U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

Policies and Instructions

Medical Requirements

This section provides a summary of the occupational series that have medical requirements. Title 5 CFR 339, "Medical Qualification Determinations," contains the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's basic guidance on the establishment of medical standards and physical requirements for Federal civilian positions.

Applicants and employees cannot be disqualified arbitrarily on the basis of medical standards, physical requirements, fitness tests, or other criteria that do not relate specifically to job performance. In addition, agencies are required to provide reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities who demonstrate that they can perform the work of the position to be filled.

In accordance with 5 CFR 339, agencies have the authority to establish medical standards for positions for which they are the predominant employer, i.e., have 50 percent or more of the employees in the occupational series. In establishing such standards, they must comply with the provisions in 5 CFR 339 pertaining to job-relatedness, reasonable accommodation, etc.

Generally, when medical requirements have been established by OPM, those requirements are included in the individual qualification standard or individual occupational requirements.

The following occupations have medical and/or physical requirements

In addition, some medical requirements apply to positions that have unique duties, require motor vehicle operation, or involve work performed in a particular environment. Information about such requirements is provided to applicants by the employing agency.