Correct answers are in BOLD print
Fall Booster Meeting Quiz – November 12, 2001
1. Since regular rural carriers do not punch a timecard it is not necessary for them to report exactly as scheduled, so long as they …..
(a) work less than the route evaluation
(b) complete the route before dispatch in the afternoon
(c) receive no complaints from their customers
(d) none of the above
2. Existing rural routes will be re-measured when …..
(a) requested by carrier
(b) route length reaches 40 miles
(c) carrier selects high option
3. Regular carriers receive overtime when their actual work hours exceed…..
(b) 10 hours per day
(c) do not receive overtime
(d) none of the above
4. Part-time Flexible Rural Carriers earn overtime when …..
(a) carrying an auxiliary route and working more than 8 hours in a day
(b) working more than 10 hours in a day
(c) working more than 40 hours in a week
(d) none of the above
5. Since regular carriers are paid for evaluated time, it is…..
(a) not important to track their actual work hours
(b) still important to track their actual work hours
(c) required to track their actual work hours
(d) none of the above
6. When a route has a high/low option, the carrier…..
(a) is required to take the low option with each new guarantee period
(b) may change to high option at any time
(c) may change to low option at any time
(d) all of the above
7. If a rural carrier is scheduled to work one hour prior to their normal reporting time…..
(a) they receive out-of-schedule pay
(b) they do not have to sign in on PS Form 4240
(c) receive additional payment of PS Form 8127
(d) they are required to sign in on PS Form 4240
8. A regular carrier providing a vehicle is paid Equipment Maintenance Allowance (EMA)…..
(a) for a maximum of 40 miles
(b) when utilizing a government vehicle
(c) all routes receive EMA
(d) for a minimum of 40 miles
9. Unless pending a route adjustment, a vacant regular route must be …..
(a) posted within 30 calendar days
(b) posted within 60 calendar days
(c) posted within 80 calendar days
(d) posted within 90 calendar days
10. When a regular rural route is evaluated over 40 hours per week…..
(a) the regular carrier is entitled to auxiliary assistance for all hours worked over 40 hours
(b) accumulates one hour of ‘O’ time for every 4 actual hours worked over 40 hours
(c) receives bonafide overtime pay for actual hours worked over 40 hours
(d) none of the above
TRUE OR FALSE?
_T____11. An RCA may be required to learn up to 3 routes.
_F____12. Rural Carriers are authorized 2 ten minute breaks and a thirty minute lunch period.
_T____13. Regular Rural Carriers must take annual leave and sick leave in full day increments.
_F____14. RCA's can never earn annual or sick leave.
_F____15. Rural Carrier Reliefs (RCRs) and Temporary Relief Carriers (TRCs) are entitled to the same rights and benefits as an RCA.
_T____16. A newly created auxiliary route will be computed as a NON "L" route even if it has more than 12 boxes per mile.
_T____17. All Rural Carriers are required to carry sufficient stamp stock to serve their route.
_F____18. Regular Rural Carriers may assist other routes or deliver Express Mail, as long as they do not exceed their evaluated hours.
_T____19. Rural Carriers are required to dismount to deliver parcels.
_T____20. Rural Carriers who are in a 204-B status less than 30 days do not receive higher level pay.
_F____21. Rural Routes receive the same compensation for centralized boxes as they do for regular boxes.
_T____22. Rural Routes receive two (2) minutes of compensation per week for each parcel locker on their route.
_T____23. When making route adjustments, the Rural Carrier must be given the opportunity to offer their comments in writing.
_F____24. When an Auxiliary Rural Route assignment is to be filled, the route will be offered to Substitutes, PTFs, RCAs and RCRs in the order of the longest continuous period of service in that office, without regard to classification.
_F____25. A regular rural carrier may work their relief day in accordance with their personal wishes.
