American Postal Workers Union
AFL-CIO
Sick Leave Issues
Medical
Documentation or Other Acceptable Evidence for Absences of Three (3) Days or
Less
For your information, attached you will find a letter
that was forwarded to the Postal Service to determine if there is a
disagreement between the parties at the national level regarding the conditions
under which an employee may be required to submit medical documentation or other
acceptable evidence for periods of absence of three days or less. It
appears that in some offices, through the application of the RMD/eRMS, local
management may be improperly requiring medical documentation for absences of
three days or less.
The letter provides in detail the APWU position regarding
this matter, and should be shared with locals in your respective areas. If
employees are being improperly required to submit medical documentation or other
acceptable evidence for absences of three days or less, grievances should be
filed at the local level. The requested remedy should include, but not be
limited to (depending on local fact circumstances), that the grievant be
reimbursed for their expense in obtaining medical documentation, plus the cost
for travel to and from the doctor, and for lost time.
As far as the Postal Service is concerned, there is no dispute or disagreement regarding the conditions under which an employee may be required to submit medical documentation or other acceptable evidence for periods of absence of 3 days or less." Therefore, it is the APWU position that there is no dispute or disagreement between the parties at the national level concerning the circumstances and conditions that medical documentation for absences of 3 days or less - as specified in the APWU's August 27th letter, and the Postal Service's September 10th letter of response represent their mutual understanding/agreement.