Rural Carrier PTF 3 days into probationary period has medical emergency

[Rural Mike]

Hello, I was recently hired as a rural carrier PTF and three days into my beginning probationary period, I had a medical emergency and I might have to have an extended medical leave for up to 4 to 6 weeks. Could I be fired for that?

 

[psd181]

come on man, go ahead and quit before you get fired................ FLMA? no probation for PTF unless hired off the street....???? come on man............

 

[Rural Mike]

come on man, go ahead and quit before you get fired................ FLMA? no probation for PTF unless hired off the street....???? come on man............

Hi, thank you for the reply for sure, I was hired directly off the street. When the position came up for bid, I bid on it and it was awarded to me. During training, I was told it was a day one full benefit career position, and I don’t wanna lose this opportunity because those type of career opportunities very rarely come up. If that makes any difference in your response, please let me know.

 

[psd181]

Hi, thank you for the reply for sure, I was hired directly off the street. When the position came up for bid, I bid on it and it was awarded to me. During training, I was told it was a day one full benefit career position, and I don’t wanna lose this opportunity because those type of career opportunities very rarely come up. If that makes any difference in your response, please let me know.

FLMA....... your best friend. Google it. If the PTF position was a bid won by seniority, there is not a probation period for you. There is a "qualifying" period of 90 calendar days (google that also - usps 90 day qualifying period) to start earning leave. Once that 90 days is up, the leave you earned during those 90 days shows up and you can take it. I think the 90 day qualifying period goes way back to when 95% of workers earned leaved from the 1st day of work. If you didn't make the 90 days of probation, then they had an out to deny annual and sick leave that was actually earned during those days. Wouldn't be good to fire someone for not being a reliable or compatible employee and then have to payout 3 or 4 days of annual.

 

[gotstamps]

Let your management know what’s happening. You are under your probationary period so mgmt can let you go for any reason but the fact that you were hired off the street may save you.
You won’t be able to apply for FMLA as of yet due to the requirement of hours needed to work in the previous 12 months.

 

[Dominator]

Hello, I was recently hired as a rural carrier PTF and three days into my beginning probationary period, I had a medical emergency and I might have to have an extended medical leave for up to 4 to 6 weeks. Could I be fired for that?

You would likely get separated before getting fired. Separation-disqualification is significantly cheaper for the USPS to process than a disciplinary removal.

You haven't worked enough hours (1,250) within 12 months to access FMLA leave.

Maybe your management will be understanding. Tell them what's up.

 

[gotstamps]

FLMA....... your best friend. Google it. If the PTF position was a bid won by seniority, there is not a probation period for you. There is a "qualifying" period of 90 calendar days (google that also - usps 90 day qualifying period) to start earning leave. Once that 90 days is up, the leave you earned during those 90 days shows up and you can take it. I think the 90 day qualifying period goes way back to when 95% of workers earned leaved from the 1st day of work. If you didn't make the 90 days of probation, then they had an out to deny annual and sick leave that was actually earned during those days. Wouldn't be good to fire someone for not being a reliable or compatible employee and then have to payout 3 or 4 days of annual.

Leave is earned immediately & can be used as soon as 1 hour is available for SL & AL for PTFs. There is no documentation that requires a Leave Replacement to be past the 1st 90 days to use AL. The 90-day requirement is ONLY for Des 74 RCAs for earning/using SL.
The OP stated that they were “hired off the street” to the PTF position therefore they won’t have the 1250 hours required to qualify for FMLA.

 

[oi veh.]

@psd181 - opened for you

 

[Old Fart]

Let your management know what’s happening. You are under your probationary period so mgmt can let you go for any reason but the fact that you were hired off the street may save you.
You won’t be able to apply for FMLA as of yet due to the requirement of hours needed to work in the previous 12 months.

Rural Mike -- you must have worked 1250 hours in the previous year to qualify for FMLA.

