C.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center (Board decision, April 7, 2025)

ECAB final decision. The Board dismissed the appeal because the cited OWCP letter was informational and was not a final adverse decision. A party may petition the Board for reconsideration within 30 days of issuance unless this order specifies another period, under 20 C.F.R. § 501.7(a). FECA compensation decisions are generally not subject to court review under 5 U.S.C. § 8128(b).

Plain-English summary

A postal worker appealed a March 2025 OWCP letter asking the employer about light-duty work. The Board found the letter did not decide her claim or otherwise constitute a final adverse decision. Without an appealable decision, it dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.

Decision snapshot

• Authority: Federal Employees' Compensation Act, 5 U.S.C. § 8101 et seq.
• Outcome: Appeal dismissed for lack of a final adverse OWCP decision.
• Key point: A request for a light-duty offer was informational, not an appealable decision.

Full text (ECAB public release)

United States Department of Labor
Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

________
)
C.G., Appellant
)
)
and ) Docket No. 25-0360
)
Issued: April 7, 2025
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, PROCESSING & )
DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Tampa, FL,
)
Employer
)
__________ )

Appearances: Case Submitted on the Record
Appellant, pro se
Office of Solicitor, for the Director

ORDER DISMISSING APPEAL

Before:
ALEC J. KOROMILAS, Chief Judge
JANICE B. ASKIN, Judge
VALERIE D. EVANS-HARRELL, Alternate Judge

On March 4, 2025 appellant sought an appeal from a purported March 4, 2025 final adverse decision of the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP). The Clerk of the Appellate Boards assigned the appeal Docket No. 25-0360.

The Board, having duly considered the matter, notes that its jurisdiction is limited to the review of final adverse decisions issued under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act. 1 This jurisdiction encompasses any final decision issued by OWCP within 180 days of the date appellant filed this appeal. 2 The case record contains a March 4, 2025 letter from OWCP to the employing establishment along with instructions and guidelines for light-duty job offers as well as a copy of the second opinion physician’s report. The letter is informational in nature and requests that the employing establishment accommodate appellant with a light-duty offer within her restrictions, or to inform OWCP if it is unable to do so. Thus, this letter does not constitute a final adverse decision

1
5 U.S.C. § 8101 et seq.; 20 C.F.R. §§ 501.2(c) and 501.3(a).
2
20 C.F.R. § 501.3(e) provides in pertinent part: Any notice of appeal must be filed within 180 days from the date of issuance of a decision of OWCP. Appellant clarified that she did not wish to appeal from OWCP’s December 13, 2024 decision. from which appellant may properly appeal. 3 As there is no final adverse OWCP decision over which the Board may properly exercise jurisdiction, the Board concludes that the appeal docketed as No. 25-0360 must be dismissed. 4 Accordingly,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the appeal docketed as No. 25-0360 is dismissed.

Issued: April 7, 2025
Washington, DC

Alec J. Koromilas, Chief Judge
Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

Janice B. Askin, Judge
Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

Valerie D. Evans-Harrell, Alternate Judge Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

3
See Order Dismissing Appeal, J.G., Docket No. 22-0657 (issued April 19, 2023); Order Dismissing Appeal, K.S., Docket No. 20-1401 (issued March 17, 2021); Order Dismissing Appeal, S.U., Docket No. 20-0636 (issued December 3, 2020). 4 The Board’s decisions and orders are final upon the expiration of 30 days from the date of their issuance. 20 C.F.R.
§ 501.6(d).

2