U.S. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

OPERATING MANUAL UPDATE

Washington, DC 20415

June 30, 2002

The Guide to Processing Personnel Actions

NOTE: The accessible version of an Update contains ALL pages of ALL chapters revised by that Update. Use the table below to identify the specific changes made in the Update.

Update 40

***SPECIAL NOTICE***

As of August 2001, the latest Updates were made available on our web site (www.opm.gov/feddata/persdoc.htm). Prior to August 2001, only the Guide, in its entirety, was available on our web site. Agency representatives should access the web site if they are interested in signing up to automatically receive the Updates electronically. Agencies are hereby reminded that as of September 30, 2002, we will discontinue printing paper copies of the Guide and its Updates through the Government Printing Office (GPO). All Updates issued on or after October 1, 2002, will be available only on our web site or through electronic distribution. Similarly, as of October 1, 2002, the Guide will only be available (for viewing or downloading) on our web site. In the interim, agencies can continue to order paper copies of the Guide through GPO, and you will continue to receive Updates through GPO for the remainder of FY 02 if you are a current subscriber.

The Guide to Processing Personnel Actions (2)

Summary of Changes

Remove	Insert	Explanation of Changes
Page	Identification	Page
3-19

thru

3-20	Update 31

August 1, 1999	3-19

thru

3-20	Revises guidance in item number (3) as a result of the revision to the

SF-61.
6-23

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6-24	Update 32

September 26, 1999	6-23

thru

6-24	Corrects reference in Rule 8, Column C from "Note 3" to "Note 2".
11-11

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11-12	Update 25

December 12, 1997	11-11

thru

11-12	Corrects Rules 7 and 8, Column A reference from "temporary position" to "non-temporary position"
17-1

thru

17-1	Update 29

December 31, 1998	17-1

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17-1	1) Deletes reference to Tables 17-B and 17-E, which were eliminated in Update 39.

2) Changes page number reference for Table 17-F from "17-33" to

"17-31".
17-21

thru

17-24	Update 39

January 27, 2002

17-21

thru

17-24	Adds reference to Notes 3 and 4 in Table 17-C, Column E, Rules 8-19.
18-7

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18-9	Update 29

December 31, 1998	18-7

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18-9	1) Revises language in Table

18-A, Rule 1, Column A.

2) Revises language in Table

18-A, Rules 2 and 3, Column A to reference agencies not covered by chapter 63 of title 5, U.S.C.

3) Changes authority in Table

18-A, Rule 2, Column F from

"Reg. 351.608(e)(1)R" to

"Reg. 351.608(e)(1)".

4) Revises language in Table

18-A, Rule 3, Column B; and changes authority in Column F from

"Reg. 351.608(e)(1)H" to

"Reg. 351.608(e)(1)".

5) Deletes reference to health benefits in Table 18-A, Rule 4, Column B.

6) Creates a new Rule 5 in Table 18- A which references health benefits, and renumbers other Rules as necessary; and revises language previously shown in Rules 4 and 5, Column A to reference agencies covered by chapter 63 of title 5, U.S.C.

(continued on next page)

The Guide to Processing Personnel Actions (3)

Summary of Changes - continued

Remove	Insert

Explanation of Changes

Page	Identification	Page
(continued from previous page)

7) Revises language in Table 18-A, Rule 7, Column B to reference that a higher standing employee is not affected; and changes Column F from "Reg. 351.608" to

"Reg. 351.608(f)".

8) Revises reference in Note 3 of Table 18-A from "90" days to "180" days.

9) Corrects typographical errors in Rule numbering for Table 18-B to show a total of 5 Rules instead of 4 Rules.
Page 34-1

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Page 34-6	various	Page 34-1

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Page 34-6

1) Deletes obsolete reference to

"9-32" under topic Authority/Authority Code.

2) Deletes obsolete reference to

"9-13" under the following topics: Concurrent Appointments; Creditable Military Service; Frozen Service.

3) Corrects reference from "The Guide to the Central Personnel Data File" to "The Guide to Central Personnel Data file Reporting Requirements" under topic heading Handicap Code (Reportable Handicap).
Page 34-9

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Page 34-10	Update 33

January 2, 2000	Page 34-9

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Page 34-10	1) Deletes obsolete reference to

"9-13" under topic Previous Retirement Coverage.

2) Corrects reference from "The Guide to the Central Personnel Data File" to "The Guide to Central Personnel Data file Reporting Requirements" under topic heading Race and National Origin Code (RNO).

The Guide to Processing Personnel Actions (4)

Summary of Changes - continued

Remove	Insert

Explanation of Changes
Page	Identification	Page
Page 35-15

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Page 35-16	Update 27

August 21, 1998	Page 35-15

thru

Page 35-16	1) Corrects typographical error from "on" to "one" in last line of the definition of Termination-Appt In (agency).

2) Corrects typographical error from "te" to "the" in last line of the definition of Termination-Exp of Appt.

3) Corrects typographical error from "rage" to "rate" in second line of the definition of Wage Employees.

3-1

Chapter 3. General Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions

Contents

Page

Subchapter 1.	General Instructions

1-1.	Authority to Prescribe Reporting Requirements	3-3

1-2.	Employee Name	3-3

1-3.	Effective Dates	3-3

1-4.	Approval of Personnel Actions	3-4

Subchapter 2.	Cancellations and Retroactive Personnel Actions

2-1.	Coverage	3-7

2-2.	Definitions	3-7

2-3.	Reasons for Cancellations and Retroactive Actions	3-8

2-4.	Implementation of Decision	3-8

2-5.	Decisions that Do Not Require Personnel Actions	3-9

2-6.	Decisions that Require Preparation of Personnel Actions	3-9

2-7.	Responsibilities of the Agency that Prepares Personnel

Actions to Implement a Decision or Take Corrective

Action	3-9

2-8.	Counseling and Advising Employees on Documentation of

Experience Gained During Period of Improper

Assignment	3-12

2-9.	Advice to Employee Regarding Waiver of Overpayment

of Pay	3-12

2-10.	Automated Records and Systems	3-12

2-11.	Questions Regarding Unusual Cases	3-13

Subchapter 3.	Electronic Forms and Signatures

3-1.	Approvals to Use Electronic Personnel Forms	3-15

3-2.	Criteria for Use of Electronic Forms	3-16

3-3.	Authentication Procedures	3-17

3-4.	Electronic Signatures	3-17

Subchapter 4. Entry-On-Duty Process

4-1.	Appointments to Federal Civil Service Positions	3-19

4-2.	Date of Acceptance	3-19

4-3.	Entrance on Duty (EOD)	3-19

4-4.	Obtaining Personnel Information from the Prior Employing

Agency	3-20

Job Aid

Appointment Documents and Information	3-21

Tables

3-A.	Setting Effective Dates	3-27

3-B.	Effective Dates Set without Prior Approval of the

Appointing Officer	3-29

Figures

3-1.	Comptroller General (CG) Decisions Concerning Effective

Dates	3-31

3-2.	How and When to Credit Service for Qualifications

and Civil Service Benefit Purposes	3-32

3-3.	Sample Letter to Employee who is the Subject of a

Decision	3-33

>3-4.	Notice Required for Appointment of a Civilian Retiree . . . . 3-
36<

3-3

Chapter 3. General Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions

Subchapter 1. General Instructions

1-1.	Authority to Prescribe Reporting Requirements.

The Office of Personnel Management's authority to prescribe reporting requirements covering personnel actions is in section 2951, title 5, U.S. Code. Part 7.2, title 5, U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, is based on that statute, and extends this authority to all types of appointments and personnel actions.

1-2.	Employee Name.

a. Name Used. The general rule on use of a name on an employee's records is consistency: show the employee's name in the same way on all Government records. The name to record on official personnel records for an appointee is the name commonly used in the community where the appointee resides, for example, the name entered on application papers and used for social security records, driver's license, income tax purposes, and bank accounts. If application papers reflect a nickname enclosed in parentheses or quotation marks, it is not considered part of the employee's name for personnel records.

b. Recording employee's name. The name is recorded on the Official Personnel Folder and on Notifications of Personnel Action in the following manner:

LAST NAME [comma] SUFFIX (Jr., Sr.)	[comma] [space]

FIRST NAME or INITIAL [space]	MIDDLE NAME(s) or initial(s)

Examples:

DOE, Jr., JOHN NMN

MARTIN, M. CATHERINE

O'REILLY, JOHN F.X.

MARTINEZ-SANDOVAL, MARIA ELENA

When a personnel document asks for a middle name or initial, and the employee has no middle name or initial, enter "NMN." Record apostrophes and hyphens of spaces between double names only as used by the employee. Do not use titles, such as "Mr." "Ms.," "Miss," "Dr.," and "Professor," on Notifications of Personnel Action or on the Official Personnel Folder.

1-3.	Effective Dates.

a.	Prior Approval. Except as explained in Table 3-A, no personnel action can be made effective prior to the date on which the appointing officer approved the action. That approval is documented by the appointing officer's pen and ink signature or by an approved electronic authentication in block 50 of the Standard Form 50, or in Part C-2 of the Standard Form 52. By approving an action, the appointing officer certifies that the action meets all legal and regulatory requirements and, in the case of appointments and position change actions, that the position to which the employee is being assigned has been established and properly classified.

b.	Setting Effective Dates. Unless otherwise indicated on the Notification of Personnel Action, separations and actions to terminate grade and pay retention are

effective at the end of the day (midnight); all other actions are effective at the beginning of the day (12:01 a.m.).

Separations are actions that remove employees from the rolls of their agencies, for example, deaths, resignations, terminations, removals, and retirements. Any action whose nature of action code (NOAC) begins with a "3" is a separation.

(1) Follow instructions in Table 3-A to set dates in situations where approval of the appointing officer is required. Use Figure 3-1 to identify Comptroller General decisions that address effective dates and how they are set in specific situations.

(2) Follow instructions in Table 3-B to set dates in those situations where prior approval of the appointing officer is not required.

1-4.	Approval of Personnel Actions.

a.	Requirement for approval. As explained in paragraph 1-3a, most personnel actions must be approved by the appointing officer on or before their effective dates. An appointing officer is an individual in whom the power of appointment is vested by law or to whom it has been legally delegated. Only an appointing officer may sign and date the certification in Part C-2 of the Standard Form 52 or blocks 50 and 49 of the Standard Form 50 to approve an action.

b.	Delegation of appointing authority. Under 5 U.S.Code 302, the head of an agency may delegate appointing authority to subordinates. Such delegations are generally made to the agency's director of personnel who then redelegates the authority to other members of the personnel staff, as necessary. A delegation of appointing authority may be made to a specific individual or to the incumbent of specific position. The delegation must be in writing and define clearly the extent of the authority being granted, for example, authority to approve all within-grade increase actions.

c. Responsibilities of the appointing officer. The appointing officer is responsible for ensuring that each personnel action he or she approves meets all legal and regulatory requirements. He or she is responsible for approving determinations made by recruiters, staffing specialists, personnel assistants, and other personnel office staff with regard to legal authority for the action, including issues such as qualifications, pay, and suitability. The appointing officer makes final pre- appointment determinations regarding citizenship, veterans' preference, minimum and maximum age limits (where appropriate), suitability, qualifying experience and education. In the case of appointments and position change actions (for example, promotions), the appointing officer ensures that the position to which the employee is assigned has been established and properly classified.

d. Criteria for selection of appointing officers. Agencies must ensure that appointing authority, that is, the authority to approve and certify actions, is delegated only to persons whose training and experience enable them to review the background material on a proposed action and determine whether it meets the necessary legal and regulatory requirements. Approval of actions is a serious responsibility that should not routinely be assigned to clerical or other technical support personnel who may lack the necessary background and training to make the decision to approve or disapprove an action. A person who has not been a

party to the recruitment, qualification,

selection, and pay-setting processes on a

proposed action, and who lacks information as to how these determinations were reached, cannot and should not be expected

to decide whether the specific action meets legal and regulatory requirements.