 

[Rt2mailman]

If your office is so short on RCAs that you were hired off the street as a PTF, you should be fine. There is such a thing as asking and receiving advanced sick leave from your manager. This leave is then paid back when you earn it in the future. Let your manager know what medical leave you need and you’ll probably get it, remember, your office is desperate to keep people.

DO NOT QUIT, if nothing else works make your manager try to fire you. Managers MUST receive permission to fire anyone EVEN IF UNDER 90 days, from the district manager, and they won’t allow it in your little to no rca area. Find out who your steward is by going on the NRLCA. Org site and click on “find my steward”. Contact them and they may be able to help you

 

[oi veh.]

okay, @psd181 had something to say after thread was locked. i reopened, but he/she has not posted, so i will will copy and paste, then delete thread that's waiting approval.

again, this is not my comment, but is from @psd181:

I know I'm not supposed to post a new thread when one is closed, but some additional info is needed.

rural mike said he was hired off the street...............
rural mike said he bid on a PTF position and was awarded it
Now he's 3 days into the PTF assignment and needs medical leave.
worried about probation

I think he meant was hired as an RCA off the street without a test because he would not be allowed to BID for the PTF job unless he was an RCA first.

Under the contract, the PTF position is placed for bid for RCA's with 1 year of service.
If not filled, then the PTF position is placed district wide for RCA's with 1 year of service.
Then, put up for bid for all NON probation RCA's

Then other things happen but not a bid (hired directly into PTF, probation RCA's allowed, ect)

Since rural mike didn't catch my joke about his options, I'm assuming he was not aware of all the procedures and programs and didn't catch meaning. Then he replied he BID on the ptf position.

So logically to BID, he had to be an RCA with 1 year of service or a NON PROBATION RCA (meaning worked 90 actual days but less than 1 full year) Therefore he served his probation as an RCA and does not have to complete another, ARTICLE 30.2.B

 

[psd181]

Hi, thank you for the reply for sure, I was hired directly off the street. When the position came up for bid, I bid on it and it was awarded to me. During training, I was told it was a day one full benefit career position, and I don’t wanna lose this opportunity because those type of career opportunities very rarely come up. If that makes any difference in your response, please let me know.

I think we are not in synch with terminology here. So....

Based upon you saying the PTF position came up for bid, you bid, and were awarded, means you started as an RCA.
PTF posting starts by allowing only RCA's with 1 year of service or more to bid.
If not filled, then RCA's who are NON PROBATION but with less than 1 year of service are allowed to bid.
Then other means are taken.

If you BID, that means you are an RCA who has completed probation. There is never another probation period after your initial period as an RCA ............. article 30.2.B and then for reg article 12

Some thing the 90 day "qualifying period" for leave is probation. It's not! It's just as it says, qualifying period. Once you start in a leave earning position, you have to complete 90 calendar days before being able to use leave you earned from day 1 - 90.

 

[psd181]

okay, @psd181 had something to say after thread was locked. i reopened, but he/she has not posted, so i will will copy and paste, then delete thread that's waiting approval.

again, this is not my comment, but is from @psd181:

I know I'm not supposed to post a new thread when one is closed, but some additional info is needed.

rural mike said he was hired off the street...............
rural mike said he bid on a PTF position and was awarded it
Now he's 3 days into the PTF assignment and needs medical leave.
worried about probation

I think he meant was hired as an RCA off the street without a test because he would not be allowed to BID for the PTF job unless he was an RCA first.

Under the contract, the PTF position is placed for bid for RCA's with 1 year of service.
If not filled, then the PTF position is placed district wide for RCA's with 1 year of service.
Then, put up for bid for all NON probation RCA's

Then other things happen but not a bid (hired directly into PTF, probation RCA's allowed, ect)

Since rural mike didn't catch my joke about his options, I'm assuming he was not aware of all the procedures and programs and didn't catch meaning. Then he replied he BID on the ptf position.

