The issue in this grievance is whether an employee who is on extended absence and wishes to continue eligibility for health and life insurance benefits, and those protections for which an employee may be eligible under Article 6 of the National Agreement may use sick leave and/or annual leave in conjunction with leave without pay (LWOP) prior to exhausting his/her leave balance. During our discussions, we mutually agreed that an employee in the above circumstances may use sick leave and/or annual leave in conjunction with LWOP prior to exhausting his/her respective leave balance. In addition, this settlement does not limit management's prerogative to grant leave requests at its discretion according to normal leave approval procedures. Furthermore, the Employer is not obligated to approve such leave for the last hour of the employee's scheduled workday prior to and/or the first hour of the employee's scheduled workday after a holiday.
Document Type: USPS Position Letter
APWU National Grievance Number: H7CNAC9