Effective July 9, 2015, the Postal Service™ is revising section 541.4 of Handbook PO-603, Rural Carrier Duties and Responsibilities, to include additional compensation for DPS flats and a formal process for conducting quality reviews.
Handbook PO-603, Rural Carrier Duties and Responsibilities
5 Inspection, Count, and Adjustment of Rural Routes
541.4 Automation Processed Mail
541.41 Additional Compensation
[Revise the text of 541.41 to read as follows:]
a. If a carrier assigned a left-hand drive (LHD) employer-provided vehicle or required to use his/her privately-owned vehicle, is being compensated under DPS letter standards, and required to case all or a significant portion (125 pieces or more) of his/her DPS letter mail due to machine failure or other problems, additional compensation will be provided in accordance with the following formula:
n The average daily DPS letter volume from the latest mail count (when all DPS mail is received in a raw, unprocessed state or all DPS mail is improperly processed requiring casing), or
n The actual piece count (when 125 or more pieces require casing) multiplied by (x) 0.0365 minutes per piece equals (=) additional minutes payment.
b. If a carrier assigned a right-hand drive (RHD) employer-provided vehicle is being compensated under DPS letter standards, and is required to case all or a significant portion (125 pieces or more) of his/her DPS letter mail due to machine failure or other problems, additional compensation will be provided in accordance with the following formula:
n The average daily DPS letter volume from the latest mail count (when all DPS mail is received in a raw, unprocessed state or all DPS mail is improperly processed requiring casing), or
n The actual piece count (when 125 or more pieces require casing) multiplied by (x) 0.0465 minutes per piece equals (=) additional minutes payment.
Additional payment procedures will be the same as outlined in Article 9.2.N of the National Agreement between the USPS-NRLCA.
c. If a carrier on a route being compensated under the DPS flats standard is required to case all or a significant portion (55 or more pieces) of its DPS flats, due to circumstances that have left all or some portion of the DPS flats in an out of sequence condition, additional compensation will be provided in accordance with the following formula:
n The number of DPS flats received as indicated on the end-of-run (EOR) report (when all DPS flats are received in an out of sequence condition), or
n The actual piece count (when 55 or more flats require casing) multiplied (x) by 0.091 minutes per piece for those routes evaluated using the DPS flats standard or 0.0412 minutes per piece for those routes evaluated using the special DPS casing standard, equals (=) additional minutes paid.
Additional payment procedures will be the same as outlined in Article 9.2.N of the National Agreement between the USPS-NRLCA.
Note: Carriers should notify their manager immediately when they receive DPS letter or flat mail requiring casing. If a manager is not readily accessible, the carrier should note the number of DPS mailpieces they are required to case and report it to his or her manager at the first opportunity.
[Add new items 541.44 and 541.45 to read as follows:]
541.44 Formal Review of DPS Flats Processing
If a route receiving DPS flats experiences a decrease in the quality of the DPS mail or there is a reduction of the DPS flats volume in relationship to the total flats volume of the route as compared to the latest mail count, the assigned carrier may make a written request for formal review of the DPS flats processing for the route.
If a DPS flats quantity review indicates a route is experiencing a decrease in the quantity of DPS flats volume in relationship to the total flat volume of the route, management will take corrective action to ensure that processing is returned to levels equivalent to those experienced during the previous mail count.
If corrective action has not resolved the problem within 30 calendar days of the carrier’s written request for a quantity review, or if the route fails to meet the 98% quality threshold for three (3) consecutive days within 30 calendar days of the carrier’s written request for a quality review, management will prepare Form 4003,Official Rural Route Description, affecting the appropriate base hour change. The Form 4003 will be processed to be effective on the first day of the pay period in which the DPS Flats Formal Review Request was received.
If, for any reason, management removes a route from the DPS flats sort scheme and the route will no longer receive DPS flats, Form 4003, Official Rural Route Description, will be prepared to appropriately adjust time allowances and processed to be effective on the first day of the pay period in which the automated processing is discontinued.
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I will be happy to buy one— just say where to mail the check
Please please please pretty please? Lol
EVERY company I’ve EVER worked for issued employee handbooks during orientation or on your first day. The Post Office is the only place I know that makes you beg for one. LOL
how about an entry that says” when a carrier must put up with an incredibly stupid and disgusting manager who makes them do stupid s**t, the carrier will receive pay in the amount of 2 times the normal pay.
Teresa Marie Suite Colleen Williams Mark Jordan Trudy Prenger Debra Fletcher
Yes please
How do we get one?
What the heck is a route book?
The black binder that slides in the slot in front of your case , that’s where they usually at.
Yeah there isn’t one
There are no binders at either of my cases. I do an aux route & sub a regular route
Wow ! It has everything about route all the mail count papers , map of route , I can’t remember what all is in there but everyone is suppose to have them.
I will look tomorrow but I’ve been there a year & never seen one
Mine is in a slot next to the drawer on the front of my case
Ok. I will look there! Thanks
There should be one in your route book? Ask your PM to order you an updated PO 603.. They can be ordered.. The one I have is dated 2013 so they can be had somewhere.. A PO 603 should be in every rural carriers route book. I do have one online if anyone needs one online.. http://www.knowledgebase.ruralinfo.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/po603%2009-13.pdf
How can I get one or even a link to print the handbook would be nice.
Good, we’ll all make overtime straightening out the mess they send us….DPS….hahahaha…
Have never seen one in my office…
You don’t have PO 603s in your offices?
If we do I have never seen it or been told where to find it
Ours are in the black notebook that has all route info from the past and it slides in the front of your case , don’t know what the proper name for it is. But the book is in that.
My 603 is from the early 2000’s if not 1991
where can we get one?
Teresa Norris Patty Bruce Lester
Our Office has them at every case in the office. But this whole “non” casing of DPS flats is BS. Alot of My DPS flats are torn and out of town .. and sometimes they go back n fourth cause 1 piece is stuck to another.. Js
Every route in our office had a yellow P603 book for years….and then one day….poof! They all disappeared!! First time in nearly 20 years that I don’t have one!!
Cynthia Favalora, I have one
Mich**le
The 2013 version is blue. Yellow us before that.
When are we getting them
DPS flats included in the handbook..how nice…My hate for them is renewed on a daily basis…would love to know what the “kick back” was for that deal…Our LLVs are old as dirt and falling apart constantly but I’m happy the Post Office spent a couple billion dollars only to slow carriers down and make our backs and shoulders hurt more…
Josh Bailey
would someone please tell me how to get one of these. there is not one in our office, old or new, only way we know something is when someone tells us.
how about our 4241A havent been updated in hmmm about 2 years in the office Im in