FLSA [Reference: Analysis of FLSA Provisions of NRLCA-USPS Natl. Agreement]
26. Which of the 4 conditions below does not qualify for payment of overtime compensation to rural carriers under FLSA Code B?
a. over 12 hours in one day
b. over 56 hours in one week
c. over 2,080 hours in one year (52 week guarantee period)
d. All
hours in excess of weekly evaluated hours of the route
27. Which of the 4 conditions below is not a requirement that must be met for a carrier to qualify for the higher-route classification for which the carrier may be eligible?
a. It must be demonstrated that the rural carrier’s actual work hours will not exceed 2080 during the guarantee period
b. The rural carrier must agree, in writing, that sufficient Annual Leave will be used to assure that the total actual hours worked will not exceed 2080 during the guarantee period.
c. The rural carrier must agree, that sufficient LWOP will be used in the event that their Annual Leave balance is insufficient to assure that the total actual hours worked will not exceed 2080.
d. The carrier must be in a 6- or 8- hour (20- or 26-day leave category)
SCHEDULING
28. Rural carriers may stop for not more than 30 minutes for lunch, or may split that lunch period into segments that may be taken in the office or on the route. Time spent consuming coffee away from their case, in the office or on the route, is considered part of the 30 minute authorized lunch period and must be recorded on the 4240. True or False?
_______TRUE____________________________
29. Can a regular carrier provide auxiliary assistance on other routes? WHY/WHY NOT?
NO. Regular rural carriers can NEVER be paid for working auxiliary assistance. They are likewise NEVER to be worked on an auxiliary route. [Reference: Supplemental Rural Timekeeping Manual]
30. Where the regular carrier is on Leave -- In covering that regular route, once the Leave Replacement Assignment matrix is exhausted, can you offer the work to a less senior leave replacement who is "Qualified" (trained) on the route, before offering it to a more senior one, who is not qualified? [Ref.: EL902, Art.30.2.D.3.;]
YES. If the second and third leave replacements designated for the route are unavailable, the assignment shall be offered to qualified substitutes, RCAs or RCR employees assigned to that delivery unit in the order of the longest period of continuous service in that office. Qualified is defined as having received training on or been utilized on the route.
31. Whenever the leave replacement assigned to serve a regular rural route is temporarily unavailable or no leave replacement is assigned to the route, the Employer:
a. may allow the regular carrier to work their relief day even if other qualified RCAs are available
b. must exhaust the leave replacement matrix before utilizing a PTF rural carrier
c. may require a PTF rural carrier to serve the route prior to utilizing 2nd or 3rd person on the matrix
d. may utilize a PTF city carrier prior to calling rural leave replacements who are off that day
TIMEKEEPING
32. Leave replacements are normally paid the evaluation of a rural route for daily service, unless they work more than _____, whereupon they would be paid actual hours, plus overtime.
a. the daily evaluated hours of the route
b. 8 hours in a day
c. 12 hours in a day
d. 40
hours in a week
33. A regular rural carrier reports for work and after 7 hours becomes ill and is unable to complete the deliveries on the route. An RCA completes the remaining one hour of work. How many sick leave hours are charged to the regular carrier? [Ref. EL-902 Art. 10.3.d.]
How many hours of pay will the RCA receive?
RCA will receive one day's pay (or the route evaluation)
34. PS Form 8127, Rural Carrier Supplemental Payment, is used to pay regular rural carriers for:
a. Viewing training films not associated with incidental duties related to daily rural carrier performance.
b. Completion of USPS Employee Survey
c. Certain actions or tasks for which no time has been allotted in the rural route standards
d. All of the above.
35. When a Des 78 RCA who is assigned to an auxiliary route is required to service a regular rural route for one day, the time is recorded on:
a. the PS 1314-A, Auxiliary Rural Carrier Time Certificate, for auxiliary route that is preprinted with the carrier’s name and route information.
b. a separate PS Form 1314-A, Auxiliary Rural Carrier Time Certificate.
c. the PS 1314, Regular Rural Carrier Time Certificate, preprinted with the regular carrier’s name and route information.
d. a separate PS Form 1314, Regular Rural Carrier Time Certificate.
36. On PS Form 1314-A, Auxiliary Rural Carrier Time Certificate, vehicle usage must be entered as:
a. number of trips
b. number of whole hours used
c. number of miles traveled
d. All of the above.
RURAL ROUTE INSPECTIONS
37. Mileage noted during a rural route inspection differs from an official route measurement. The length of the route as shown on PS Form 4003 is measured:
a. As the carrier drives the route while delivering
b. Starting from when the carrier leaves postal premises to when the carrier returns to postal premises
c. From
the travel lane of the road way without serving mailboxes
d. To the nearest 1/10 of a mile (one decimal place.)
