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OPM authorizes streamlined hiring for stimulus efforts

By Alyssa Rosenberg arosenberg@govexec.com March 17, 2009

The Office of Personnel Management will allow federal agencies to use excepted service appointments to hire staffers to carry out the provisions of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the agency's acting director announced on Tuesday.

"This authority will allow agencies to expeditiously hire needed staff without sacrificing veterans' preference," said Kathie Ann Whipple. "OPM has remained steadfast in its protection of merit system principles and veterans' preference, while at the same time providing agencies with flexible hiring authorities to meet their urgent needs."

The agencies can use excepted service authority to fill positions at any grade and at any facility in the country. The appointments are for one year. Agencies will be allowed to renew appointments in additional one-year increments without requesting waivers from OPM, but all appointments must end by Sept. 30, 2012.

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Previously, OPM had reminded agencies that they could use authorities such as the Veterans Recruitment Appointment Program -- which allows the hiring of veterans temporarily for jobs up to General Schedule Grade 11 -- or the Federal Career Intern Program and the Student Career Experience Program for entry-level positions.

Whipple said that agencies should consider whether excepted service appointments are the best way to meet their needs. OPM is prepared to deploy personnel specialists to help agencies with recruiting and workforce planning.

The agency outlined its efforts to help agencies meet stimulus-related staffing needs at a March 3 forum.

A number of agencies and legislators have urged OPM to give agencies blanket permission to rehire federal retirees and to use direct-hire authority to help move the stimulus money more quickly.

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  • Ditto to comments by Michael Smith. I am a 23 yr career female (all in DoD) and have worked my way up from GS-4 to GS-13 (now YA-02) within my 4th DoD agency. I have no problem with any true military warfighter, sailor, airman getting a deserved civil servant position within DoD (especially one for which they are qualified). But I do object to the abuse of the system that has become the "rule" vs the "exception" within DoD for those retiring officers who have never been on a ship, airplane or in the field, but rather have worked at a desk all their career. And to add insult to injury they come into the system in our agency as Gs-14 and 15s with no experience in the positions. These "good ole boy" job opportunities have taken a promotion opportunity from all the civilians who are currently working in a particular dept. with no opportunity for advancement. Within our agency I have seen officers retire Fri. and come back Mon. as a GS employee (with no experience in the the position's subject matter). It is devastating to the morale of the fellow employees, especially when the retiring military talk about getting these manager positions (higher than when they retired) before they even retire right in front of the civilians - almost like it is expected and they are entitled to these promotions. Many are having to leave the military because they are passed over for promotion and have to get out. And NSPS justifies management's getting away with this abuse and complete disregard for the OPM, civlian personnel and Merit Systems Principles practices at the expense of good, hard working federal career civilians. When, if ever, is this injustice going to stop. Career Fed Posted March 23, 2009 11:29 AM
  • Good, now people can hire all their friendsto spend a ton of money they never asked for or know what to do with. Yet another great plan by the clowns in DC. King Tut Posted March 21, 2009 9:53 PM
  • vet I don't care about existing CS and the're desire for advancement. As long as the O-6 has the skills he shoulc be the 1st hired dan m ketter Posted March 20, 2009 4:36 PM
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