Re: Information Technology Career Development
The Employer recognizes the desirability of advancing the career development of employees assigned to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) group. Accordingly, assistance to enable employees to reach their potential shall be provided as follows:
1. On an annual basis, if requested by the employee, management will meet with the employee to discuss the employee's career goals and objectives as well as those of the Postal Service. This discussion will include an appraisal of the employee's progress and any suggestions as to how career advancement could be improved. These discussions shall be a private matter between management and the employee and shall neither be grievable nor used for discipline.
2. Employees will use the Individual Development Plan (IDP) Form in HERO to document an employee's requested year1y career/training discussions. If a training request is denied, management will communicate to the employee the reason for the denial and provide documents to the employee for reference.
3. DCS-23 Technical Training Specialists will work with individual IT employees to establish educational, training, or mentoring plans. The Technical Training Specialists will be responsible for tracking individual employee educational, training, or mentoring progress. IT will continue to use the automated IT training application on the ServiceNow Platform.
4. Employees must request and obtain approval prior to enrolling in a training course, and the Employer will pay the cost for approved courses directly to the course provider.
5. Employees must successfully complete the training course and provide proof of satisfactory completion to the Technical Training Specialist via e-mail within two (2) weeks of the course end date. Proof of satisfactory course completion may include proof of receipt of a final grade of C or higher and/or certification of completion and attendance. For graded courses, employees must receive a final grade of C or higher. Section 744.1 of the Employee and labor Relations Manual (ELM) states, "A grade of B or higher, or a grade of pass in a pass/fail course, is required for all courses." For purposes of this MOU only, employees must have a final grade of C or higher and must pass in a pass/fail course.
6. Employees are limited to a maximum of $5,000 per fiscal year, per employee. Any employee utilizing the $5,000, shall sign and submit a Continued Service Agreement (CSA). In accordance with Section 744 of the ELM, employees who complete more than five (5) external training courses within three (3) consecutive years will be considered working towards completing an academic degree and will be required to complete a CSA if the total expenditure for the training is $5,000 or more.
7. In compliance with Section 744.3 of the ELM, employees utilizing a total of $5,000 for training or development per fiscal year must complete a one (1) year commitment period within the Postal Service. The commitment period begins immediately upon completion of the training.
8. An employee may be required to reimburse the Postal Service for expenses incurred in connection with a training program if any one of the following occurs:
1. Employee fails to enroll in the approved training or fails to complete the training successfully (ELM 744.41),
2. Employee fails to receive a final grade of C or higher,
3. Employee fails to provide documentation of successful completion of the training. Documentation includes the employee's training certification copies and grade reports.
4. Employee voluntarily separates from the Postal Service for any reason other than non-career military service (including but not limited to regular retirement or involuntary termination) prior to either completing the training or completing the one (1) year commitment period (ELM 744.41).
9. This MOU refers to voluntary, external training which has been requested by the employee for career development.
Career development is an appropriate subject of discussion for the Labor-Management Committee.
This MOU will expire at the end of this contract term.
Arrion Brown Celia Clinton
Director, Support Services Labor Relations Specialist
American Postal Workers Union Collective Bargaining and Arbitration, USPS
Document Type: Memorandum of Understanding
Craft: Support Services