Page 3-6 is blank.

3-7

Subchapter 2. Cancellations and Retroactive Personnel Actions

2-1.	Coverage

These instructions cover cancellations and retroactive actions to implement decisions, as defined below. These instructions also apply when the employing agency identifies, outside of the decision process, an erroneous or improper personnel7 action that needs corrective action. Nothing in these instructions, however, authorizes or permits an agency to enter into a settlement agreement that is contrary to the civil service laws or regulations.

2.2.	Definitions.

a.	A decision as referred to in this chapter is: (1) a Court Order; or (2) a decision or order or a settlement agreement reached under the rules and regulations of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), or the agency; or (3) an arbitral award, or a decision of an agency head which adopts the recommendations of an agency fact finder; or (4) a settlement agreement between an individual and an agency under circumstances other than those above.

b.	A cancellation cancels or rescinds an earlier action that was improper, that was proper but contained references to an improper action, or that contained remarks that are inappropriate or erroneous and that should not have been recorded.

c.	A retroactive action is one which is prepared or processed after the pay period in

which it is to be effective. Retroactive actions may be either replacement actions or newly required actions.

d.	A replacement action is one which takes the place of or replaces a canceled Standard Form 50 when:

Another action is being substituted for the original action (for example, when a 15-day suspension is substituted for a 30-day suspension); or

The original action was canceled because it contained erroneous information and/or inappropriate remarks, but was otherwise a valid action; or

The original action was canceled because it in some way reflected the effects of another personnel action that was also canceled (for example, a change to career tenure that reflects the wrong grade because a previous change to lower grade was canceled).

e.	A newly required action is a personnel action that is required as a result of a decision or as a result of a cancellation. For example, if a reassignment action was canceled and a replacement action issued for promotion, there might also be the need to issue an action for a within-grade increase for which the employee would have been eligible due to the retroactive effective date of the promotion.

f.	Improper service or improper assignment is service or an assignment performed in a position or positions to which a decision says the employee should not have been assigned or non- Federal service performed during a period of improper separation from Federal service.

g.	Void action i8s an action which should never have occurred because or an absolute statutory bar to it, such as appointment of a male who has not registered, as required, for Selective Service, or because the employee was guilty of fraud in regard to the action or deliberately misrepresented or falsified a material matter.

h.	OPF (Official Personnel Folder). The official repository of records and reports of personnel actions effected during an employee's civilian government service and documents and papers required in connection with such actions.

i.	EPF (Employee Performance File). Performance appraisals and related records maintained in either a separate envelope in the Official Personnel Folder, a separate folder (in whatever office the organization designates), in a supervisor's work folder, on microfiche, in an automated personnel record system, or in any combination of such records maintenance systems. Whatever system or combination of systems the agency chooses constitutes that agency's Employee Performance File System.

j.	Subject File. A file, separate from the Official Personnel Folder or Employee Performance File, in which material is filed and retrieved by subject or topic, rather than by employee. Examples of subject files found in a personnel office include grievance files and adverse action files.

k.	An Interim Appointment, Promotion, Within-grade Increase, or Other Interim Action provides relief for an employee who prevails in an initial action before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). It provides an employee with income during the continuation of the appeal process following the initial MSPB decision.

2-3.	Reasons for Cancellations and Retroactive Actions.

Cancellations and retroactive actions are most frequently processed to implement decisions resulting from the settlement or resolution of a complaint, a grievance, or an appeal of an adverse action or an arbitral award. They may also be processed when an appointing officer discovers an action the current agency or another agency effected in error (for example, a within-grade increase for an employee who has not completed the required waiting period due to excess time in nonpay status) or an action which should have been processed and was not.

2-4.	Implementation of Decision.

a.	Decisions of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB.) The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 (Public Law 101-12) authorizes interim relief for employees who prevail in their initial appeals of adverse actions, performance-based actions, or other appealable actions before MSPB. Any such interim relief ordered by MSPB is effective on the date the initial decision is issued (see 5 CFR 772.102, 5 CFR 531.414, and Figure 32-3 of this Guide). Stays of personnel actions (including retroactive stays) ordered by MSPB where an individual files an individual right of action (IRA) appeal under the Act, claiming reprisal for having engaged in protected activity, are not considered interim relief.

b.	Other Decisions. An agency should not delay initiating corrective action in accordance with a decision unless it has

sought and been granted a stay. Once the appeals, if any, have been exhausted, the decision must be implemented.

2-5.	Decisions that Do Not Require Personnel Actions.

a.	Whether it is prepared in paper or electronic format, a Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form (SF) 50 is the official record that a personnel action has been effected. The employee's payroll records (including retirement, tax, and thrift savings records), are based on and reflect the salary or pay documented on the employee's SF 50. As a result, when an agency prepares a retroactive, a replacement, or a newly-required personnel action (SF 50), the employee who is the subject of the action is entitled to receive the salary or pay shown on that SF 50 (minus the appropriate deductions.) Therefore, when a decision states that an employee is to receive no salary or pay for a particular appointment, position or assignment, the agency should NOT prepare an SF 50. An SF 50 should be prepared only in those instances where the employee is to receive pay and benefits as a result of the action documented on that SF 50.

b.	When a decision by a third party makes a monetary award to an employee but does not address personnel actions, or change the individual's appointment status, position, or pay (for example, if a decision merely awards a payment of damages but does not require reinstatement of the employee), no personnel actions are to be processed. Send a copy of the decision to the payroll office and place a copy in the appropriate appeal or other subject

file. Do not place a copy of the decision in the employee's Official Personnel Folder.

2-6.	Decisions That Require Preparation of Personnel Actions.

ABSENT AN APPEAL TO A FEDERAL COURT, THE DECISION OF A FINAL ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY IS FINAL AND BINDING. An agency should make every effort, in complying with administrative and judicial decisions, to also comply with applicable civil service rules and regulations. For example, if a decision requires that a new position be established at a particular grade level, the agency establishes a position that would be justified under the position classification standards. In these cases, the employee's SF 50 shows the title, series, and grade directed by the decision and position description number assigned by the agency to that "position." A copy of the decision is be placed in the agency's position classification files along with the position description itself. The position description should reflect duties and responsibilities which are in accord with the tittle, series, and grade directed by the decision. A copy of the decision is not placed in the employee's Official Personnel Folder; instead, it is placed in the appropriate subject file.

2-7.	Responsibilities of the Agency That Prepares Personnel Actions to Implement a Decision or Take Corrective Action.

a.	Determining the Agency That is Responsible for Preparing Personnel Actions. If the employee concerned is currently employed in the Federal

Government, the current employing agency

is responsible for preparing and distributing

the Notification of Personnel Action

(Standard Form 50) to implement a decision

or take corrective action. The current employing agency is also responsible for adding documents to or deleting documents from the employee's Official Personnel Folder in accordance with the instructions in this chapter. (When the decision orders the employee moved to another agency, the agency in which the employee is employed on the date of the decision is considered "the current employing agency" for the purposes of these instructions.) If the employee has left the Federal service or is employed in an agency which is not subject to title 5 of the United States Code, the agency against whom a decision is rendered or who is a party to the settlement agreement is responsible for preparing and distributing the personnel actions and taking the necessary actions to implement the decision. (The requirement that the current employing agency prepare the paperwork does not mean that the current employing agency must effect/pay a retroactive benefit.)

b.	Responsibilities. The agency that prepares personnel actions to implement a decision or take corrective action is responsible for:

(1) Carrying out any specific instructions in a decision which require the addition or removal of specific documents from the employee's Official Personnel Folder or that direct the preparation and documentation of personnel actions. (Remember, when a decision by a third party awards a payment of damages but does not require a retroactive personnel action, such as a retroactive appointment or promotion, no personnel action is prepared and nothing concerning the payment or decision is placed in the employee's Official Personnel Folder.)

(2)	Determining which actions must be canceled, which must be replaced, and what actions are newly required. Actions to be canceled and replace include those which would have occurred anyway but which carry information regarding the improper assignment, for example a life insurance change which carries references to an organization to which the employee was improperly assigned.

(3)	Insuring the reasons for cancellation are explained on the cancellation action and that the retroactive action and related documents in the Official Personnel Folder contain no reference to the reason the action is being processed retroactively - that is, no reference to the error, the grievance, or complaint that is the reason for the retroactive action being processed. The authority cited on a retroactive action is the authority that would have been cited if the action had been processed on or before its effective date. If, on the effective date of the action, the agency would not have had an appropriate authority to take the necessary action (for example, a decision orders the

employee assigned to a position in a series for which standards were not issued until a year after the effective date), "Reg. 250.101" is cited as the authority. This is a general "do-what-the- decision-says" authority and its use avoids the need to cite a specific decision, Court Order, or other document which would identity more specifically the

employee's original complaint and result in irrelevant information being placed on the action and in the Folder. This protects the employee's privacy and the usual intent of decisions.

(4)	Distributing and filing copies of the actions prepared to implement a decision, or take corrective action including:

(a) Removing each canceled action and all its supporting documents (including

Standard Forms 52) from the employee's Official Personnel Folder and filing them in

the appeal or other appropriate subject file,

along with the Official Personnel Folder copy of the Cancellation action. Retain the actions as long as the subject file is retained; consult the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Records Schedule to determine how long a particular file must be kept.

(b) Sending to each prior Federal employer the payroll copies of cancellations, retroactive action, and replacement actions for the period during which the employee was on the rolls of that agency, along with a letter explaining why the actions were processed or a copy of the decision which required the actions. This will enable the prior employer to make appropriate pay adjustments and to take any other actions necessary to complete the corrective process or implement the decision.

(5) Advising the employee in writing that he or she may request a transcript of service be placed in his or her Official Personnel Folder to document the positions to which improperly assigned and any job-related performance awards earned. (See sample letter and transcript in Figure 3-3.)

(6) Counseling the employee on the steps the agency will take to implement the decision and counseling him or her on the advantages/disadvantages of placing in the Official Personnel Folder a record of the positions to which improperly assigned. (Figure 3-2 contains a chart showing the manner in which this service may be credited for various purposes.)

(7) Advising the employee whose Official Personnel Folder contains an application/resume documenting improper service of the need to prepare a new application/resume if he or she does not wish to have improper service documented in his or her Folder.

(8) Placing in the employee's Folder the transcript of service if he or she so requests (see paragraphs (5) and (6)) or a corrected application/resume in lieu of one which describes improper service (see paragraph (7).)

(9) Deleting all references to the improper service from the records of training and incentive awards earned during the period of improper assigment. (Follow agency instructions to correct the records. Copies of any erroneous records are filed with the decision and cancelled actions in the appropriate subject file.) Note that while references to improper assignments must be deleted, the employee keeps monies received for incentive awards (such as cash awards), as long as the improper assignment was not the result of fraud or a void action.

(10) Insuring that records of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance and Federal Employees' Health Benefits Program enrollment agree with the employment record resulting from implementation of the decision.

