ABANDONMENT OF POSITION — When an employee (e.g., DD04) are considered as one agency fails to report for duty and does not submit a resignation.

ABSENCE WITHOUT LEAVE (AWOL) — Absence without prior approval, a non-pay status resulting from an Agency determination that it will not grant any type of leave (not even leave without pay) for a period of absence for which the employee did not obtain advance authorization or for which a request for leave has been denied.

ACCESSION — A personnel action that results in the addition of an employee to the rolls (staff) of an agency. (See APPOINTMENT)

ACTIVE DUTY OR ACTIVE MILITARY DUTY (Creditable Service for Leave Accrual and Reduction in Force Purposes Only) — Means full-time duty with military pay and allowances in the Armed Forces. Active duty does include "annual" active duty for training, but excludes weekend Reserve meetings.

ADJUSTED BASIC PAY — is the maximum adjusted rate of basic pay after taking into account all pay caps that may be applicable.

ADVERSE ACTION — A personnel action considered unfavorable to an employee, e.g., removal, suspension, furlough, or reduction in grade or pay.

AGENCY — Any department or independent establishment of the Federal Government, including a Government- owned or controlled corporation, that has the authority to hire employees in the competitive, excepted, and senior executive service

ANNUITANT — A person who receives an annuity.

ANNUITY — The annual sum payable to a former employee who has retired.

APPLICANT — A person who has asked to be considered for a job with an agency. An applicant may be a current employee of the agency, an employee of another agency, or a person who is not currently employed by any agency.

APPLICATION FORMS — Forms and resumes that show an applicant's qualifications for employment in a Federal position.

APPOINTEE — A person being hired for a position in an agency.

APPOINTING OFFICER — A person having power by law, or by duly delegated authority, to make appointments.

APPOINTMENT — Any personnel action that brings an individual onto the rolls (staff) of an agency. (See ACCESSION.)

ARMED FORCES — The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

AUO — (Administratively Uncontrolled Overtime) is an increment of up to 25 percent of basic pay paid on an annual basis for substantial amounts of overtime work that cannot be controlled administratively and that required on an irregular basis.

AUTHORITY SUFFIX — See LEGAL AUTHORITY SUFFIX

AVAILABILITY PAY — A special form of premium pay CERTIFICATION — The process by which the OPM, fixed at 25 percent of basic pay (including locality pay) that applies to criminal investigators who are required to work, or be available to work, substantial amounts of unscheduled overtime duty based on the needs of the employing agency. Criminal investigators receiving availability pay are exempt from the minimum wage and overtime pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and may not receive administratively uncontrollable overtime pay.