C.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Washington Post Office (Board decision, July 2, 2025)

ECAB final decision. The Board dismissed the appeal of OWCP's December 26, 2023 decision as untimely without reaching the merits. 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 Washington postal employee appealed a December 2023 OWCP decision on May 27, 2025. The Board found the 180-day appeal period had ended June 23, 2024. The employee did not document compelling circumstances for the delay, so the Board dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.

Decision snapshot

• Authority: Federal Employees' Compensation Act, 5 U.S.C. § 8101 et seq.; 20 C.F.R. §§ 501.2(c), 501.3.
• Outcome: Appeal dismissed as untimely; no merits review.
• Key point: The May 2025 appeal came after the June 2024 deadline.

Full text (ECAB public release)

United States Department of Labor
Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

________
)
C.M., Appellant
)
)
Docket No. 25-0605
and ) Issued: July 2, 2025
)
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, )
Washington, DC, 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 May 27, 2025, appellant filed an appeal from a December 26, 2023 merit decision of the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP). The Clerk of the Appellate Boards assigned the appeal Docket No. 25-0605.

The Board has duly considered the matter and notes that the Board has jurisdiction to review final adverse decisions of OWCP issued under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA).1 For final adverse decisions of OWCP issued on or after November 19, 2008, the Board’s review authority is limited to appeals which are filed within 180 days from the date of issuance of OWCP’s decision. 2

The 180 th day following the December 26, 2023 decision was June 23, 2024. As appellant did not file an appeal with the Board until May 27, 2025, more than 180 days after the December 26, 2023, OWCP decision, the Board finds that the appeal docketed as No. 25-0605 is untimely filed. The Board is without jurisdiction to review the appeal. Appellant has not explained her failure to timely file an appeal with supporting documentation sufficient to establish 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 the OWCP. compelling circumstances. Because there is no final adverse decision issued by OWCP within 180 days of the filing of the instant appeal, the Board concludes that the appeal docketed as No. 2 5- 0605 must be dismissed. 3 Accordingly,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the appeal docketed as No. 25-0605 is dismissed.

Issued: July 2, 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
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