(11) Insuring that any necessary changes to records in the agency's Employee Performance File (EPF) system are made, following the instructions in title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 293.

(12) Insuring that back pay awards are computed in accordance with title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 550, subpart H.

(13) Following instructions issued by the Office of Personnel Management's Retirement and Insurance Group to prepare/alter the employee's Standard Fprm 2806, Individual Retirement Record or Standard Form 3100, Individual Retirement Record.

(14) Following guidance in title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 630 to resolve questions regarding leave.

2-8.	Counseling and Advising Employees on Documentation of Experience Gained During Period of Improper Assignment.

When the employee was improperly assigned or was employed outside the Federal Government as a result of the action addressed by the decision, the person who counsels the employee regarding implementation of the decision should discuss with him or her the potential value for qualifications and career advancement purposes of the experiences gained during the period of improper assignment.

For example, if a typist worked in another agency as a secretary while appealing a reduction-in force separation, the secretarial duties could be qualifying for other positions in the Federal Government, and it could be advantageous to have this experience noted in the Folder. On the other hand, if the typist worked as a cashier at a local variety store while appealing a separation, he or she might see no value to this experience being recorded in the Folder.

The employee may cite the experience on a future application whether it is recorded in the Official Personnel folder or not. The advantage of recording it in the Folder is that it will be a matter of record there if the Folder is used to identify job candidates or to rate or rank candidates. The disadvantage, of course, is that the presence of this record of service in the employee's Folder serves as a "flag" to a reviewer that the employee complained, grieved, or filed an appeal and may draw unwelcome atention to the original problem.

The decision as to whether or not to record the service in the Folder should be made by the employee on the basis of how valuable he or she feels the experience gained while improperly assigned will be to his or her career advancement plans. Use of dual Standard Forms 50, those which were originally prepared as well as the ones prepared to implement the decision, provides a confusing record of the two periods of service. If the employee chooses to have the period of improper service recorded, the transcript of service provides the most practical means of doing so. The counsellor should explain to the employee that he or she is being asked to decide about the record at this time in order to establish a complete record of how the decision is implemented and to insure that after the decision is implemented the Official Personnel Folder reflects as nearly as possible the way in which the employee would like to have his or her service history recorded.

2-9.	Advice to Employee Regarding Waiver or Overpayment of Pay.

Section >5584< of title 5, U.S. Code, provides for waiver of claim of overpayment of pay to an employee when collection of the overpayment would not be in the best interest of the United States. In the relatively few instances where implementation of a decision results in the employee having received an overpayment, he or she should be advised that the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 5584 may apply.

2-10.	ADP Records and Systems.

The agency that implements a decision is responsible for taking whatever action is necessary to insure that its automated personnel records and systems refelect only the "corrected" employment history and that all references to cancelled actions have been deleted from those records and systems.

2-11.	Questions Regarding Unusual Cases.

Refer questions regarding the manner in which personnel actions should be processed

to implement decisions to the Assistant

Director for Workforce Information, Office

of Personnel Management, Washington, DC 20415-6000. Refer questions regarding legal issues that must be resolved before actions to implement a decision can be processed to the Office of Personnel Management's General Counsel for resolution.

Page 3-14 is blank.

3-15

Subchapter 3. Electronic Forms and Signatures

3-1. Approvals to Use Electronic

Personnel Forms

a. Definitions. An "electronic form" encompasses both the format and the data element content of a form when stored on a digitized computer processible medium, including magnetic and optical disks, magnetic tape, or any other computer accessible storage device. As used here:

(1) "Form" and "electronic personnel form" mean only personnel-related forms.

(2) "Electronic form" includes both forms originally created in an automated process as well as forms made digitally processible by the use of optical scanning equipment.

b. Using automated technology to create an electronic personnel form. The Federal Information Resources Management Regulation 201-9.202-1, Bulletin 3, Revision 1, "Exceptions to Standard and Optional Forms," authorizes agencies to create electronic personnel forms without obtaining prior approval from the General Services Administration (GSA) or the Office of Personnel Management provided the electronic version is an exact reproduction of and is printed on the same size and color paper as the current approved edition. Additions to or deletions of data from the current form, changes in sequence or format of data require prior approval. Send requests for approval through your agency's Standard and Optional Forms Liaison to:

OPM Reports and Forms Manager

Office of the Chief Information Officer

U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Washington, DC 20415-7900

The Office of Personnel Management's Assistant Director for Workforce Information is the program official responsible for:

—	Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action;

—	Standard Form 52, Request for Personnel Action;

—	Standard Form 61, Oath of Office;

—	Standard Form 75, Request for Preliminary Employment Data; and

—	Standard Form 144, Statement of Prior Federal Service.

Agencies may expedite approvals by submitting a copy of any requests concerning these forms to:

U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Office of Merit Systems

Oversight and Effectiveness

Assistant Director for

Workforce Information (MW)

1900 E Street, NW. (Room 7439)

Washington, DC 20415-6000.

Exception requests should include a sample copy of the form. Each request should also describe how the criteria and procedures in the remainder of this chapter will be met.

c. Approval to use electronic forms

does not automatically include approval to destroy any paper records that are created. Destruction of source paper records that are converted to electronic media in advance of

the disposition schedules in National

Archives and Records Administration General Records Schedule #1, Civilian Personnel Records, must be approved by the Office of Personnel Management and the National Archives and Records Administration prior to actual destruction. Destruction of electronic records covered by Office of Personnel Management authorities must be in accordance with General Records Schedule #1; or by specific agreement with the Office of Personnel Management. The National Archives and Records Administration is the final authority on records disposition schedules. Assistance in interpreting General Records Schedule #1, or in developing record disposition schedules for civilian personnel records not currently covered by a General Records Schedule, may be arranged by contacting:

U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Office of Merit Systems

Oversight and Effectiveness

Assistant Director for

Workforce Information (MW)

1900 E Street, NW. (Room 7439)

Washington, DC 20415-6000.

3-2. Criteria for Use of Electronic Forms.

a. An agency that stores Official Personnel Folder, Employee Medical Folder, or Employee Performance File forms electronically must store them in such a way that, when a paper copy is needed, that copy looks essentially like the original approved Office of Personnel Management, standard, or agency form.

(1) The electronic reproduction must be complete, containing all instructions and questions that appear on the approved form. The wording and punctuation of all items and instructions must be exactly the same as the current version of the form, and the sequence, format and spacing of each item on the form must be reproduced to the highest degree possible. For multi-page forms, each item must print on the same page in approximately the same location as on the original form, but each page may be printed on a separate sheet. The reproduced copy must be printed in black ink on letter size white paper.

(2) The agency must be able to produce a paper copy, regardless of the date on which it was originally prepared, when:

(a) an employee requests a copy of one or more records in his or her Official Personnel Folder, Employee Medical Folder, or Employee Performance Folder; or

(b) an employee separates from Federal service or moves to an agency that does not use electronic forms; or

(c) the Office of Personnel Management requests a copy for evaluation or other purposes.

(3) Electronic versions of Office of Personnel Management-controlled forms (for example, the Standard Form 50 and Standard Form 52) must use only the data element coding contained in The Guide to Personnel Data Standards.

b. There must be strict controls on who may originate a document electronically, who may cancel or change it, and who has access to it.

c. The agency must certify that all National Archives and Records Administration disposition schedules are/will continue to be met by the electronic forms system.

d. Since automated media have vulnerabilities to inadvertent destruction not applicable to paper records, the agency must have a system (processible media or paper) to produce back-up records. The Office of

Personnel Management recommends that a back-up file be in a separate computer environment from the primary system — off-site if appropriate.

e. The system must be able to amend, delete, or add forms, and to add data to individual forms when required to respond to a Privacy Act amendment request or to comply with a settlement agreement or court order.

f. In addition to being able to produce paper copies of individual forms upon request (see paragraph 3-2a(2)), an agency must be able to list each existing, electronically-prepared Standard Form 52 and Standard Form 50, by data subject, for at least two years after the date that the electronic form was executed.

g. The agency must retain all original signed designation of beneficiary paper forms for the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), and Federal Employee's Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program. (Under current procedures, only the signed originals are acceptable when a claim is filed.)

3-3. Authentication Procedures.

a. Electronic authentication codes must be unique to the individual and defined only for those whose positions authorize and require them to initiate, sign or clear a personnel action.

b. When a person leaves a position for which an authorization code has been issued, the authorization must be cancelled immediately.

c. For each form that was cleared or signed electronically, there must be an audit trail to show when and who:

(1) signed/approved,

(2) cleared,

(3) input data to, and/or

(4) changed data on the form.

d. A complete list of authentication codes and the names and titles of the individuals to whom they have been assigned must be available to Office of Personnel Management evaluators for at least two years after the date of a personnel action. The list must include names, titles, and codes designating persons for whom authorizations have been cancelled, as well as current authorizations.

e. The individual with delegated appointing authority remains the responsible official for insuring that authentication procedures and the personnel actions to which they lead are proper and meet the requirements in law.

3-4. Electronic Signatures.

a. A personnel action is the official record of employment and authorization of pay to the employee. The action must be approved on or before its effective date; the approval may be documented by a "signature" in either Part C-2 of the Standard Form 52 or in block 50 of the Standard Form 50. Because effective dates and approvals of personnel actions must be able to withstand administrative and legal challenge, any electronic approval signature system used in Part C-2 of the Standard Form 52 or in block 50 of the Standard Form 50 must be approved by the Office of Personnel Management.

b. To be approved, an electronic signature system must include the following features:

(1) The electronic signal or symbol adopted as the approving official's signature must be unique to the signer, that is, it must be initiated by methods that distinguish the specific approving official, and it must be under his or her sole control.

(2) The electronic signature must be capable of being verified and must be linked to the data being transmitted, including the approval date (block 49 of the Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action). Control procedures must be in place to insure the authenticity of data on the form, including the electronic signature. Such controls must provide reasonable assurance that deliberate or inadvertent manipulation, modification, or loss of data on the electronically stored form is detected. (For additional information, see Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 113, Computer Data Authentication, and FIPS 186, Digital Signature Standard, dated 12/1/94).

(3) The approving official's name and title must be printed on any paper document that is generated for the employee or for the Official Personnel Folder.

c. Requests for prior approval to use an electronic signature, in lieu of a personally signed paper Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action, or Standard Form 52, Request for Personnel Action, must be submitted to:

U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Office of Merit Systems

Oversight and Effectiveness

Assistant Director for

Workforce Information (MW)

1900 E Street, NW. (Room 7439)

Washington, DC 20415-6000.

3-19

Subchapter 4. The Entry on Duty Process for New Employees

4-1. Appointments to Federal Civil Service Positions.

Except for those described in Table 3-B, appointments may not be effective prior to the date of approval by the appointing official. Additionally, appointments to positions in the civil service are effective only from date of acceptance and entrance on duty, unless a later date is stated on the Standard Form 52, Request for Personnel Action, or other approving document.

4-2. Date of Acceptance.

Acceptance may be shown by formal acceptance, by entry on duty, or by taking the oath of office. Date of acceptance is the date the applicant accepts, either orally or in writing, the appointment offer. When the employee reports for duty or takes the oath of office, acceptance of the position is acknowledged on that date even though a formal acceptance is not given by the employee.

4-3. Entrance on Duty (EOD).

a. Entrance on duty is the process by which a person completes the necessary paperwork and is sworn in as an employee.

b. Appointment Documents. The job aid, Appointment Documents and Information, lists materials that a new employee will need. Supplement that list with any documents required by your agency. If necessary, assist the appointee in completing the forms. Encourage the appointee to keep all copies of the personnel and payroll notices he or she receives from the agency.

c. Oath of Office.

