[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 147 (Tuesday, July 30, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39674-39675]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19262]


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POSTAL SERVICE


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Notice of revisions to an existing system of records.

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SUMMARY: This document publishes notice of modifications to Privacy Act 
system of records USPS 030.010, Personnel Records--Equal Employment 
Opportunity--EEO Discrimination Complaint Files. The proposed 
modifications expand the system location and categories of individuals, 
add a routine use, and make editorial revisions that clarify the 
categories of records, purpose(s), and storage sections of this notice.

DATES: This proposal will become effective without further notice on 
September 9, 1996, unless comments received on or before that date 
result in a contrary determination.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on this proposal should be mailed or 
delivered to Payroll Accounting and Records, United States Postal 
Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Room 8650, Washington, DC 20260-5243. 
Copies of all written comments will be available at the above address 
for public inspection and photocopying between 8 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., 
Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rubenia Carter, (202) 268-4872.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Privacy Act system of records USPS 030.010 
contains records that relate to complaint processing activities under 
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulations. The 
editorial modifications provide clarity to the categories of records, 
purpose(s), and storage sections of the system description. The changes 
to those sections do not expand or otherwise alter the character or use 
of information contained in the system.
    The Postal Service is proposing to use mediators to resolve 
complaints at the precomplaint stage. The mediator will serve as a 
bridge between employees and management, attempt to facilitate an 
amicable solution to employee problems, and inform employees of their 
right to file a formal complaint with the EEO appeals review specialist 
when attempts at informal resolution fail. The use of a mediator at the 
precomplaint stage will decrease the number of formal EEO complaints. 
The Postal Service plans to use postal employees (ad hoc), employees of 
other federal agencies, and employees of a contractor as mediators. The 
effectiveness of the mediators will be determined by the number of 
complaints handled and the outcome of each case resolved at the 
precomplaint stage. To track the success of each mediator, the Postal 
Service will maintain and retrieve the following information about each 
mediator: Number of cases mediated, dates available, and results of 
each mediation. The use of mediators and the need to maintain 
information about mediators require us to expand the categories of 
individuals covered by the system and also require us to add a routine 
use to this system.
    The proposed routine use will permit disclosure of information to 
an employee of another federal agency and to a contractor serving as a 
mediator to resolve EEO complaints.
    The proposed routine use is compatible with the purpose for 
collecting the information; that is, to facilitate the resolution of an 
EEO complaint. Because the disclosure allowed by this routine use will 
enable the Postal Service to expedite processing of EEO complaints, it 
will ensure equal employment opportunity for all persons in accordance 
with EEOC's regulations found in 29 CFR part 1614.
    All records within Privacy Act system USPS 030.010 continue to be 
kept in a secured environment, with automated data processing (ADP) 
physical and administrative security and technical software applied to 
data on computer media. Paper records are kept in a secured area and 
are only made available on an official need-to-know basis. Mediators of 
an entity under contract with the Postal Service who maintain data 
collected by the Postal Service are subject to the Privacy Act in 
accordance with subsection (m) and are required to apply appropriate 
protections subject to the audit and inspection of the Postal 
Inspection Service. In view of these factors, the Postal Service has 
determined that this system amendment is a matter of practice and 
procedure that will not substantially affect the rights or obligations 
of private parties.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(a)(e)(11), interested persons are invited 
to submit written data, views, or arguments on the proposed part of 
this notice. A report of the proposed system changes has been sent to 
Congress and to the Office of Management and Budget for their 
evaluation.
    USPS Privacy Act system USPS 030.010 was last published in its 
entirety in the Federal Register on October 26, 1989 (54 FR 43663-
43664) and amended in the Federal Register on October 11, 1990 (55 FR 
41399).
USPS 030.010
System Name:
    Equal Employment Opportunity--EEO Discrimination Complaint Files, 
030.010.
System Location:
    [CHANGE TO READ] ``EEO Compliance & Appeals, Labor Relations, 
Headquarters; EEO Compliance and Appeals Processing Centers, area 
offices; districts; and contractor sites.''
Categories of Individuals Covered by the System:
    [CHANGE TO READ] ``Current and former postal employees, applicants 
for positions within the Postal Service, third-party complainants, and 
mediators (postal employees, other federal agency employees and 
contract employees).''

[[Page 39675]]

Categories of Records covered by the system:
    [CHANGE TO READ] ``Records may contain names, work locations, 
dates, Social Security numbers, the number of complaints and the 
resolution of complaints mediated, and other information as contained 
on affidavits, interview reports, investigative forms, counselor 
reports, exhibits, withdrawal notices, settlement agreements, briefs, 
appeals, copies of decisions, records of hearings and meetings, and 
other records related to complaints.''
Purpose(s):
    [CHANGE TO READ] ``Used by EEO officers and the Equal Employment 
Opportunity Commission to adjudicate complaints of alleged 
discrimination and to evaluate the effectiveness of the EEO program. 
Also used by Human Resources personnel to administer voluntary 
alternative dispute resolution programs.''
Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories 
of users and the purposes of such uses:
    General routine use statements a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, j, k, l, and 
m listed in the prefatory statement at the beginning of the Postal 
Service's published system notices apply to this system. Other routine 
uses are as follows:
    l. [CHANGE TO READ] ``Information contained in this system of 
records may be disclosed to an authorized investigator appointed by the 
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, upon his/her request, when 
that investigator is properly engaged in the investigation of a formal 
complaint of discrimination filed against the U.S. Postal Service under 
29 CFR part 1614 and the contents of the requested records are needed 
by the investigator in the performance of his/her duty to investigate a 
discrimination issue involved in the complaint.'' [Add: Routine Use 2]
    ``2. Information may be disclosed to a mediator retained by the 
Postal Service when needed to resolve an EEO complaint at the 
precomplaint stage.''

Storage:
    [CHANGE TO READ] ``Paper case files. Status information required by 
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is maintained on ADP 
records. Records of alternative dispute resolution are maintained in an 
electronic database.''
* * * * *
Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 96-19262 Filed 7-29-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P