38. What boxes are credited during an inspection? [Ref. PO-603, Section 524.1]
a. Boxes currently receiving service
b. Boxes vacant over 90 days?
c. Boxes vacant less than 90 days
d. Both a) and c)
RURAL ROUTE MEASUREMENT
39. A PS Form 4003 submitted to adjust the official mileage of a rural route, must be accompanied by paperwork related to one of three possible actions. Which of those listed below does not qualify?
a. Rural
Route Inspection
b. Transfer of Territory - adjustment
c. Extension on PS Form 4027
d. Remeasurement
40. Which of the conditions listed below would trigger a remeasurement of a rural route: [Reference: RR Measurement - Management Guide]
a. Whenever the Line of Travel is affected
b. Whenever adjustments are made to the rural routes of an office
c. Whenever the mileage recorded during the inspection of a route varies with that recorded on Form 4003, Official Route Description
d. Whenever it is requested by the rural carrier
e. Whenever it is deemed necessary by management
f. All of
the above
GROWTH MANAGEMENT / EXTENSIONS
41. The POM defines an Extension as the expansion of rural delivery service into any areas not presently receiving delivery service, but within the delivery limits of the a post office for which rural delivery has already been established. Mail customers may request extension of rural delivery service using which postal form?
________________PS FORM 4027 Petition for Change in Rural Delivery ___________________________
42. Extensions must serve a minimum of __1____ customers per mile of additional travel including retrace. [Ref.: M-38, Chapter 4]
43. Extensions over private roads must be accompanied by what agreement from the mail customers? [Ref.: M-38, 432]
Written agreement to keep the road(s) passable at all times, with the statement included that: "It is understood that if the road is not properly maintained, rural delivery service will be withdrawn."
44. Customers not meeting extension requirements may erect a mail receptacle on the regular line of travel of a rural route. True or False? [Ref.: M-38, 441]
__________TRUE__________________________
MAIL COUNTS
45. Changes in carrier work methods, casing equipment, or office procedures can be made between the date of the local conference and the first day of the count, if: [Ref. M-38 Section 525.14]
a. It was
discussed at the time of the local conference
b. It was discussed immediately prior to inspection
c. None of the above
46. If the carrier takes DPS letters directly to the street during the mail count and discovers sortation errors that must be brought back to the office, those letters are:
a. Cased, subtracted from Column L (DPS) and added to Column A (Letter Size)
b. Cased, added to Column A or Column C and not subtracted from Column L (DPS)
c. Returned to the throwback case and counted the next day as letter size
d. Handled according to common agreement from the pre-count conference
47. Rural carriers are entitled to pay using PS Form 8127 when the number of DPS pieces requiring casing exceeds 125. How is their pay calculated when the machine breaks down and they receive no processed DPS mail? [Ref.: "DPS Implementation Procedures for Rural Routes"]
Additional compensation will be provided in accordance with the formula -- The average daily 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.)
2080 PROBLEMS
48. Extreme actions affecting a carrier’s pay, should not be taken prematurely, as a result of projections done early in the guarantee year. What action may be taken if it appears inevitable that the carrier will exceed 2080 hours during the guarantee period and the carrier refuses to commit sufficient annual leave or does not have sufficient leave? [Ref.: M-38, 214.373; EL-902, Article 9.2.C.8.b.(2)]
a. Remove the High Option (if there is one)
b. Provide relief by adjusting the route and removing some delivery territory
c. Provide auxiliary assistance
d. All of
the above
49. How is a carrier’s pay computed if he or she exceeds 2,240 hours during the guarantee period? [Ref.: Analysis of FLSA]
When the carrier exceeds 2,240 hours during the guarantee period, Section 7(b)(2) is void. The carrier's compensation must then be re-computed on the basis of FLSA 7(a) with all hours in excess of 40 hours in a week to be paid at the FLSA overtime rate.
ROUTE ADJUSTMENTS
50. Route adjustments to rural routes may be necessary for many reasons. ______ is a valid reason to make adjustments.
a. If the carrier requests relief frequently.
b. If the route is overburdened – 47K or 48K
c. If the size of the route causes operational problems.
d. All of the above.
51. In transferring boxes from one rural route to another:
a. The boxes maintain the volume factor of the route on which they were last counted.
b. The boxes assume the volume factor of the route to which they are transferred.
c. The boxes retain the high density status of the route on which they were last counted
d. The carriers retain their previous evaluations until the results of the next mail count is official.
PERSONNEL ACTIONS
52. What is a Designation 79-0? [Ref.: F-21, 531.8]
An RCA in a leave earning status after being assigned to an auxiliary route for more than 90 calendar days.