As part of the entry-on-duty process, the employee takes the oath of office. The Standard Form 61, Appointment Affidavit,

contains the oath of office (part A) required by 5 U.S.C. 3331, the affidavit on striking

against the Federal Government (part B) required by 5 U.S.C. 7311, and the affidavit on purchase and sale of office (part C) that 5 U.S.C. 3332 requires officers to complete.

(1) The form is completed and filed on the right side of the Official Personnel Folder when the employee is first appointed in the Federal Government and for each subsequent new appointment in any agency (including appointment by transfer, reinstatement, and restoration). A Standard Form 61 is not required when there is a change in an employee's status (such as a conversion to a new appointment) as long as service is continuous in the same agency. A new Standard Form 61 is not required when the employing office or agency changes as a result of a transfer of function, either. However, an agency may request that the form be completed even if it is not required.

(2) The oath and affidavits are executed when the appointee enters on duty and are given by a notary or by a Federal official or employee of your agency who has, or has been delegated, responsibility to administer oaths (see 5 U.S.C. 2903). United States citizens must swear to or affirm the oath of office and the affidavit in part B; aliens must swear to or affirm the affidavit in part B. Persons appointed as "officers" must swear to or affirm the oath of office and the affidavits in parts B and C. ("Officers" are justices and judges of the United States and individuals who are required by law to be appointed by the President, a court of the United States, the head of an Executive agency, or the Secretary of a military department; persons appointed as "officers" are invested by law with authority delegated from the heads of departments or independent establishments.)

(3) >If the appointee objects to the form of the oath on religious grounds, certain modifications may be permitted pursuant to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Please contact your agency's legal counsel for advice.< The jurat at the bottom of the form must be signed by each appointee and completed by the person who administers the oath or affidavits.

(4) The Civil Service oath of office in part A contains the phrase "defend the constitution." In the case of Girouard vs. United States, 328 U.S. 61 (1946), the U.S. Supreme Court held that the oath of allegiance to the United States of American (taken by all candidates for citizenship) "does not in terms require that they promise to bear arms." Explain to any appointee who questions the meaning of, or objects to, that part of the oath that the "defend the Constitution" phrase in the Civil Service oath of office does not imply that the appointee would be expected to bear arms.

(5) Obtain an original and a copy of the Standard Form 61 when the oath and affidavits are executed by cabinet officers and heads of independent establishments, agencies, and offices. After the oath has been taken and the form executed, send the copy to the Department of State.

d. The Standard Form 144. The Statement of Prior Federal Service (Standard Form 144) should be completed by each employee new to your agency. It identifies any prior service for which records must be located.

e. Personnel Folders. Follow instructions in The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping to establish a personnel folder for each new employee or to obtain the existing Folder for each employee with prior Federal Service. Use the Guide to file correctly the forms completed during the entry-on-duty process.

4-4. Obtaining Personnel Information from the Prior Employing Agency.

a. If the person is being appointed without a break in service from another Federal agency, certain information is needed to process the appointment action. However, the Official Personnel Folder is not usually available for immediate review by the gaining office. In such cases, the information needed for processing the personnel action may be obtained by using the Standard Form 75, Request for Preliminary Employment Data. Personnel information provided on the Standard Form 75 can help prepare an appropriate appointment package for when the candidate enters on duty.

b. When a Standard Form 75 is needed:

(1) Contact the personnel office that has the person's Official Personnel Folder. To help you find the correct office, ask the appointee where the folder is kept. The information for completing the Standard Form 75 may be received through a telephone call or the form may be mailed to the prior employing office.

(2) Refer the completed Standard Form 75 to the personnel specialist for review and then copy any needed data from the Standard Form 75 onto the Standard Form 52, Request for Personnel Action.

(3) File the Standard Form 75 received from the losing agency according to agency instructions.

Job Aid

Appointment Documents and Information

Introduction

Regardless of whether your agency uses a reappointment package, a type of electronic forms processing, or entry-on-duty orientation session, new employees must complete certain documents and should receive certain employment information.

Documents for all new employees

All new employees must complete the following:

-	Standard Form 61, Appointment Affidavit.

Refer to section 4-3c of this chapter for instructions.

-	Optional Form 306, Declaration of Federal Employment.

Check with your agency security office for requirements on completing this document.

-	Standard Form 144, Statement of Prior Federal Service.

Since applications and resumes may include only that employment history relevant to the position for which appointed, information provided on the Standard Form 144 will help in determining whether personnel records need to be located.

-	Statistical data for race, national origin, and handicapping conditions.

Standard Form 181, Race and National Origin Identification. Do not use the Standard Form 181 for employees in Hawaii; use the Office of Personnel Management Form 1468, Race and National Origin Identification, instead.

Standard Form 256, Self-Identification of Handicap.

Refer to Chapter 4 of this Guide for instructions on entering these data into your agency's automated personnel system.

Continued on next page

Job Aid

Appointment Documents and Information, continued

As appropriate

When applicable, employees must complete certain documents from which employment eligibility is verified, including:

-	Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Refer to the Immigration and Naturalization Service's Handbook for Employers and 8 CFR, part 274a for completing and retaining the Form I-9.

-	Applicant's statement of Selective Service registration status. When candidate is a male whose year of birth is 1960 or later, failure to register may be basis for bar from civil service employment. Refer to 5 CFR 300.705 for instructions.

-	Statements of Employment and Financial Interests. Appointees to positions at high grade levels in some agencies and appointees to some positions in agencies that have regulatory responsibilities, may be required to submit statements of financial holdings or of investments. Follow your agency's instructions.

-	Agency regulations regarding employee conduct. Follow your agency's instructions for any requirements used to certify that new employees are familiar with the agency's regulations.

For certain appointments

Depending on the type of appointment, the employee may need to complete documents for the following.

-	Civil Service retirement coverage. Refer to the CSRS and FERS Handbook for Personnel and Payroll Offices , supplemented by Benefits Administration Letters, for instructions.

-	Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Refer to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Handbook for Personnel and Payroll Offices and Benefits Administration Letters to determine the employee's eligibility for coverage and required documents.

Continued on next page

Job Aid

Appointment Documents and Information, continued

For certain appointments continued

-	Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program. Refer to The Federal Employees Group Life Insurance - A Handbook for Employees, Annuitants, Compensationers and Employing Offices and Benefits Administration Letters to determine the employee's eligibility for coverage and required documents.

-	Payroll related documents. Contact your payroll office to determine what forms should be provided to new employees upon entry on duty for tax withholding, allotments, direct deposit of payroll check, and savings bonds. Provide an employee new to your agency with a copy of Standard Form 1152, Designation of Beneficiary, Unpaid Compensation of Deceased Civilian Employee.

About rights and benefits

Provide the new employee with information on his/her rights and benefits. Types of this information includes Office of Personnel Management or agency publications concerning:

-	the Code of Ethics for Government Service,

-	employee obligations,

-	pay,

-	employee's job and performance,

-	promotion and incentive awards program,

-	leave,

-	rights and benefits (including the retirement system),

-	safety, and

-	health and life insurance.

- >reemployed annuitant responsibilities (see Figure 3-4, and the CSRS and FERS Handbook for Personnel and Payroll Offices).<

Continued on next page

Job Aid

Appointment Documents and Information, continued

Other benefits

New employees should also be given information about the following benefits.

-	Unemployment Insurance benefits. The Department of Labor requires that the following statement be given to each newly hired and rehired Federal employee:

"If you have applied for or have been receiving Unemployment Insurance benefit payments, it is your responsibility, under penalty of law, to notify the appropriate local office, in writing, to discontinue the issuance of Unemployment Insurance checks now that you are employed. Failure to notify the State agency can result in a penalty such as a fine, imprisonment, or both."

-	Thrift Savings Plan, including enrollment and designation of beneficiary forms, if employee will be eligible to participate in the plan.

-	Designation of beneficiary forms for any retirement system by which the employee will be covered.

Miscellaneous employment information

Employees should be given information about local benefits or activities that they may find interesting, for example:

-	Information regarding the employee recreation association. This is particularly important if parking facilities or other services are available only to recreation association members.

-	Information regarding other agency-sponsored organizations whose membership is open to all employees (Toastmasters, for example).

-	Pay and leave chart or calendar showing Federal holidays and paydays for the year.

-	Information regarding credit union and/or any banking facilities located at employee's place of employment.

Continued on next page

Job Aid

Appointment Documents and Information, continued

Miscellaneous employment information, continued

-	Information regarding health services available to employees.

-	Any form the agency uses to record name of person(s) to be notified in the event of an emergency, and application for, or instructions regarding how to obtain application for, employee identification card.

When package becomes bulky

If you find that the appointment package is becoming too bulky, put in only the most important flyers and brochures (in addition to the forms the appointee must complete) and tell the employee about the others and where they can be obtained. This can be done by means of a list placed in the appointment package or through discussion during the entry-on-duty process.

Page 3-26 is blank.

Chapter 3. General Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions 3-27

Table 3-A. Setting Effective Dates

R
U L

E

A	B	C
If	And	Then Effective Date May Be
1	A list form of notice is used to document the action	No earlier than the effective date

specified in the document that

authorized the action.
2

Action is a

noncompetitive

conversion to career or

career appointment	Conversion does not require the prior approval of the Office of Personnel Management	No earlier than the date on which

employee met all of the requirements for conversion.
3	Conversion does

require the prior

approval of the Office of Personnel Management	No earlier than the date on which

the Office of Personnel Management approved the conversion.
4	Conversion is to an appointment under which the employee will have fewer rights and benefits

Conversion is from an appointment in the competitive service to one in the excepted service	Any date after employee has:

(a) been informed that, because the position is in the excepted service, it cannot be filled by competitive appointment and that acceptance of the proposed appointment will take the employee out of the competitive service; and

(b) submitted a written statement that the employee is leaving the competitive service voluntarily to accept an appointment in the excepted service.

Table 3-A. Setting Effective Dates (Continued)

R U L E	A	B	C

If

And

Then Effective Date May Be
5	Conversion is to an appointment under which the employee will have fewer rights and benefits	Conversion is not

described in Rule 4	Any date after employee has:

(a) been informed in writing of the conditions of employment under the new appointment; and

(b) submitted a written statement that the employee is leaving previous employment voluntarily to accept conversion to the new appointment (statement should specify the type of appointment employee is leaving and the type the employee is accepting).
6	Action which is not

described in Rules 1-5

requires prior approval of the Office of Personnel Management	No earlier than the date on which the Office of Personnel Management approved the action unless that approval specifies an earlier effective date.
7	Conversion is to a

career or career- conditional appointment when employee's position is brought into the competitive service	No earlier than the date on which the

position was brought into the

competitive service.
8	Action requires an advance notice to the employee (for example, 30-day advance notice of decision on a proposed adverse action)	No earlier than the expiration of the notice period

Chapter 3. General Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions 3-29

Table 3-B Effective Dates Set without Prior Approval of the Appointing Officer

R
U L

E

A	B
If Action is

Then Effective Date Is
1	Required by law, Executive order, or

regulation	The date specified in the law, Executive order,

or regulation (see Note 1 of this table).
2	Required by court action, settlement

agreement, or arbitral award	The date specified in the action, agreement, or

award (see Note 2 of this table).
3	Required by an Office of Personnel

Management (OPM), Merit Systems

Protection Board (MSPB), Equal

Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), or Federal Labor Relations Agency (FLRA) decision	The date specified in the decision.
4	A death	The date of death shown on the death

certificate
5	A resignation	The date set by the employee. Unless employee specifies otherwise, a resignation is effective at midnight.
6	A disability retirement	See instructions in Chapter 60 of The CSRS

and FERS Handbook.
7	A mandatory retirement	The last day of the month in which the employee

reaches the age and completes any length-of-service requirements for the retirement system under which he or she is covered. When employee had an earlier exemption from mandatory retirement, the retirement is effected on the day following the NTE date of the Continuance NTE action documenting that exemption (see Note 3 of this table).
8	A retirement that is not described in Rules 6 or 7	The date set by the employee, provided that on that date employee meets age and length of service requirements for the retirement system under which he or she is covered.
9	Change in tenure or appointment based on completion of service requirements for career or permanent tenure	The day following that on which the service requirement is completed

Table 3-B. Effective Dates Set without Prior Approval of the Appointing Officer
(Continued)

RULE

A	B
If Action Is	The Effective Date Is
10	Conversion to a competitive service

appointment when an employee who has competitive status occupies an excepted service position that is brought into the competitive service	The date the position is brought into the

competitive service.

