[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 139 (Friday, July 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43247-43249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17325]


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POSTAL SERVICE


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.

ACTION: Notice of modification to existing systems of records.

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SUMMARY: The United States Postal Service[supreg] is proposing to 
modify four General Privacy Act Systems of Records. These updates are 
being made to account for additional methods that the Postal Service 
uses to contact applicants, employees, and former employees. 
Additionally, changes are being made to one record system to include 
assessments of postal employees and to expand the locations where 
information from such assessments may be stored. Lastly, changes are 
being made to another record system pertaining to personnel research to 
include former Postal Service employees as a category of individuals 
covered by that system and to modify one of the purposes of the system.

DATES: These revisions will become effective without further notice on 
August 19, 2013 unless comments received on or before that date result 
in a contrary determination.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed or delivered to the Records Office, 
United States Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Room 9431, 
Washington, DC 20260-1101. Copies of all written comments will be 
available at this address for public inspection and photocopying 
between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew J. Connolly, Chief Privacy 
Officer (A), Privacy and Records Office, 202-268-8582.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is in accordance with the 
Privacy Act requirement that agencies publish their amended systems of 
records in the Federal Register when there is a revision, change, or 
addition. The Postal ServiceTM has reviewed these systems of

[[Page 43248]]

records and has determined that these four General Privacy Act Systems 
of Records should be revised to modify system location, categories of 
individuals covered by the system, categories of records in the system, 
purpose(s), retreivability, notification procedure, and record source 
categories.

I. Background

    The U.S. Postal Service has, as a necessary practice since the 
inception of its online application process, collected the personal 
email addresses of applicants and potential applicants as a means of 
communication. The proposed changes are intended to account for such 
collection.
    Additionally, over the next few years, a substantial portion of the 
current Postal Service leadership will be eligible to retire. Moreover, 
a significant organizational transition is changing the competencies 
and skills that are needed by up-and-coming leadership. Therefore, it 
is critically important that the Postal Service be ready to assess the 
capabilities of existing and potential leaders by providing tailored 
assessments that adequately measure characteristics that are linked 
directly to the leadership competency models, thereby allowing the 
Postal Service to identify, develop, and hire top talent into 
leadership positions. The proposed changes are intended to facilitate 
such assessments and the storage of information generated from such 
assessments.
    Lastly, the proposed changes are intended to provide Human 
Resources with the option of contacting former employees, via their 
personal email addresses, for the purpose of obtaining feedback that 
will enable the Postal Service to continuously improve its processes.

II. Rationale for Changes to USPS Privacy Act Systems of Records

    The systems of records 100.000 General Personal Records and 100.100 
Recruiting, Examining, and Placement Records are being modified to 
account for the collection of personal email addresses from applicants 
and potential applicants who then become employees.
    Additionally, the system of records 100.300 Employee Development 
and Training Records is being updated to facilitate the assessment 
services of contractors as part of its continued effort to develop and 
hire talent into leadership positions.
    Lastly, the Postal Service is also proposing additional changes to 
system of records 100.600 Personnel Research to facilitate assessments 
by Human Resources of the impact of selection decisions on applicants 
within specific demographic categories, including, among other 
categories, veteran status. Among other things, these changes will 
enable the Postal Service to obtain feedback from applicants, potential 
applicants, employees, and former employees via their personal email 
addresses so that the Postal Service may continuously improve its 
processes. A minor change is also being made to clarify that Employee 
Identification Numbers, which are used to identify postal employees in 
other records systems, will be a category of records in this system.

