L.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Westcliffe Post Office (Board decision, April 22, 2025)

ECAB final decision dismissing appeal. The Board dismissed the appeal for lack of a final adverse OWCP decision. Under 20 C.F.R. § 501.6(d), this order becomes final 30 days after issuance. A party may petition the Board for reconsideration within 30 days unless this order specifies another period, under 20 C.F.R. § 501.7(a).

Plain-English summary

A postal worker tried to appeal a purported March 2025 OWCP decision. The record contained an informational letter about requesting formal adjudication but no final adverse decision. The Board dismissed the appeal without deciding the underlying compensation claim.

Decision snapshot

• Authority: 20 C.F.R. §§ 501.3, 501.6(d), 501.7(a).
• Outcome: Appeal dismissed for lack of a reviewable decision.
• Key point: A letter giving claim-filing information was not a final adverse OWCP decision.

Full text (ECAB public release)

United States Department of Labor
Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

________
)
L.R., Appellant
)
)
and ) Docket No. 25-0416
)
Issued: April 22, 2025
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, WESTCLIFFE POST )
OFFICE, Denver, CO, 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
PATRICIA H. FITZGERALD, Deputy Chief Judge VALERIE D. EVANS-HARRELL, Alternate Judge

On March 26, 2025 appellant sought an appeal from a purported final adverse March 17, 2025 decision of the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP). The Clerk of the Appellate Boards assigned the appeal Docket No. 25-0416.

The Board, having duly considered the matter, notes that the Board has jurisdiction to review final adverse decisions of OWCP issued under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act. 1 This jurisdiction encompasses any final adverse decision issued by OWCP within 180 days of the date appellant filed her appeal. 2 The case record does not contain a document dated March 17, 2025. The case record does contain a March 18, 2025 letter, wherein OWCP directed that if appellant believed that her case would exceed $1,500.00 in medical expenses or that she would be disabled for more than 45 days, she should submit a request for a formal adjudication of her claim. As the March 18, 2025 letter is informational in nature, it 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), which provides in pertinent part: “Any notice of appeal must be filed within 180 days from the date of issuance of a decision of OWCP.” Consequently, the case record as transmitted to the Board does not contain a final adverse decision of OWCP issued within 180 days from the date of docketing of the current appeal. As there is no final adverse decision issued by OWCP over which the Board may properly exercise jurisdiction, the Board concludes that the appeal docketed as No. 25-0416 must be dismissed. 3 Accordingly,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the appeal docketed as No. 25-0416 is dismissed.

Issued: April 22, 2025
Washington, DC

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

Patricia H. Fitzgerald, Deputy Chief Judge Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

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

3
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