11	Change in FEGLI	The date prescribed in 5 CFR part 87 and in The Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Handbook
12	Pay Adjustment to implement a new pay plan or to change the rates for an existing pay plan	The date set by the Executive order, Office of Personnel Management, or an agency issuance the established the plan or announced the rates.
13	Change to Lower Grade following a temporary promotion	The day following the NTE date of the temporary promotion unless the appointing officer approves another action.
14	Termination of Grade Retention	At the end of the two-year period of grade retention (for example, if grade retention begins 07-23-1994, the termination action is effective on 07-22-1996 at midnight).
15	Leave Without Pay (LWOP), except during a Reduction-in-Force notice period or for assignment to State or local government under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act	The date approved by the employee's supervisor (or other official designated by the agency) on the Standard Form 52.
16	Return to duty from LWOPor nonpay status
17	Detail or Termination of Detail
18	Change in Work Schedule
19	Change in Hours for an employee with a part- time work schedule
NOTES:

1. When an effective date is not specified, the effective date set by the agency may be on or after the effective date of the law, regulation or Executive order.

2. When an effective date is not specified, the effective date set by the agency may be on or after the effective date of the court action, agreement or award.

3. 5 U.S.C. 8335 and 8425 require that the employee be notified at least 60 days in advance of the separation date. When the notice is not issued 60 days in advance, the employee cannot be separated, without his or her consent, until the last day of the month in which the 60-day notice expires.

Chapter 3. General Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions 3-31

Figure 3-1. Comptroller General (GC) Decisions Concerning Effective Dates

Topic	Decision Number(s)
Prior approval for appointment	18CG582 and 20CG267
Oath of office to be taken before employee can be paid	21CG817
Holiday pay when conversion action is involved	30CG334
Move to another agency	34CG428
Transfers where travel and transportation expenses are concerned	26CG862
Relation of effective date to entry on duty date	24CG150 and 45CG660
Prior approval for promotion	3CG559 and 9CG20
Promotion that follows a detail	24CG563
Salary change resulting from allocation or reallocation of a position	30CG156
Compensation for services rendered prior to appointment	8CG582 and 20CG267
Compensation for service during an interval between appointments	17CG323

Figure 3-2. How and When to Credit Service for Qualifications and Civil Service Benefit Purposes

Proper for which credit is
given	Period during which employee

served improperly when the

action is allowed to stand

Period in which person	served but was not appointed

(See Note 2 below)

Period covered by decision

ordering person placed

retroactively in a position/

appt. In which they have

not served

Credit from

effective date of

improper

action

(See Note 1

below)	Credit from

date the

improper

action is

corrected
Qualifications

(experience)	yes	no	yes	Credit as if employee

had actually served in

the position/

appointment
Reinstatement

eligibility	no	yes	no
Time-in-grade
Career Tenure
Completion of initial

appointment or

supervisory/managerial

probation	yes	no	credit time employee

actually served on the

position/appt. for

which the probation is

required
Service Date-Leave	Credit as if employee

had actually served in

the position/

appointment
Service Date-Reduction- in-Force
Service

Date-Retirement
Within Grade Increase waiting period
Leave Accrual
Health Benefits
Life Insurance
Workers'

Compensation
Service - Severance Pay
NOTES:

1.	When the appointment is void (for example, made in violation of an absolute statutory prohibition or the employee was guilty of fraud in regard to the appointment or deliberately misrepresented or falsified a material matter). NO credit may be given for service in the appointment.

2.	Person is entitled to be paid for service performed.

Chapter 3. General Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions 3-33

Figure 3-3. Sample Letter to an Employee Who is the Subject of a Decision

(Employee's address)

Dear (employee)

As part of the implementation of (cite settlement agreement, order, arbitral award or decision, and its date), we must cancel and remove from your Official Personnel Folder (OPF) the Notifications of Personnel Action and the related documents and /or records of non-Federal employment, for each affected personnel action or non-Federal job. This will leave you with a "clean OPF," one which contains no references to the period of improper service or non-Federal employment.

Even though the jobs, training courses completed, or awards earned during the period you were improperly assigned or employed outside the Federal Government are not shown in your OPF, you may, of course, list them on future applications when you think the experience, etc., will be benefit to you.

The enclosed transcript of service lists your service during the period when you were improperly assigned or employed outside the Federal Government. If you think you will want to have this service recorded in your OPF to use for qualifications and career advancement purposes in the future, you can authorize the placement of the transcript in your OPF.

Please review the transcript and decide whether you want it placed in your OPF; (Name and telephone) will discuss with you the advantages of recording this period of service in your OPF. After you have made your decision, sign and date the appropriate statement below, and return the signed original of this letter to me by (date). If you elect to have the transcript placed in your folder, the original copy should be returned along with the copy of this letter containing your signed statement.

Sincerely,

(name, title, and agency of appointing officer who will

sign or authenticate the cancellation actions)

Enclosure: Transcript of Service

Figure 3-3. Sample Letter to an Employee Who is the Subject of a Decision (continued)

I have been counselled regarding the advantages and disadvantages of placing my Official Personnel Folder (OPF) a transcript of service covering the period from (date) to (date) when I was improperly assigned or employed outside the Federal Government, and

I believe that my work experience during the period when I was improperly assigned or

employed outside the federal Government may be of value in the future. Therefore, I request that

the enclosed transcript of service, which summarizes that service, be made a permanent part of my

OPF.

I do not believe that my work experience during that period when I was improperly

assigned or employed outside the Federal Government will be of value in the future. Therefore, I

request that no record be placed in my OPF to describe my actual service during that period. I

understand that if I change my mind in the future, records of the assignments on which I actually

served may no longer be available to place in my OPF.

______________________________________________	__________________________

(name) (date)

Chapter 3. General Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions 3-35

Figure 3-3. Sample Letter to an Employee Who is the Subject of a Decision (continued)

(agency letterhead)

TRANSCRIPT OF SERVICE

Through no fault of his (her) own, (name of employee) was improperly assigned to the position(s) listed below and/or employed as described below for the period(s) indicated.

Position (include title, series, and grade,	Agency/employer	Dates

if Federal service)	(From/To)

This service will be credited for qualifications and civil service benefit purposes as described in Chapter 3, Figure 3-2, of The Guide to Processing Personnel Actions.

/S/

(name, title, agency, and Personnel Office Identification

of appointing officer who will sign or authenticate the

cancellation actions.)

(Type the following statement:)

THIS DOCUMENT IS TO BE FILED PERMANENTLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE EMPLOYEE'S OFFICIAL PERSONNEL FOLDER.

Figure 3-4. Notice Required for Appointment of a Civilian Retiree

R

U	A

B

L

E	If retirement was under	Then

1	Civil Service Retirement System or Federal Employees Retirement System	Send "Notification of Reemployment of an Annuitant," along with copy of appointment Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action, to the Office of Personnel Management. See Job Aid #5 in chapter 100 of the CSRS and FERS Handbook for Personnel and Payroll Offices for copy of notification form and address to which it must be sent.
2	Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System	Send copy of appointment Standard Form 50 to Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, Washington, DC 20505.
3	Foreign Service	Send 2 copies of appointment Standard Form 50 to Retirement Division, Bureau of Personnel, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520.
4	Another retirement system	Contact the agency that administers the system to ask what notice is required.

Update 33

January 2, 2000	Processing Personnel Actions

Chapter 6.	Creditable Service for Leave Accrual

Contents

Page

Subchapter 1. Determining Creditable Service	6-3

1-1.	Coverage	6-3

1-2.	Service Computation Date	6-3

1-3.	Identifying Prior Federal Service	6-3

1-4.	Creditable Service	6-4

1-5.	Creditable Civilian Service	6-4

1-6.	Creditable Uniformed Service	6-6

1-7.	Other Creditable Service	6-8

Figure 6-1. Standard Form 813	6-11

Figure 6-2. Information on Uniformed Service Retirement	6-13

Subchapter 2.	Computing the Service Computation Date-Leave	6-15

2-1.	Coverage	6-15

2-2.	When to Compute the Service Computation Date-Leave	6-15

2-3.	Action on Appointment	6-16

2-4.	Before Computing the Service Computation Date	6-16

2-5.	Computing the Service Computation Date-Leave	6-17

2-6.	Documenting Service Computation Date-Leave Determinations	6-18

2-7.	Retirement Related Data	6-19

Figure 6-3. 260 Day Work Year Chart	6-21

Figure 6-4. 2087 Hour Work Year Chart	6-22

Figure 6-5. Converting to a Realistic Calendar Date	6-23

Figure 6-6. Example of Service Computation Date-Leave

Calculation	6-25

Subchapter 3.	Change in Service Computation Date	6-27

3-1.	Actions to Change the Service Computation Date-Leave	6-27

3-2.	Use of the Standard Form 52	6-27

3-3.	Processing Instructions	6-27

Table 6-1. Effective Date and Remarks for Change in

Service Computation Date-Leave	6-28

Page 6-2 is blank.

Chapter 6.	Creditable Service for Leave Accrual

Subchapter 1. Determining Creditable Service

1-1.	Coverage.

a.	This subchapter covers procedures for determining creditable service for leave accrual purposes. It explains how to:

(1)	Identify prior service;

(2)	Verify prior service; and

(3)	Determine if prior service is creditable for leave.

b.	Subchapter 2 explains how to compute a Service Computation Date for leave. Subchapter 3 explains when and how to process a personnel action to document a change in a Service Computation Date.

c.	Information on determining creditable service for other purposes is found in other issuances. These include:

(1)	The CSRS and FERS Handbook - service credit for retirement;

(2)	the Restructuring Information Handbook and title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, (CFR) part 351 - service credit for reduction in force;

(3)	the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) - creditable service for:

(a) within-grade increases in 5 CFR 531 and 532;

(b) tenure in 5 CFR 315; and

(c) initial and supervisory probationary periods in 5 CFR 315.

1-2.	Service Computation Date

A Service Computation Date (SCD) is a date, either actual or constructed, used to determine benefits that are based on how long the person has been in the Federal Service. The SCD-Leave is used to determine the rate at which an employee accrues annual leave - 4, 6, or 8 hours per pay period - depending on the amount of service creditable for leave accrual purposes. Agencies must establish an SCD-Leave for each employee at appointment, whether or not the employee is eligible to earn leave. To establish the SCD, the agency must identify the employee's prior Federal service, verify such service, determine how much, if any, of the service is creditable for leave accrual purposes, and then compute the SCD.

