[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 56 (Tuesday, March 23, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13600-13602]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-6399]


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POSTAL SERVICE


Privacy Act of 1974, System of Records

AGENCY: Postal Service.

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

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SUMMARY: This document publishes notice of modifications to the Privacy 
Act system of records USPS 070.040, Inquiries and Complaints--Customer 
and Employee Complaint Records. The modifications amend the types of 
individuals covered, so that the system only covers Postal 
ServiceTM employees, not customers. The modifications also 
make other updates, such as amendments to the system manager and 
storage of records, to reflect current management practices.

DATES: Any interested party may submit written comments on the proposed 
modification. This proposal will become effective without further 
notice on May 3, 2004, unless comments received on or before that date 
result in a contrary determination.

ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments on this proposal to the 
Records Office, United States Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., 
Room 5846, Washington, DC 20260-5846. Copies of all written comments 
will be available at the above address for public inspection and 
photocopying between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rowena Dufford at (202) 268-5246.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: System of records USPS 070.040 contains 
records relating to inquiries and complaints from Postal Service 
customers and employees. The revisions to this system will limit the 
types of individuals covered to include only present or former Postal 
Service employees. This reflects the deletion of customer inquiries and 
complaints, which are no longer covered by this system. Customer 
inquiries and complaints are now

[[Page 13601]]

included in Privacy Act system USPS 530.000, Customer Service and 
Correspondence. The notice also clarifies that the system covers 
records that are created as a result of management-initiated 
investigations into workplace issues.
    To reflect the correct scope, the notice proposes several changes 
to the system. These include changes to the categories of individuals 
covered by the system, categories of records in the system, the purpose 
of the system, the system manager, notification procedures, and records 
source categories. The modifications also make appropriate updates to 
the system, including changes to the system name, storage, and 
safeguards. This system does not contain records covered under 030.010, 
EEO Discrimination Complaint Files, or 120.036, Discipline, Grievance, 
and Appeals Records for Nonbargaining Unit Employees.
    The Postal Service does not expect this amended notice to have any 
adverse effect on individual privacy rights. The amendment does not 
change the kinds of personal information about employees that are 
collected and maintained. The amendment deletes customer information, 
which is included in a different system of records. The amendment also 
ensures that information collected as part of a management 
investigation that is Privacy Act protected is appropriately covered in 
a system of records. The amendment also makes needed updates to the 
system, such as storage and safeguards revisions.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(11), interested persons are invited to 
submit written data, views, or arguments on this proposal. A report of 
the proposed system has been sent to Congress and to the Office of 
Management and Budget for their evaluation.
    Privacy Act System of Records USPS 070.040 was last published in 
its entirety in the Federal Register on June 29, 1995 (60 FR 33882-
33883) and was amended on February 23, 1999 (64 FR 8876-8892). The 
Postal Service proposes amending the system as shown below:
USPS 070.040

System Name:
    [CHANGE TO READ:]
    Employee Inquiry, Complaint, and Investigative Records, 070.040
* * * * *

System Location:
    [CHANGE TO READ:]
    Employee Resource Management, Postal Service Headquarters; areas; 
performance clusters; districts; Post Offices; and contractor sites.
* * * * *

Categories of Individuals Covered by the System
    [CHANGE TO READ:]
    Postal Service employees who have contacted the Postal Service with 
an inquiry or complaint and employees who are subject to management 
inquiries or investigations.
* * * * *

Categories of Records in the System
    [CHANGE TO READ:]
    Employee information such as name, address, title, finance number, 
and work location; nature of the inquiry, complaint, or investigation; 
assessment of concerns, findings, and recommendations; and resolution 
of same. Includes general correspondence about employees' complaints 
and inquiries and records related to management investigations of 
workplace issues, including but not limited to notes, statements, or 
statement summaries made during such investigations.
* * * * *

Authority for Maintenance of the System
    [CHANGE TO READ:]
    39 U.S.C. 401, 404

Purpose
    [CHANGE TO READ:]
    1. To enable review and response to employee inquiries and 
complaints.
    2. To enable management to initiate, review, process, track, and 
resolve concerns, complaints, and inquiries relating to the workplace.
    3. To support administrative or court litigation and/or arbitration 
proceedings.
* * * * *

Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System, Including Categories 
of Users and the Purposes of Such Uses:
    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.
* * * * *

Policies and Practices for Storing, Retrieving, Accessing, Retaining, 
and Disposing of Records in the System Storage
    [CHANGE TO READ:]
    Automated databases, computer storage media, and typed, printed, or 
handwritten paper.
* * * * *

Retrievability
    [CHANGE TO READ:]
    By alphabetic or chronological sequence within subject category as 
derived from correspondence; including employee identifiers, work 
location, or case number.
* * * * *

Safeguards
    [CHANGE TO READ:]
    Paper records, computers, and computer storage tapes and disks are 
maintained in controlled-access areas or under general supervision of 
Human Resources personnel. Computers are protected by a cipher lock 
system, card key system, or other physical access control methods. 
Computer systems and electronic records are also protected with 
security software and operating system controls, including logon and 
password identifications, firewalls, terminal and use identifications, 
and file management. Access to these records is limited to authorized 
personnel. Contractors must provide similar protection subject to a 
security compliance review by the Postal Inspection Service.
* * * * *

Retention and Disposal
    [CHANGE TO READ:]
    Destroy 4 years after response to inquiry, resolution of complaint, 
and/or after conclusion of investigation. Note: Some records may be 
retained longer when required for administrative or court litigation, 
or arbitration proceedings. Records custodians must determine if 
records are required for such proceedings before destroying.
* * * * *

System Manager(s) and Address
    [CHANGE TO READ:]
    Vice President, Employee Resources Management, United States Postal 
Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Washington, DC 20260-4200.
* * * * *

Notification Procedure
    [CHANGE TO READ:]
    Employees wanting to know if information about them is maintained 
in this system of records must submit a written request to the head of 
the facility to which they submitted their inquiry or complaint, or to 
the Human Resources representative responsible for the facility to 
which they are assigned. Inquiries must contain name, address, and 
other identifying information sufficient to identify the requestor as 
well as sufficient information to identify the inquiry, complaint, or 
investigation.
* * * * *

[[Page 13602]]

Record Access Procedures:
    Requests for access must be made in accordance with the 
notification procedure above and the Postal Service Privacy Act 
regulations regarding access to records and verification of identity 
under 39 CFR 266.6.

Contesting Records Procedures:
    See Notification Procedure and Record Access Procedures above.

Records Source Categories
    [CHANGE TO READ:]
    Postal Service employees or former employees.
* * * * *

SYSTEMS EXEMPTED FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE ACT:
    Records or information in this system that have been compiled in 
reasonable anticipation of a civil action or proceeding are exempt from 
individual access under 5 U.S.C. 552a(d)(5). In addition, the Postal 
Service has claimed exemptions from certain provisions of the Act for 
several of its other systems of records as permitted by 5 U.S.C. 
552a(j) and (k). See 39 CFR 266.9. To the extent that copies of exempt 
records from those other systems are incorporated into this system, the 
exemptions applicable to the original primary system must continue to 
apply to the incorporated records.

Neva Watson,
Attorney, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 04-6399 Filed 3-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P