PS Form 3971
Every now and then I either get phone calls or are asked when I make a station visit about a carrier not being paid properly when he or she requested time off. The first question I ask them is did they fill out PS Form 3971 Request for Notification of Absence? Some of the answers I receive I cannot believe: What is a Form 3971? I think management gave me something to sign when I came back to work, is that it? Yeah I think so, I signed something, I didn’t look at it or ask for a copy. I don’t know? No, yes, maybe? These are some of the answers I receive. Did you make a copy of what you signed? The only answer I receive on this question is “no”.
According to the Employee Labor Relations Manual Section: 513.33 Requests for Sick Leave; 513.331 General: Except for unexpected illness or injury situations, sick leave must be requested on PS Form 3971 and approved in advance by the appropriate supervisor. 513.332 Unexpected Illness or Injury: An exception to the advance approval requirement is made for unexpected illness or injuries; however, in this situation the employee must notify appropriate postal authorities of his or her illness or injury and expected duration of the absence as soon as possible. When sufficient information is provided to determine that the absence may be covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the following Department of Labor forms will be mailed to the employee’s address of record along with a return envelope:
a. WH 381, FMLA Notice of Eligibility and Rights and Responsibilities; and
b. One of the following forms, as appropriate:
1. WH-380-E, FMLA Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee’s Serious Health Condition.
2. WH-380-F, FMLA Certification of Health Care Provider for Family Member’s Serious Health Condition.
3. WH-385, FMLA Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of Covered Service member — for Military Family Leave.
Note: These forms are provided for the employee’s convenience, as they solicit all required information; however, employees may use another format as long as it provides complete and sufficient information as required by the FMLA. The information provided should relate only to the specific reason associated with the request for leave protection. PS Form 3971, Request for or Notification of Absence, will be provided to the employee upon his or her return to duty. When sufficient information to determine that the absence is covered by FMLA is not provided in advance of the absence, the employee must submit a PS Form 3971 and applicable medical or other certification upon returning to duty and explain the reason for the absence. Employees may be required to submit acceptable evidence of incapacity to work as outlined in the provisions of 513.36, Sick Leave Documentation Requirements, or noted on the reverse of PS Form 3971 or on Department of Labor Form WH-381, as applicable. The supervisor approves or disapproves the leave request. When the request is disapproved, the absence may be recorded as annual leave or, if appropriate, as LWOP or AWOL, at the discretion of the supervisor as outlined in 513.342.
513.34 PS Form 3971, Request for or Notification of Absence: 513.341 General; Request for sick leave is made in writing, in duplicate, on PS Form 3971. If the absence is to care for a family member, this fact is to be noted in the Remarks section. 513.342 Approval or Disapproval: The supervisor is responsible for approving or disapproving requests for sick leave by signing PS Form 3971, a copy of which is given to the employee. If a supervisor does not approve a request for leave as submitted, the Disapproved block on the PS Form 3971 is checked and the reason(s) given, in writing, in the space provided. When a request is disapproved, the granting of any alternate type of leave, if any, must be noted along with the reason for the disapproval. AWOL determinations must be similarly noted.
Management would like nothing more than to charge you annual leave instead of sick leave for a few reasons: Upper management doesn’t question them about annual leave as much as sick leave. If management charges you annual leave instead of sick leave you may not have enough annual leave for a vacation week (32 or 40 hrs. annual leave) and management might try to deny you that week, stating you don’t have enough annual leave for the week. Management can also charge you with LWOP if you don’t complete PS from 3971 and when you receive your paycheck you will be not paid for the hours that you called out.
So remember the next time you call in sick or take annual leave make sure you fill out PS Form 3971 and check off the appropriate type of absence fill out the entire form, have your supervisor sign and date that he received the form and make yourself a copy. Management will fill out the Official Action on Application and return a copy of signed request to employee. If you look at PS Form 3971 on the bottom it states just what I said: Official Action on Application (Return copy of signed request to employee). So if management tells you that you don’t get a copy with what action management took by action I mean approved or disapproved or other leave given show them PS Form 3971 and in the darken out area on the bottom it states that!
I would like to wish all my Brothers and Sisters and their families a Happy Thanksgiving!