1-3.	Identifying Prior Federal Service.

a.	Application. Review the employee's application or resume to identify any prior Federal service. Federal service includes civilian and military service.

b.	Standard Form 144. Ask each appointee to complete the Standard Form 144, Statement of Prior Federal Service. This allows the employee to supplement the Federal service listed on his or her application.

c.	Optional Form 306. Use information from the Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, to determine if the employee is a military retiree.

1-4.	Creditable Service.

Section 6303 of title 5, United States Code, sets the rules for crediting service for annual leave accrual. The law states: "In determining years of service, an employee is entitled to credit for all service of a type that would be creditable under section 8332, regardless of whether or not the employee is covered by subchapter III of chapter 83." Creditable service falls into three general categories:

service as a civilian employee, that is, service under a Federal appointment performing Federal functions under Federal supervision;

active duty in the uniformed services; and

other service made creditable by specific legislation.

1-5.	Creditable Civilian Service

a.	Types of Service. All civilian service that is potentially creditable for Civil Service Retirement Service (CSRS) purposes is also creditable for leave accrual. Potentially creditable includes service that could be credited if the employee made deposits to the Retirement fund. Such deposits are not required before the employee gets credit for leave accrual purposes. Creditable civilian service for leave accrual includes service:

(1) under a Federal appointment as defined in section 2105 of title 5, United States Code, whether in the competitive, excepted, or Senior Executive Service.

(2)	covered by CSRS or Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) retirement deductions, including service for which the employee received a refund of the retirement deductions.

(3)	under other Federal retirement systems as long as the individual could obtain a refund of his or her deductions under that system and deposit them in the CSRS fund. Civilian service under systems where the employee cannot withdraw contributions, such as the DC Police and Firefighter System and the Financial Institutions Retirement Fund, is not creditable.

(4) listed in Chapter 20, Subchapter 20A of The CSRS and FERS Handbook. This chapter contains detailed information on civilian service that is creditable for retirement purposes. Civilian service creditable for civil service retirement under section 8332 of title 5, United States Code, is also creditable for leave.

b.	Amount of Service to be Credited. In general, employees get a day of credit for each day of full time or part time service. Elapsed calendar time is the maximum time that can be credited. For example, if an employee has two part time appointments from January 1, 1998, thru March 31, 1998, credit is limited to three months. Special rules apply to short separations, absence for uniformed service or compensable injury, periods of nonpay/nonduty status, and service on an intermittent work schedule.

(1)	Separations of >three calendar days or less< between two periods of creditable civilian service are to be credited. The separation period is treated as a continuation of the first period of service.

(2)	Employees who are absent because

of uniformed service or compensable injury are entitled to be treated as though they had never left. The regulations governing restorations to duty after uniformed service

or compensable injury are in part 353 of

title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). A person who is reemployed under 5 CFR 353 receives credit for the entire period of his or her absence, that is, the entire period from the time the employee left until he or she was restored or reemployed.

(3)	Periods of nonpay/nonduty status are credited to a maximum of six months per calendar year. Examples of nonpay/nonduty time include leave without pay, furlough, suspension, and placement in nonpay status. This limit does not apply to employees who are absent because of uniformed service or compensable injury. Periods of leave without pay for uniformed service or compensable injury are fully creditable for leave accrual.

(4)	Intermittent service is service without a prearranged regularly scheduled tour of duty; this was also known as WAE or when actually employed service. Only the days or hours in pay or work status are credited for periods of intermittent service. The credit cannot exceed the calendar time of the period involved. For example, an intermittent employee who worked 100 hours in a 2 week period may not be credited with more than 2 weeks of service. Before 1980, on-call or seasonal work was differentiated from intermittent work by a remark on the Standard Form (SF) 50 or in the employment agreement that indicated that "Service credit...for leave accrual continues up to a maximum of six months per calendar year." If this or a similar remark is not shown on the SF 50 or the employment agreement, the service is treated as intermittent.

c.	Verifying Creditable Civilian Service.

(1)	Official Personnel Folder. If the

application or Standard Form 144 indicates prior civilian Federal service, follow the procedures in the Operating Manual, The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping, to request the employee's Official Personnel Folder. The Folder should include the documents used to verify prior service during the employee's last appointment.

The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping also contains instructions for requesting transcripts of service for civilian employment not under the Office of Personnel Management's recordkeeping authority and for reconstructing Official Personnel Folders that have been lost.

(2)	Postal Service Temporary Christmas Employment. Most Postal Service employment will be documented in the Postal Official Personnel Folder. The Postal Service does not create a personnel folder for temporary Christmas employees. To verify this employment, contact the Post Office where the employee worked or use payroll records. Payroll records can be obtained from: National Personnel Records Center, 111 Winnebago Street, St. Louis, MO 63118.

(3)	Affidavits. If the agency is unable to locate any records that can be used to reconstruct an employee's folder, the agency can use other evidence to give credit for civilian service for leave accrual purposes only. In these cases, the burden of proof is

on the person claiming service. Other

evidence can include travel orders, payroll cards, credit reports that show the Federal employment, or affidavits. Affidavits are required from the employee and at least two other people who were in a position to know the facts of the employment, such as former supervisors. The affidavits must be

notarized. Future employers will accept service verified by affidavit as they would any other service verified by a prior employer.

1-6.	Creditable Uniformed Service.

a.	General Rule. To be creditable for leave accrual purposes, uniformed service must have:

(1) ended honorably. That includes: an honorable discharge or a discharge under honorable conditions (general) or transfer to the inactive reserves under honorable conditions.

and

(2) been active duty in a uniformed service.

(a) The uniformed services consist of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard) plus the commissioned officer corps of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(b) Active duty is full time duty in the Armed Forces. In the Reserves this would include active duty for training but not weekly or monthly assemblies or drills. National Guard duty must be active duty in the service of the United States under title 10, United States Code, or under a call by the President or Secretary of Defense. National Guard service or training under the call of the Governor of a State or performed for a State under title 32, United States Code, is not creditable.

b.	Restrictions on Credit for Military Retirees. Section 6303 of title 5, United States Code, restricts the amount of leave accrual credit military retirees receive for their active duty service. This section

contains specific language on the treatment of uniformed service for leave accrual purposes and differs from the way this service is treated for civil service retirement purposes. This is an exception to the general rule that ties service credit for retirement and leave accrual.

(1)	Definition of military retiree. For leave accrual purposes, a military retiree is any member or former member of the uniformed services who is entitled, under statute, to retired, retirement, or retainer pay on account of service as a member. Uniformed services retirees include persons on their service's Temporary Disability Retirement List (TDRL) and Navy and Marine Corps personnel who have been transferred to the Fleet Reserve. Note that the definition is based on an entitlement; waiving the actual pay has no impact on whether the person is a military retiree.

(2) Exemptions from the restrictions. Military retirees may receive credit for all active military service only if one of the following three conditions is met:

(a) the uniformed services retirement was based on disability that either resulted from an injury or disease received in the line of duty as a direct result of armed conflict or was caused by an instrumentality of war and was incurred in the line of duty during a period of war as defined in sections 101 and 301 of title 38, United States Code.

(b) the uniformed services retiree was employed in a civilian position subject to the Leave Act on November 30, 1964, and has been continuously employed without a break in service of more than 30 days since that date.

(c) the individual first becomes

eligible for a uniformed services annuity

while serving as a civilian employee. This includes reservists who qualify for an annuity ***, as well as employees who are recalled to active duty, qualify for uniformed services retirement, and then are restored to Federal civilian employment. This exemption applies only to the current period of civilian employment. If the employee separates and is reemployed later, the restrictions will apply.

(3) Creditable service. For military retirees who do not qualify for one of the exemptions in (2) above, credit for active duty uniformed service is limited to service in the armed forces during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized.

(a)	Service must have been in the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard). Service in the commissioned officer corps is only creditable if it was in the Armed Forces - for example with the Public Health Service subject to full military benefits or while part of the Armed Forces.

(b)	Service during a war is creditable regardless of where the person served or what duties were performed. The last war for leave accrual credit purposes was World War II which officially began on December 7, 1941, and ended on April 28, 1952.

(c)	Service in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized is creditable only for the actual service in or as a part of the campaign or expedition. For example, if a military retiree was on active duty for the entire period of the Vietnam campaign *** but served in that campaign for 14 months, the retiree is entitled only to the 14 months campaign service credit.

He or she is not entitled to credit for time on active duty outside of the campaign area. The VetGuide, available on the Office of Personnel Management's website (http://www.opm.gov), contains a list of campaigns and expeditions.

c.	Verifying Creditable Uniformed Service.

(1)	Uniformed service must be verified by the branch in which the person served. The Office of Personnel Management does not verify information on the dates or nature of uniformed service, type of discharge, or nature of any retirement from the uniformed service.

(2)	Service in the Armed Forces is documented on the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. This form shows the dates or total amount of active duty and the type of discharge or separation. If the employee does not have a copy of this form, he or she should obtain it from: National Personnel Records Center (Military), 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132.

(3)	When a retiree's DD 214 does not show the exact dates of service in a campaign or expedition, use the Standard Form (SF) 813, Verification of a Military Retiree's Service In Nonwartime Campaigns or Expeditions, to request that information. The SF 813 is available from the Office of Personnel Management's website (http://www.opm.gov/forms). Ask the retiree to list the campaigns on the form and send the form in duplicate to the office listed on the reverse of the form.

(4)	Dates of active duty National Guard service should be documented on the DD 214 or on orders placing the employee on active duty. Copies of orders should be obtained

from the Adjutant General for the State National Guard in which the employee served. The request may be on a Standard Form 180, Request Pertaining to Military Records, and should include a statement that "The beginning and ending dates of honorable active ARNGUS or ANGUS duty and the authority of law under which it was performed under either a call by the President or an order by the Secretary of Defense (or his designee) are needed to verify prior Federal service credit for the named Federal employee."

(5)	Dates of active duty service as a Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Officer should be documented on PHS Form 1867, "Statement of Service-Verification of Status of Commissioned Officers of the U.S. Public Health Service." The form can be obtained from: Personnel Services Branch, Division of Commissioned Personnel, U.S. Public Health Service, Room 4-35, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fisher's Lane, Rockville, MD 29857.

(6)	Dates of active duty service as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Officer should be documented on NOAA Form 5616, "Report of Transfer or Discharge." The form can be obtained from: Commissioned Personnel Center, NOAA-Attn: CPC (Rm 12100), SSMC-3, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

(7)	Figure 6-2 lists sources of information on whether a retirement from the uniformed services was based on war- or combat- incurred disability.