III. Description of Changes to Systems of Records

    The Postal Service is modifying four systems of records listed 
below. 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 modifications has been sent to Congress and to 
the Office of Management and Budget for their evaluation. The Postal 
Service does not expect this amended notice to have any adverse effect 
on individual privacy rights. The affected systems are as follows:

USPS 100.000

System Name: General Personnel Records

USPS 100.100

System Name: Recruiting, Examining, and Placement Records

USPS 100.300

System Name: Employee Development and Training Records

USPS 100.600

System Name: Personnel Research Records

    Accordingly, for the reasons stated, the Postal Service proposes 
changes in the existing system of records as follows:
USPS 100.000

SYSTEM NAME:
    General Personnel Records.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
* * * * *
    [CHANGE TO READ]
    1. Employee, former employee, and family member information: 
Name(s), Social Security Number(s), Employee Identification Number, 
date(s) of birth, place(s) of birth, marital status, postal assignment 
information, work contact information, home address(es) and phone 
number(s), personal email address, finance number(s), duty location, 
and pay location.
* * * * *
USPS 100.100

SYSTEM NAME:
    Recruiting, Examining, and Placement Records.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
* * * * *
    [CHANGE TO READ]
    1. Applicant, potential applicants with candidate profiles, and 
employee information: Name(s), Social Security Number(s), Candidate 
Identification Number, Employee Identification Number, date(s) of 
birth, postal assignment or vacancy/job posting history information, 
work contact information, home address(es) and phone number(s), 
personal email address, finance number(s), duty location, and pay 
location.
* * * * *
USPS 100.300

SYSTEM NAME:
    Employee Development and Training Records.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    [CHANGE TO READ]
    Management training centers, Integrated Business Solutions Services 
Centers, other USPS facilities where career development and training 
records are stored, and contractor sites.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
* * * * *
    [CHANGE TO READ]
    2. Employee development and training information: Records related 
to career development, work history, assessments, skills bank 
participation, USPS- and non-USPS-sponsored training, examinations, 
evaluations of training, and USPS lodging when a discrepancy report is 
filed against the student about unauthorized activities while occupying 
the room.
* * * * *
USPS 100.600

SYSTEM NAME:
    Personnel Research Records.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    [CHANGE TO READ]
    Potential applicants for USPS employment, applicants for USPS 
employment, USPS employee applicants for reassignment and/or promotion, 
employees whose work records or solicited responses are used in 
research projects, and former USPS employees.

[[Page 43249]]

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    [CHANGE TO READ]
    1. Applicant, potential applicant with candidate profile, and 
employee information: Name, Social Security Number, Candidate 
Identification Number, Employee Identification Number (EIN), or 
respondent identification code, place of birth, postal assignment or 
vacancy/posting information, work contact information, home address and 
phone number(s), personal email address, finance number(s), duty 
location, and pay location.
    2. Personnel research information: Records related to race, 
ethnicity, sex, tenure, age, veteran status, and disability status 
(only if volunteered by the individual); research project identifiers; 
and other information pertinent to personnel research.
* * * * *

PURPOSE(S):
* * * * *
    [CHANGE TO READ]
    2. To assess the impact of selection decisions on applicants in 
race, ethnicity, sex, tenure, age, veteran status, and disability 
categories.
* * * * *

RETRIEVABILITY:
    By individual name, Social Security Number, Candidate 
Identification Number, Employee Identification Number, personal email 
address, respondent identification code, research project identifiers, 
postal assignment or vacancy/posting information, duty or pay location, 
or location where data were collected.
* * * * *

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
    Individuals wanting to know if information about them is maintained 
in this system of records must address inquiries to the Vice President, 
Employee Resource Management, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Washington, DC 
20260. In cases of studies involving information not collected through 
an examination, individuals must address inquiries to the system 
manager. Inquiries must contain full name; Candidate Identification 
Number, Employee Identification Number, or respondent identification 
code, and subject or purpose of research/survey; and date and location 
of their participation.
* * * * *

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    USPS employees, former employees, applicants, and potential 
applicants with candidate profiles who provide information to personnel 
research programs and other systems of records.
* * * * *

Stanley F. Mires,
Attorney, Legal Policy & Legislative Advice.
[FR Doc. 2013-17325 Filed 7-18-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P