hours – IS THIS CORRECT ?
Regulars making 2nd trips on POV route. Still get mileage and 2 minutes a mile as always and 2nd trip times add in to OT if over weekly eval?
Kathy, yes, if you are sent home early due to hours, you will get the full day’s pay plus EMA if applicable. Something further to remember- do NOT let them tell you not to come in. you go in, sign in, and then they can send you home. If you don’t show up at all, you will be charged AL or LWOP.
Does working your k day add to the weeks total for it?
I need guidance from someone knowledgeable! I’m a regular on a 46K route. I’ve been working my relief day every week getting overtime. My question is during the Christmas period, do my hours on my relief day count towards my weekly actual hours? And do I start getting OT once I hit 46 actual hours (5 days evaluation), or once I hit 55.2 hours (6 days evaluated at 9.2 hours)? I searched the contract and manual and couldn’t find a direct answer. Thank you!
So Sat**day is my k day. I worked that day. Do I still put a 5 code for overtime I’m off today Wednesday for pres bush I work Thursday and friday I also worked Monday and Tuesday