1-7.	Other Creditable Service.

a.	General. Specific statutes have made some civilian service that does not meet the definition of Federal employment creditable for leave or retirement. Civilian service that is creditable for retirement is also creditable for leave accrual purposes. The kinds of service that occur most frequently are described below. Detailed information on these types of service and the specific conditions that must be met for the service to be creditable are in Chapter 20, Subchapter 20A of The CSRS and FERS Handbook.

b.	National Guard Technician Service. This has been Federal service since January 1, 1969. All those who have served in a National Guard Technician position since January 1, 1969, receive credit for all their service, including any pre-1969 service. Specific legislation granted limited credit for those who had only pre-1969 National Guard Technician service. This service can be verified by contacting the Adjutant General's office for the State National Guard unit with which the individual served.

c.	Nonappropriated Fund Employment (NAF). >Public Law 101-508 authorizes credit for leave accrual and RIF purposes for NAF service of employees who move on or after January 1, 1987,< from Department of Defense NAF employment to Department of Defense civil service employment, or from Coast Guard NAF employment to Coast Guard civil service employment without a break in service of more than three calendar days. Once credited, this service remains creditable during any subsequent period of civil service employment. Periods of NAF employment >under retained civil service retirement coverage are creditable

for leave accrual.< Other NAF service performed between 1952 and 1966 may also be creditable >(Public Law 99-638).< For information on this service, refer to Chapter 20 of The CSRS and FERS Handbook. Documents to verify NAF employment are in the NAF personnel folder. Request the folder by following instructions in The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping.

d.	VISTA Volunteer Service. Service performed on and after October 1, 1973, is creditable if the person was enrolled as a volunteer for a period of at least one year. The volunteer did not have to complete the enrollment but the enrollment had to be for a period of a year or more. The Corporation for National Service verifies VISTA volunteer service. The verification should include the date of enrollment, length of enrollment period, date of assignment to service, and date of termination of training or service. This information is available from: AMERICORPS*VISTA, 1201 New York Ave, NW., Room 9214C, Washington, DC 20525.

e.	Peace Corps Volunteer Service. Satisfactory volunteer service with the Peace Corps is creditable. The training prior to enrolling as a volunteer is not creditable; only actual volunteer time is creditable. Verification of satisfactory volunteer Peace Corps service is available from: Volunteer Staff & Payroll Services, The Peace Corps, Washington, DC 20526.

f.	Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service County Committee Service. Section 6312 of title 5, United States Code, allows credit for service as an employee of an Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service county committee. Verification of such service should be available from: Director, Office of Personnel, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.

Page 6-10 is blank.

Figure 6-1. Standard Form 813

Figure 6-1. Standard Form 813 (Reverse)

Instructions for Completing Standard Form 813

NOTE:	DO NOT USE THIS FORM FOR PERSONS

WHO ARE NOT MILITARY RETIREES

Use Standard Form 813 only to request verification of a retiree's military service performed in a nonwartime >campaign< or expedition for which badge-medal was authorized, in order to credit such service for leave accrual rate and reduction-in-force purposes. Complete the address block and items 1 through 9 and submit the form in duplicate to the appropriate address listed below.

A.	To verify campaign/expeditionary service for military retirees of the U.S.Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard, address the request to:

National Personnel Records Center

(Military Personnel Records)

9700 Page Boulevard

St. Louis, MO 63132

B.	To verify campaign/expeditionary service for military retirees of the U.S.Army, address the request to:

Commander, U.S. Army Reserve

Personnel Center

ATTN: DARP-VSE-VC

9700 Page Boulevard

St. Louis, MO 63132-5000

The records center will verify only claimed and unverified nonwartime campaign or expeditionary service. It is the retired member's responsibility to provide the names of any nonwartime campaign or expedition in which served. The records center will not verify service unless specific campaigns/expeditions and inclusive dates are listed. Service components (for example, "USAF") or medal (for example, "Vietnam Service Medal") are not sufficient.

If a follow-up check is necessary, reproduce a copy of the original request and

clearly mark the top of the Standard Form 813, "Follow-up Request."

Figure 6-2. Information on Uniformed Service Retirement

Use the sources listed below for additional information on whether retirement from the uniformed services was based on war- or combat-incurred disability.

Branch of Service	Records to be Reviewed	Contact
Army	DA Form 199, Physical Evaluation Board Proceedings (1967 or later edition)	For a copy of the form, write to:

ARPERCEN

Attn: DARP-PAS-EBC

9700 Page Boulevard

St. Louis, MO 63132-5200

(Label envelope "DO NOT OPEN IN MAILROOM")
Navy and Marine Corps	Request determination from:

Office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG 32)

Department of the Navy

Washington Navy Yard

1322 Patterson Avenue, SE

Suite 3000

Washington, DC 20374-5066
Air Force	Department of the Air Force Retirement Order

Earlier versions included:

DD 424, Certification of Information for Retired Pay; AFPMC 69, Certification of Information for Retirement Pay; AFPMC 134, Retirement Order;

AF 2653, Retirement Special Order-Physically Unfit	For a copy of one of these forms, write to:

National Personnel Records Center (Military Personnel Records)

Air Force Reference Branch

9700 Page Boulevard

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100
Coast Guard	Request determination from:

Commanding Officer (RPD)

Coast Guard Pay and Personnel Center

Federal Building

444 SE Quincy Street

Topeka, KS 66683-3591
Public Health Service Commissioned Officer	Send letter to:

Personnel Services Branch

Division of Commissioned Personnel

U.S. Public Health Service

Room 4-35, Parklawn Building

5600 Fisher's Lane

Rockville, MD 29857
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer	Send letter to:

Commissioned Personnel Center

NOAA-Attn: CPC (Rm 12100)

SSMC-3

1315 East-West Highway

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Subchapter 2. Computing the Service Computation Date-Leave

2-1.	Coverage.

This subchapter covers how and when to compute the Service Computation Date for leave accrual purposes. Before doing the computations, all periods of creditable service should be identified and verified. See subchapter 1.

2-2.	When to Compute the Service Computation Date-Leave.

a.	Appointment. A Service Computation Date-Leave must be established for each individual at the time of appointment.

b.	Separation. When an employee on an intermittent work schedule or with excess nonpay time leaves the agency, the losing agency must recompute the Service Computation Date-Leave. The adjustment must account for all noncreditable periods of nonpay and for any intermittent service. The adjusted Service Computation Date-Leave is shown on the separation.

c.	Additional service. The current agency must recompute the Service Computation Date-Leave when the employee claims additional creditable service or earlier service is made creditable by legislation or other action.

d.	Change in military retiree status.

If an employee is removed from the

military's Temporary Disability Retirement

List and discharged from a branch of the uniformed service, the employee's separation

is no longer considered to be a retirement.

The employee is no longer subject to the

credit limitations for military retirees. The agency must recompute the Service Computation Date-Leave to adjust for this change.

e.	Discovery of an error. The current employing agency must recompute an employee's Service Computation Date-Leave when an error is discovered. It does not matter when the error was made, who made it, or what information the employee previously received about the credit to which he or she might be entitled.

f.	Change from an intermittent work schedule. When an employee changes from an intermittent to a full time or part time work schedule (including a full or part time seasonal schedule), the agency must recompute his or her Service Computation Date- Leave to give credit for the hours worked. The adjusted Date should be on the action documenting the change in work schedule. Agency payroll records are the usual source of information on the hours worked by intermittent employees.

g.	Return to pay or duty status. When an employee returns to duty after a period of noncreditable nonpay or nonduty status, the agency must recompute his or her Service Computation Date-Leave.

(1)	If all the noncreditable nonpay is documented on a personnel action, the adjusted Date should be on the action documenting the return to duty status.

(2)	There are instances where noncreditable nonpay is not documented on a personnel action. For example, if an

employee already has accumulated six

months of nonpay status in a calendar year

and then takes an additional two weeks of leave without pay, the two weeks would be noncreditable time but would not be documented on a personnel action. In these cases, the agency has two options for documenting the Change in Service Computation Date- Leave:

process a personnel action when each period of noncreditable nonpay ends. OR

keep a record of all noncreditable nonpay in the calendar year and process a single personnel action covering all periods of noncreditable nonpay during the year. If using this option, the agency must process the action in January of the year following the noncreditable nonpay.

2-3.	Action on Appointment.

a.	No prior service. If the person being appointed has not had any previous military or civilian service, use the date of appointment as the Service Computation Date-Leave.

b.	Prior service.

(1)	If the employee is being appointed after a break in service of three calendar days or less from creditable civilian service, and the employee does not identify any previously unclaimed service on the Standard Form 144, use the Service Computation Date-Leave on the separation action. The previous agency should have recomputed the Date if there were any intermittent service or excess nonpay.

(2)	The Service Computation Date-Leave must be recomputed if the employee:

had a break in civilian service of more than three calendar days; or

claims military or civilian service that had not been claimed before.

2-4.	Before Computing the Service Computation Date.

a.	Put creditable service in chronological order. This ensures that each period of service will be credited and prevents double credit. Double credit can occur when a person has two or more appointments. The time credited can never be more than the equivalent of one full time period of service, that is, the calendar time. Examples include:

employees on two part time appointments in different agencies. Credit is limited to the calendar time covered by the dual appointments.

employees who serve on active military service while on leave from civilian service. Credit is limited to the calendar time.

b.	Determine the amount of excess nonpay time. This applies to periods of full time and part time service. Since intermittent service is credited only for the time worked, nonpay time is not an issue. If the employee had more than one appointment, use only periods where he or she was not in pay status under any appointment to determine if there was any excess nonpay time.

c.	Determine the amount of credit for intermittent service. Only the days or hours actually worked can be credited. If the employee was working on an intermittent schedule for more than one agency at the same time, add the days or hours worked and use the total to credit the service.

(1)	Intermittent service before March 1,

1986, is credited using a work year of 260 days or 2080 hours. Use Figure 6- 3 to convert the days worked to months and days of service credit. If the records show hours rather than days, divide the hours by eight to determine the number of days. Excess hours are rounded up; 17 hours = 3 days.

(2)	Intermittent service on and after March 1, 1986, is credited using a work year of 2087 hours. Use Figure 6-4 to convert the hours worked into months and days of service credit. If intermittent service was recorded as days rather than hours, it may be credited using Figure 6-3.

(3)	Compare the credit for hours worked to the elapsed calendar time. No matter how many days or hours an employee actually worked, he or she is entitled to credit for no more than the amount of service that could have been performed on a full time work schedule, that is, the actual calendar time.

d.	Military time. Review the creditable military service to determine if the dates or the amount of service should be used in the calculation. If military service ended on February 28 or 29, use February 30 as the separation date. Do not use the full calendar dates of military service if the period of service includes inactive service or if credit is limited because the employee is a military retiree. When service is shown in days, divide by 30 to determine the number of months. Do not use the charts for civilian service to change military time into months and days.

2-5.	Computing the Service Computation Date-Leave.

a.	General.

(1)	Service Computation Date-Leave

calculations are based on a 360 day year, that is, 12 months of 30 days each. Calculations based on a 365 day year may yield different results.

(2)	Dates are added and subtracted in day, month, year order. Borrowing is based on the 360 day year, with 30 days equal to a month, and 12 months equal to a year. The example below shows how to subtract December 23, 1994 from April 15, 1996.

Step 1: Subtract days. Since 23 is larger than 15, borrow 1 month to add 30 days to the 15. Even though March has 31 days, in borrowing each month is treated as 30 days.

03	45

1996

- 1994	12	23

22

Step 2: Subtract months. Since 12 is larger than 3, borrow 1 year to add 12 months to the 3.

1995	15

45

- 1994	12	23

03	22

Step 3: Subtract years.

1995	15

45

- 1994	12	23

1	03	22

Result is 1 year, 3 months, 22 days.

