§ 1003. — Employment policy.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 39USC1003]
TITLE 39--POSTAL SERVICE
PART II--PERSONNEL
CHAPTER 10--EMPLOYMENT WITHIN THE POSTAL SERVICE
Sec. 1003. Employment policy
(a) Except as provided under chapters 2 and 12 of this title,
section 8G of the Inspector General Act of 1978, or other provision of
law, the Postal Service shall classify and fix the compensation and
benefits of all officers and employees in the Postal Service. It shall
be the policy of the Postal Service to maintain compensation and
benefits for all officers and employees on a standard of comparability
to the compensation and benefits paid for comparable levels of work in
the private sector of the economy. No officer or employee shall be paid
compensation at a rate in excess of the rate for level I of the
Executive Schedule under section 5312 of title 5.
(b) Compensation and benefits for all officers and employees serving
in or under the Office of Inspector General of the United States Postal
Service shall be maintained on a standard of comparability to the
compensation and benefits paid for comparable levels of work in the
respective Offices of Inspector General of the various establishments
named in section 11(2) of the Inspector General Act of 1978.
(c) Compensation and benefits for all Postal Inspectors shall be
maintained on a standard of comparability to the compensation and
benefits paid for comparable levels of work in the executive branch of
the Government outside of the Postal Service. As used in this
subsection, the term ``Postal Inspector'' included \1\ any agent to whom
any investigative powers are granted under section 3061 of title 18.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ So in original. Probably should be ``includes''.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(d) The Postal Service shall follow an employment policy designed,
without compromising the policy of section 101(a) of this title, to
extend opportunity to the disadvantaged and the handicapped.
(Pub. L. 91-375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 730; Pub. L. 104-208, div. A,
title I, Sec. 101(f) [title VI, Sec. 662(c)(2)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110
Stat. 3009-314, 3009-380.)
References in Text
Sections 8G and 11(2) of the Inspector General Act of 1978, referred
to in subsecs. (a) and (b), are sections 8G and 11(2) of Pub. L. 95-452,
which are set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization
and Employees.
Amendments
1996--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104-208, Sec. 101(f) [title VI,
Sec. 662(c)(2)(B)], substituted ``chapters 2 and 12 of this title,
section 8G of the Inspector General Act of 1978,'' for ``chapters 2 and
12 of this title''.
Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 104-208, Sec. 101(f) [title VI,
Sec. 662(c)(2)(A)], added subsecs. (b) and (c) and redesignated former
subsec. (b) as (d).
Effective Date
Section effective Jan. 20, 1971, pursuant to Resolution No. 71-8 of
the Board of Governors. See section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91-375, set out as
a note preceding section 101 of this title.
Compensation of Employees
Section 9 of Pub. L. 91-375 provided that:
``(a) [Increase in Basic Pay Rate; Effective Date] The Postmaster
General, under regulations made by him, shall increase the rates of
basic pay or compensation of employees in the Post Office Department so
that such rates will equal, as nearly as practicable, 108 percent of the
rates of basic pay or compensation in effect immediately prior to the
date of enactment of this Act [Aug. 12, 1970]. Such increases shall take
effect on the first day of the first pay period which begins on or after
April 16, 1970.
``(b) [Retroactive Pay] Retroactive pay, compensation, or salary
shall be paid by reason of this Act [see Short Title note set out under
section 101 of this title] only in the case of an individual in the
service of the United States (including service in the Armed Forces of
the United States) on the date of enactment of this Act [Aug. 12, 1970],
except that such retroactive pay, compensation, or salary shall be
paid--
``(1) to an officer or employee who retired, during the period
beginning on the first day of the first pay period which began on or
after April 16, 1970, and ending on the date of enactment of this
Act [Aug. 12, 1970], for services rendered during such period; and
``(2) in accordance with subchapter VIII of chapter 55 of title
5, United States Code [section 5581 et seq. of Title 5, Government
Organization and Employees], relating to settlement of accounts, for
services rendered, during the period beginning on the first day of
the first pay period which began on or after April 16, 1970, and
ending on the date of enactment of this Act [Aug. 12, 1970], by an
officer or employee who died during such period.
Such retroactive pay, compensation, or salary shall not be considered as
basic pay for the purposes of subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5,
United States Code [section 8331 et seq. of Title 5], relating to civil
service retirement, or any other retirement law or retirement system, in
the case of any such retired or deceased officer or employee.
``(c) [Period for Restoration to Government Position, as Service]
For the purposes of this section, service in the Armed Forces of the
United States, in the case of an individual relieved from training and
service in the Armed Forces of the United States or discharged from
hospitalization following such training and service, shall include the
period provided by law for the mandatory restoration of such individual
to a position in or under the Government of the United States.
``(d) [Group Life Insurance; Amount; Effective Date] For purposes of
determining the amount of insurance for which an individual is eligible
under chapter 87 of title 5, United States Code [section 8701 et seq. of
Title 5], relating to group life insurance for Government employees, all
changes in rates of pay, compensation, and salary which result from the
enactment of this section shall be held and considered to become
effective as of the date of such enactment [Aug. 12, 1970].
``(e) [Limitation of Basic Pay Rate] No rate of basic pay or
compensation, in excess of the rate of basic pay for GS-18 of the
General Schedule in section 5332 of title 5, United States Code, shall
be paid by reason of the enactment of this section.''
Provisions of section 9 of Pub. L. 91-375 effective Aug. 12, 1970,
see section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91-375, set out as an Effective Date note
preceding section 101 of this title.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 1001, 1004 of this title.
