OPM delays implementing new promotion rules
Regulations that would expedite promotions for feds now will take effect on May 18.
The Office of Personnel Management on Thursday decided to postpone issuing rules to abolish the one-year time-in-grade requirement for federal employee promotions.
The regulations, which allow federal employees to climb the career ladder faster, were scheduled to take effect March 9, but OPM's decision will delay their implementation until May 18.
Under current rules, employees in competitive service General Schedule positions at grade levels 5 and above must serve 52 weeks in a grade before becoming eligible for promotion. The new rule eliminates the 52-week condition, provided employees meet occupational and job-related qualification requirements.
OPM originally proposed abolishing the time-in-grade requirements to allow agencies more leeway in recruiting and retaining highly qualified employees in tight labor markets. OPM also touted the new rules as a tool to help agencies implement workforce flexibilities such as paybanding and other demonstration projects without obtaining time-in-grade waivers.
The delay in executing the rules drew praise from the National Treasury Employees Union, which on Feb. 6 issued a letter to OPM asking it to comply with an Office of Management and Budget directive that suspended all pending federal rule changes issued by the previous administration.
Colleen Kelley, president of NTEU, expressed concern that the rules were an effort by the former Bush administration to impose pay for performance on the civil service. "The merit system is vulnerable to manipulation and abuse," she said. "Many managers are not well-trained, and pay or promotion schemes instituted without training, objective criteria and adequate oversight can lead -- and have led -- to favoritism, nepotism and illegal discrimination."
OPM did not return calls seeking comment.