53. What is a Designation 74-0? [Ref.: F-21, 531.72]
An RCA in a leave earning status after serving full-time on a vacant regular route on in the extended absence of the regular carrier for more than 90 days.
54. What happens to a Designation 79-0 when the auxiliary route is converted to regular and it hasn’t been posted yet?
They must be converted back to a Designation 78-0, via Form 50 Personnel Action.
55. When an RCA is the successful bidder on a vacant regular route what actions must be taken by management ? [Ref.: "Personnel Actions - Quick Facts"]
a. Employee must choose FLSA Code A or B.
b. Schedule the employee for career benefits orientation
c. Begin the hiring process for more relief carriers
d. All of
the above
e. None of the above
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS -- MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
Q. I have just received my Form 4241-A showing the evaluation of my route. On the bottom line there is a block entitled "Evaluated Hours." In my case, the route is shown as K40V. What does the "V" mean?
A. The "V" indicates that a regular rural carrier has been appointed to the route since July 21, 1978, and under the terms of the National Agreement, the vacant route was posted on the basis of evaluated time.
The "V" also means that compensation may not fluctuate between the Heavy Duty and RCS schedules simply to provide the carrier a salary from the higher of the two systems of pay. Simply put, under the terms of the National Agreement, you are "locked" into the evaluated pay system.
Q. Four of my route customers, who each live in single family houses, have not erected mailboxes and wish to have their mail delivered to a neighbor’s box. Is this permissible?
A. Yes, it is permissible if all four of those customers use the same address as the customer who has a box erected for delivery. For example, if the customer with the box lives at 134 Crown Hill Road, then the other four customers must use that same address if they want their mail delivered to that box.
Additionally, only the 134 Crown Hill Road address may be displayed on the box. If those four customers do not wish to use this address, they should make other arrangements for the delivery of their mail; e.g., they may erect mailboxes of their own or they could rent post office boxes. (Ref.: Step 4 decision #H4R-3N-C41308, dated July 6, 1987, SRG #A-28).
SRG is an acronym for Steward’s Reference Guide. Every document in the reference guide was given an alpha-numeric code in order to facilitate locating the document. The steward’s reference material, which totals over 3,700 pages, can be found on the NRLCA home page on the World Wide Web (http://www.nrlca.org/). Also, every state and assistant state steward has a hard copy of all the reference material.
Q. We, the regular carriers, were also told that we must sign our name in the remarks column of Form 4240 every day that we work. Is this correct?
A. Exhibit 120f on page 16 of the PO-603 displays a Form 4240. As you can see, under the word "Remarks," it explains that if the regular carrier was absent, "…give name of relief." There are no requirements for a signature in the "Remarks" column. (Ref: PO-603, Section 152.71, and PO-603, Exhibit 120f)
Q. Must a Form 50 be processed for a rural carrier who is performing a higher level assignment?
A. Yes. After thirty days in the temporary higher level assignment, a Form 50 is processed converting the carrier’s salary to that of a 40-hour evaluated route. During the first thirty days of the assignment, the carrier is compensated based on the evaluation of the route to which assigned.
Q. My supervisor informed me that I had to perform an inspection of all NDCBUs on my route. Can my supervisor require me to do this?
A. No. Rural carriers are not required to inspect cluster box units. That responsibility belongs to the postmaster, manager, or designated individual trained in the equipment review procedures. However, as part of their duties and responsibilities, rural carriers should report obvious equipment deterioration or damage to the postmaster, supervisor, or designee. (Ref: Step 4 decision #HOR-5F-C 6900 dated 8/30/93.)
Q. May my supervisor require me to correct address cards without additional compensation?
A. No. Rural carriers cannot be required to actually correct mailing lists or address cards. Furthermore, if a manager orders a rural carrier to correct such address cards, then the carrier must be appropriately compensated. (Ref: PO-603, Section 165 and Step 4 decision #HOR-1R-C 3164 dated 2/3/93.)
Q. In our office, two clerks and one city carrier work approximately two hours on most holidays sorting and casing mail for city routes and they are paid for this time. Although it is not required, the rural carriers are encouraged to come in during this same time to case their mail – without pay, of course. Is this an acceptable practice?
A. If a manager orders, instructs, directs, encourages, allows or suffers and permits a rural carrier to work on a holiday, he must appropriately compensate such carriers. The Fair Labor Standards Act, Federal Law, prohibits management from working employees without pay. (Ref: National Agreement, Article 8.4.)
