R.N. and U.S. Postal Service, Fort Point Post Office (Board decision, August 19, 2025)

ECAB final decision. The Board dismissed docket 25-0698 for lack of jurisdiction because no final adverse OWCP decision was before it. 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 what he described as an April 2, 2025 OWCP decision. The Board found the document was informational correspondence, not a final adverse decision. With no appealable decision in the relevant period, the Board dismissed the appeal without reaching the compensation merits.

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 for lack of a final adverse OWCP decision.
• Key point: Informational correspondence did not give the Board jurisdiction.

Full text (ECAB public release)

United States Department of Labor
Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

________
)
R.N., Appellant
)
)
Docket No. 25-0698
and ) Issued: August 19, 2025
)
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, FORT POINT POST )
OFFICE, Boston, MA, 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 July 9, 2025 appellant filed an appeal from a purported April 2, 2025 decision of the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP). The Clerk of the Appellate Boards assigned the appeal Docket No. 25-0698.

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 This jurisdiction encompasses any final adverse decision issued by OWCP within 180 days of the date appellant filed the appeal. 2 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. 3 Although there is a correspondence dated April 2, 2025 contained in the record, it is informational in nature. Because there is no final adverse decision issued by OWCP

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.” 3
Id. at § 501.3. over which the Board may properly exercise jurisdiction, the Board concludes that the appeal docketed as No. 25-0698 must be dismissed. 4 Accordingly,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the appeal docketed as No. 25-0698 is dismissed.

Issued: August 19, 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

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