Emergency Placement Procedures

According to the 2022 Joint Contract Administration Manual (JCAM), under Article 16.7 (Emergency Procedure), an employee may be immediately placed on an off-duty status (without pay) by the Employer in cases where the allegation involves intoxication (use of drugs or alcohol), pilferage, or failure to observe safety rules and regulations, or in situations where retaining the employee on duty may result in damage to U.S. Postal Service property, loss of mail or funds, or where the employee may be injurious to themselves or others. The employee shall remain on the rolls (non-pay status) until disposition of the case has been made. If it is proposed to suspend such an employee for more than thirty (30) days or discharge the employee, the emergency action taken under this section may be made the subject of a separate grievance【16†source】.

The section does not specify a maximum time after an incident occurs within which management must place an employee on emergency placement. The focus is on the nature of the allegations and the immediate need to address potential harm. However, it does imply that any such emergency action must be justified, and any subsequent disciplinary action stemming from the emergency placement is subject to the grievance procedure, which may scrutinize the timeliness and appropriateness of the action.