Q. Is it proper or legal for a regular rural carrier to pay an RCA to case his afternoon mail or deliver part of his route off-the-clock?
A. No. It is not proper. No employee will solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any compensation from any source other than the Postal Service for any act or omission as an employee. No employee will accept any salary, any contribution to salary, or supplementation of salary as compensation for services as an employee from any source other than the Postal Source. (Ref: ELM 661.413)
Q. What are the consequences of such activity?
A. The regular carrier should be warned by management that such activity could possibly result in discipline.
Q. What if the supervisor/postmaster instructs an RCA to assist a regular carrier in delivering the mail and to ask the regular carrier for compensation?
A. In this case, the manager would be in violation of postal regulations and our National Agreement. Our National Agreement contains provisions for RCAs to be used as auxiliary assistants and for the Postal Service to pay them for such work. (Ref: National Agreement, Articles 8.4 & 9.2.H.2.)
Q. Our supervisor never allows any (Standard A) mail to be given to our Leave Replacements working our days off. This means the regular carriers have extra work to do when we return to work. Can the supervisor properly do this?
A. Whoever is assigned to work a particular day on a rural route is normally expected to perform the full days work. Also, a regular carrier upon return to work is not expected to do work without pay that someone else was already paid to do. In general, the same procedures should apply every day of the work week, regardless of who is serving the route. (Ref: Step 4 decision H4R-4M-C 39280.)
Q. My supervisor tells me that when I deliver a certified letter, the person signing for it must also print his name. Is my supervisor correct?
A. Yes, he is. Effective October 2, 1994, a new standard was implemented that requires the person signing for an item to print as well as sign his or her name. This change applies to Express Mail and mail having registered, certified, insured, return receipt, restricted delivery, return receipt for merchandise and COD service. (Ref: Postal Bulletin #21870, 6/23/94)
Q. Is a rural carrier required to dismount and go to the door with postage due mail?
A. No. Other than ordinary parcels, the types of special service mail which must be taken to the door are listed in Section 313.3 of the PO-603. Postage due mail is notably excluded from that list.
Q. What is the Postal Service policy regarding the possession of cellular telephones by rural carriers in their vehicles?
A. While there is no specific prohibition concerning the possession of car telephones by rural carriers while in a duty status on or off postal property, any such possession or use thereof should not interfere with the performance of their duties and responsibilities. Specifically, rural carriers who possess such equipment should only use it in emergency situations while serving their routes; for example, vehicle breakdown or other hazardous condition affecting the rural carrier’s ability to perform his or her duties in a safe manner. Any possession of car telephones which, in management’s judgment, interferes with a rural carrier’s ability to perform his or her duties efficiently will be addressed locally on a case-by-case basis. (Ref: USPS letter dated 2/3/93 from the Manager, Contract Administration.)
Q. While delivering my route in my personal vehicle, I had a flat tire. It took me twenty minutes to change the flat tire with the spare tire. When I returned to the office upon completion of my route, I entered the twenty minutes in the remarks column of the Form 4240 as a "flat tire". My supervisor subtracted the twenty minutes from my actual work hours for that day. Was that subtraction from actual work hours proper?
A. No. Your supervisor's action was incorrect. Excluding lunch breaks (up to 30 minutes), all time spent on the job (from the sign-in time to the sign-out time) must be reported as actual work hours on your trip report and time card. (ref: USPS Headquarters policy letter dated May 18, 1987 -- SRG # V-4)
"The intent of the language in Section 132.1(b) of the M-37, Rural Carrier Duties and Responsibilities Handbook, is to point out that when a carrier's vehicle experiences a minor breakdown, time required to complete repair (i.e. change tire, etc.) will not be deducted from the route time. The type of breakdown and the amount of time required to complete the repair should be recorded in the comments section of the PS Form 4240, Rural Carrier Trip Report. When it has been determined that a carrier's vehicle is not sufficient for the demands of the route, and there is a history of failure on the carrier's part to ensure that the vehicle provided meets those demands, appropriate action should be taken to correct the deficiency. When a major vehicle breakdown occurs and the carrier is unable to complete the route, the postmaster (immediate supervisor) should be contacted immediately." (Ref: 5/28/87 USPS letter from Andrea B. Wilson, Labor Relations Specialist, Programs and Policies Division, Office of Contract Administration).