OPM RESTRICTS USE OF TEMPORARY HIRING AUTHORITY;
AUTHORIZES CONVERSION OF TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES

Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has issued final regulations that set strict limits on the amount of time federal agencies may use the temporary hiring authority to retain employees in temporary jobs, thereby putting an end to abuse of the hiring authority.

The new rules appear in today's Federal Register.

In addition, the new rules allow agencies to convert current temporary employees to term appointments, making them eligible for a number of workplace benefits not available to temporary workers.

The new rules limit to one year the amount of time any particular job may be filled under the temporary hiring authority. A single extension of up to one additional year is possible. OPM can authorize exceptions to the rule under special circumstances, including major base closings, reorganizations or other unusual circumstances that might impede normal business.

"Our nation relies heavily on the thousands of men and women who work under temporary employment schedules," said OPM Director Jim King. "They keep our national parks and monuments clean and in top shape for the millions of American citizens and foreign tourists who visit these facilities each year. By changing the way we do business--that is, stopping the abuse of the temporary hiring authority--we are letting our temporary employees know that we recognize their contributions and respect them as people. Treating employees fairly is the prominent feature of these new rules."

Having testified before Congress on the issue of temporary employees, Jim King has kept his promise to law makers to "end the abuse" of the temporary appointment authority.

Current temporary employees who exceed the new employment service limit may be converted to term appointments by their agency. Conversion to a term appointment bequeaths eligibility for the government's pension, health and life insurance programs. Agencies may use the special conversion feature of the new rules for six months from the date they are published in the Federal Register.

Under the old rules, temporary appointments could be extended for up to four years, with indefinite, successive temporary appointments added. This practice had been mainly isolated to federal land management agencies due to the seasonal and intermittent nature of the work performed, such as maintenance of national parks and monuments. Employees in these positions were ineligible for retirement and life insurance benefits, or affordable health insurance.

Since issuing proposed regulations on February 1, 1994, OPM has encouraged agencies to make greater use of term appointments for positions that were expected to last more than one year.

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