Temporary and Term Appointments
Temporary and term appointments are used to fill positions when there is not a
continuing need for the job to be filled. Neither type of appointment is a
permanent one, so they do not give the employee competitive status or
reinstatement eligibility. Because temporary and term employees do not have
status, they may not apply for permanent appointments through agency internal
merit promotion procedures, which are used for filling positions from the ranks
of current and former permanent Federal employees. However, qualifying
experience gained while employed in a temporary or term position is considered
when applying later for a permanent position.
WHAT IS A TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT?
A temporary appointment is an appointment lasting one year or less, with a
specific expiration date. It is appropriate when an agency expects there will
be no permanent need for the employee. An agency may make a temporary
appointment to:
fill a short-term position that is not expected to last more than one
year; or,
meet an employment need that is scheduled to be terminated within one or two
years for reasons such as reorganization, abolishment, or the completion of a
specific project or peak workload; or,
fill positions that involve intermittent (irregular) or seasonal (recurring
annually) work schedules.
A temporary employee does not serve a probationary period and is not eligible
for promotion, reassignment, or transfer to other jobs.
What are the time limits of temporary employment?
Generally, an agency may make a temporary appointment for a specified period
not to exceed one year. The appointment may be extended up to a maximum of one
additional year. Appointments involved with intermittent or seasonal work may
be extended indefinitely if extensions are made in increments of one year or
less and the employment totals less than six months (1,040 hours) in a service
year.
How are temporary employees selected?
Most vacancies are filled through open competitive examination procedures.
However, an agency may give a temporary appointment noncompetitively to certain
individuals, i.e., a reinstatement eligible, certain present and former Peace
Corps employees, a 30% disabled veteran, and veterans eligible for a veterans'
readjustment appointment.
Do temporary employees receive benefits?
Temporary employees are eligible to earn leave and are covered by Social
Security and unemployment compensation, but do not receive the other fringe
benefits provided to career civil service employees. Current law allows
temporary employees to purchase health insurance after they have one year of
temporary service, but the employee must pay the full cost with no Government
contribution. Employees are not eligible for coverage under the Federal
Government Life Insurance program or the Federal Employees Retirement System.
WHAT IS A TERM APPOINTMENT?
Under term employment, the employing agency hires the term appointee for work
of a project or non-permanent nature and for a limited period of time, lasting
for more than one year but not to exceed four years. Reasons for making a term
appointment may include:
-
project work;
-
extraordinary workload;
-
scheduled abolishment of a position;
-
reorganization;
-
uncertainty of future funding;
-
contracting out of the function.
How are term employees selected?
Most vacancies are filled through open competitive examination procedures.
However, an agency may give a term appointment noncompetitively to certain
individuals, i.e., reinstatement eligibles, veterans eligible for a veterans
readjustment appointment, and 30% disabled veterans. The employment of a term
employee ends automatically on the expiration of their term appointment. The
first year of service is considered a trial period and the agency may terminate
a term employee at any time during the trial period.
Are term employees eligible for benefits?
Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally have the same benefits
as permanent employees including health and life insurance, within-grade
increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan
coverage.
WHERE DO I FIND OUT ABOUT JOB OPPORTUNITIES?
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) provides employment information
through USAJOBS, the Federal Government's Employment Information System.
USAJOBS consists of: Internet - www.usajobs.gov;
and,
Automated Telephone System - through either 1/703-724-1850 or TDD 1/978-461-8404.
Applicants may also contact the agencies in which they are
interested in working for specific application instructions.
AS OF: 10-30-00
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