So logically to BID, he had to be an RCA with 1 year of service or a NON PROBATION RCA (meaning worked 90 actual days but less than 1 full year) Therefore he served his probation as an RCA and does not have to complete another, ARTICLE 30.2.B

thanks

 

[gotstamps]

Some thing the 90 day "qualifying period" for leave is probation. It's not! It's just as it says, qualifying period. Once you start in a leave earning position, you have to complete 90 calendar days before being able to use leave you earned from day 1 - 90.

This is ONLY for Des 74 & 79 where SL is concerned. RCAs earn AL from Day 1 and there is nothing i have found that states a 90-day wait to use AL. Please share if you have a Reference.

 

[Rural Mike]

Let your management know what’s happening. You are under your probationary period so mgmt can let you go for any reason but the fact that you were hired off the street may save you.
You won’t be able to apply for FMLA as of yet due to the requirement of hours needed to work in the previous 12 months.

I just what to say thank you to everyone who answered my question… I’ll probably be out 4 to 6 weeks at the most and my postmaster seems to be real sweet and may let me just go on unpaid leave… But I’m really happy I found this forum and it’s answered a lot of my questions for sure

I think we are not in synch with terminology here. So....

Based upon you saying the PTF position came up for bid, you bid, and were awarded, means you started as an RCA.
PTF posting starts by allowing only RCA's with 1 year of service or more to bid.
If not filled, then RCA's who are NON PROBATION but with less than 1 year of service are allowed to bid.
Then other means are taken.

If you BID, that means you are an RCA who has completed probation. There is never another probation period after your initial period as an RCA ............. article 30.2.B and then for reg article 12

Some thing the 90 day "qualifying period" for leave is probation. It's not! It's just as it says, qualifying period. Once you start in a leave earning position, you have to complete 90 calendar days before being able to use leave you earned from day 1 - 90.

I’m gonna try to post in somebody’s thread just so it can stay open. But I was hired as a real carrier PTF straight to career position. All my paperwork said real carrier and everyone else’s paperwork said wrong carrier assistant. Even one our instructor was introducing the class he had. Everyone raise her hands, who were RCA’s, and everyone raise their hand, but me. Then he introduced me as having a very rare option as a real carrier PTF straight off the street during training when we watch the videos everybody was let go for the day and I was able to stay another hour and a half and watch the career videos and you guys and girls probably understand what I’m talking about … For me, this is the opportunity of a lifetime and I really am a strong person physically fit had no idea that any of this was going on and I can bounce back in just a few weeks 3 to 4 weeks so anyway hopefully we can get more posts
thanks

 

[Rural Mike]

I think we are not in synch with terminology here. So....

Based upon you saying the PTF position came up for bid, you bid, and were awarded, means you started as an RCA.
PTF posting starts by allowing only RCA's with 1 year of service or more to bid.
If not filled, then RCA's who are NON PROBATION but with less than 1 year of service are allowed to bid.
Then other means are taken.

If you BID, that means you are an RCA who has completed probation. There is never another probation period after your initial period as an RCA ............. article 30.2.B and then for reg article 12

Some thing the 90 day "qualifying period" for leave is probation. It's not! It's just as it says, qualifying period. Once you start in a leave earning position, you have to complete 90 calendar days before being able to use leave you earned from day 1 - 90.

 

[Rural Mike]

I am so lucky you wouldn’t believe it… The rural carrier PTF rarely comes up and it was actually on the link I clicked on to bid so in my previous post it might’ve seem confusing because even my instructor said the job title I get is literally impossible to get but they’re desperate for employees and the office is so overwhelmed and understaffed. That’s why I think I was able to go straight from the street to rural carrier PTF
career so I was just trying to clarify

 

[Gotrope]

I am so lucky you wouldn’t believe it… The rural carrier PTF rarely comes up and it was actually on the link I clicked on to bid so in my previous post it might’ve seem confusing because even my instructor said the job title I get is literally impossible to get but they’re desperate for employees and the office is so overwhelmed and understaffed. That’s why I think I was able to go straight from the street to rural carrier PTF
career so I was just trying to clarify

Yes, they are hiring Directly off the street for career positions now. Dire circumstances call for desperate measures.