(3)	The net effect of the computations is to add noncreditable time and subtract

creditable time from the initial appointment date. Adding time increases the date and decreases the number of years of service. Subtracting time decreases the date and increases the number of years of service.

b.	Separation Dates. Separations are effective at midnight of the effective date. For each period of full or part time civilian service, the day of the separation must be credited. This can be done by:

adding a day to each separation date, OR

adding the number of separations to the days being subtracted from the appointment date.

c.	Breaks in Civilian Service. Separations of one, two, or three calendar days between two periods of creditable civilian service are ignored in computing the Service Computation Date (SCD)-Leave. These small breaks in service are treated as continuations of the first period of service. The separation date for that service should be adjusted to include the break in service in the SCD computations. For example, an employee separates from the Department of Army on January 15, 1998, and is appointed in the Department of Agriculture on January 19, 1998. In computing the SCD- Leave, use January 18, 1998, as the separation date for the Department of Army service.

d.	Computation Methods.

(1)	The preferred method is to:

add the appointment dates for all periods of full or part time creditable service plus the total excess nonpay time plus the entrance on duty date for the current appointment;

add the separation dates for all periods of full or part time creditable service plus the service credited as months and days (intermittent service, some military service);

subtract the separation total from the appointment total.

This is the method documented on the Standard Form 144A, Statement of Prior Federal Service - Worksheet.

(2)	The alternative method is to:

compute the amount of creditable service for each period of employment, generally by subtracting the beginning date from the ending date;

total the amounts of creditable service;

subtract the total from the entrance on duty date for the current appointment.

e.	Converting to a realistic calendar date. When dates are added and subtracted, the answer may not always be a realistic date. The month may be zero or more than 12; the day may be zero or more than the number for the month. In those cases, the date must be converted to a realistic calendar date by following the rules in Figure 6-5.

f.	Example. Figure 6-6 is a sample computation using the equivalent of Standard Form 144A, Statement of Prior Federal Service - Worksheet.

2-6.	Documenting the Service Computation Date-Leave Determinations.

a.	Purpose. Service Computation Date-Leave determinations are documented to allow the determinations to be used and verified throughout the employee's Federal civilian service.

b.	Content. Service Computation Date-Leave determinations must be documented on the Standard Form 144A or an agency equivalent form.

(1)	There are exceptions to this requirement. Separate documentation is not required when an agency processes personnel actions that change the Service Computation Date-Leave because of excess nonpay or service on an intermittent work schedule. Agency personnel and payroll systems generally do these types of calculations. Remarks on the personnel actions document the amount of service being credited.

(2)	Agency equivalent forms may be variations on the Standard Form 144A or printouts from computer programs that calculate service computation dates. In all cases, the documentation should show:

what periods of service were evaluated;

what periods of service were determined to be creditable for leave accrual purposes;

the amount of time credited for each period of service; and

the calculations used to compute the Service Computation Date-Leave.

c.	Supporting documentation. Copies of documents used to claim or verify service not otherwise found in the Official Personnel Folder should be attached to the Standard Form 144-A or equivalent form.

d.	Filing.

(1)	Standard Form (SF) 144-A or equivalent and the supporting documents should be filed on the right side of the Official Personnel Folder. It should be filed directly under the personnel action that reflects the Service Computation Date-Leave on the form. For example, the SF 144-A for the initial appointment should be filed directly under the SF 50, Notification of Personnel Action, documenting the appointment.

(2)	The Standard Form 144, Statement of Prior Federal Service, should be filed according to agency instructions.

2-7.	Retirement-Related Data.

a.	Creditable military service is reported in remark M39 and to the Central Personnel Data File. This remark is required on all accessions and conversions (natures of action in the 1xx and 5xx series). It is the total number of years and months of military service that is creditable for annual leave accrual purposes. It is calculated by adding together the periods of active military service that were credited in computing the employee's Service Computation Date-Leave. Except for military retirees, this is generally the amount of active duty shown on the final DD 214. Days are dropped; for example, if the employee had 4 years, 3 months, and 25 days of creditable military service, the amount in remark M39 would be "04-03." If the employee had no creditable military service, enter "00-00" or "none" in the remark.

b.	Frozen service is reported in remark M38 and to the Central Personnel Data File. This remark is required on accessions, conversions, and Changes in Retirement (natures of action in the 1xx and 5xx series and 803) when the employee's retirement plan code is "C," "E," "K," "L," "M," or "N." If the retirement plan code is not one of those listed, do not use remark M38.

(1)	Definition. Frozen service is the total number of years and months of civilian and military service that is creditable in a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)

component of an employee covered by

the CSRS Offset or the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). The amount of service is computed when the employee first becomes covered by the CSRS Offset or elects FERS. Once computed, it never changes.

(2)	Computing frozen service.

(a)	Frozen service is always zero if the employee:

is automatically covered by the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS); OR

has less than 5 years of creditable civilian service before becoming subject to Civil Service Retirement System Offset (retirement plan codes C and E); OR

has less than 5 years of creditable civilian service before electing FERS coverage.

Enter "00-00" or "none" in remark M38 for these employees.

(b)	For other employees, frozen service is computed by subtracting the beginning date from the ending date of each continuous period of service that would be creditable for Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) purposes. All service is then added together and converted to years and months. Days are dropped. Service under CSRS Offset is not included.

Example:

An employee has two periods of prior civilian service and one period of military service when first covered by CSRS Offset. Service includes:

11-20-1974 thru 06-16-1975 civilian service under FICA;

09-03-1976 thru 12-12-1981 civilian service under CSRS;

10-06-1982 thru 06-15-1984 military service;

07-06-1990 appointment under CSRS Offset.

All the periods of prior service could be creditable for CSRS purposes so all service before the 7/6/1990 appointment are frozen service. To compute the frozen service:

Step 1:	Subtract the beginning date from the ending date for each period of service. Use the same rules as for computing the Service Computation Date-Leave, including adding one day for the separation date.

(1)	1975-06-17

-1974-11-20

0-06-27

(2)	1981-12-12

-1976-09-03

5-03-10

(3)	1984-06-16

-1982-10-06

1-08-10

Step 2:	Add all the periods of service.

0-06-27

5-03-10

+1-08-10

6-17-47

Step 3:	Convert the service to years and months. Using the same rules as for computing the Service Computation Date-Leave, 06-17-47 converts to 7-6- 17. The days are dropped in reporting frozen service. The frozen service is reported as 7 years and 6 months or "07-06".

Figure 6-3. 260-Day Work Year Chart

Give 1 year of credit for each 260 days worked. For amounts of less than 260 days, use this chart. Find the month entry at the top of the column in which number of days worked appears and then find the day entry at the left margin of the line on which the number of days appears. Example: 120 days worked convert to 5 months and 16 days of credit.

Months
Days	Under

1 mo.	1 mo.

and up	2 mo.

and up	3 mo.

and up	4 mo.

and up	5 mo.

and up	6 mo.

and up	7 mo.

and up	8 mo.

and up	9 mo.

and up	10 mo.

and up	11 mo.

and up
0	43	65	108	130	173	195	238
1	22	44	87	109	152	174	217	239
2	1	23	66	88	131	153	196	218
3	2	24	45	67	89	110	132	154	175	197	219	240
4	3	46	68	111	133	176	198	241
5	25	47	90	112	155	177	220	242
6	4	26	69	91	134	156	199	221
7	5	48	70	113	135	178	200	243
8	27	49	92	114	157	179	222	244
9	6	28	50	71	93	115	136	158	180	201	223	245
10	7	29	72	94	137	159	202	224
11	8	51	73	116	138	181	203	246
12	30	52	95	117	160	182	225	247
13	9	31	74	96	139	161	204	226
14	10	32	53	75	118	140	183	205	248
15	11	54	76	97	119	141	162	184	206	227	249
16	33	55	98	120	163	185	228	250
17	12	34	77	99	142	164	207	229
18	13	56	78	121	143	186	208	251
19	35	57	100	122	165	187	230	252
20	14	36	79	101	144	166	209	231
21	15	37	58	80	102	123	145	167	188	210	232	253
22	16	59	81	124	146	189	211	254
23	38	60	103	125	168	190	233	255
24	17	39	61	82	104	147	169	212	234
25	18	83	126	148	191	213	256
26	40	62	105	127	170	192	235	257
27	19	41	63	84	106	128	149	171	193	214	236	258
28	20	42	85	107	150	172	215	237
29	21	64	86	129	151	194	216	259

Figure 6-4. 2087-Hour Work Year Chart

Give 1 year of credit for each 2087 hours worked. Use this chart for amounts of less than 2087 hours. If the number of hours worked is not on the chart, use the next higher entry (example: for 195 hours, use 197). Find the month entry at the top of the column in which number appears and then find the day entry at the left margin. Example: 197 hours converts to 1 month and 4 days of credit.

Months
Days	0

and up	1

and up	2

and up	3

and up	4

and up	5

and up	6

and up	7

and up	8

and up	9

and up	10

and up	11

and up
0	0	174	348	522	696	870	1044	1217	1391	1565	1739	1913
1	6	180	354	528	701	875	1049	1223	1397	1571	1745	1919
2	12	186	359	533	707	881	1055	1229	1403	1577	1751	1925
3	17	191	365	539	713	887	1061	1235	1409	1583	1757	1930
4	23	197	371	545	719	893	1067	1241	1415	1588	1762	1936
5	29	203	377	551	725	899	1072	1246	1420	1594	1768	1942
6	35	209	383	557	730	904	1078	1252	1426	1600	1774	1948
7	41	214	388	562	736	910	1084	1258	1432	1606	1780	1954
8	46	220	394	568	742	916	1090	1264	1438	1612	1786	1959
9	52	226	400	574	748	922	1096	1270	1444	1617	1791	1965
10	58	232	406	580	754	928	1101	1275	1449	1623	1797	1971
11	64	238	412	586	759	933	1107	1281	1455	1629	1803	1977
12	70	243	417	591	765	939	1113	1287	1461	1635	1809	1983
13	75	249	423	597	771	945	1119	1293	1467	1641	1815	1988
14	81	255	429	603	777	951	1125	1299	1472	1646	1820	1994
15	87	261	435	609	783	957	1130	1304	1478	1652	1826	2000
16	93	267	441	615	788	962	1136	1310	1484	1658	1832	2006
17	99	272	446	620	794	968	1142	1316	1490	1664	1838	2012
18	104	278	452	626	800	974	1148	1322	1496	1670	1844	2017
19	110	284	458	632	806	980	1154	1328	1501	1675	1849	2023
20	116	290	464	638	812	986	1159	1333	1507	1681	1855	2029
21	122	296	470	643	817	991	1165	1339	1513	1687	1861	2035
22	128	301	475	649	823	997	1171	1345	1519	1693	1867	2041
23	133	307	481	655	829	1003	1177	1351	1525	1699	1873	2046
24	139	313	487	661	835	1009	1183	1357	1530	1704	1878	2052
25	145	319	493	667	841	1015	1188	1362	1536	1710	1884	2058
26	151	325	499	672	846	1020	1194	1368	1542	1716	1890	2064
27	157	330	504	678	852	1026	1200	1374	1548	1722	1896	2070
28	162	336	510	684	858	1032	1206	1380	1554	1728	1901	2075
29	168	342	516	690	864	1038	1212	1386	1559	1733	1907	2081

Figure 6-5. Converting to a Realistic Calendar Date

R	A	B	C	D	E
U

L

E	If Month Is	And Day is	Then	And	And
1	More than 12	Any number	Divide month by 12 and add result to year	Use remainder for month	Go to following rules to create Month-Day Relation.
2	0	0	Subtract 1 from year	Change month to 11	Change day to 30.
3	1-31	Change month to 12	Do not change day.
4	32 or more	Divide days by 30	Add result to month	Use remainder for

day (see note 1).

5	1	0	Subtract 1 from year	Change month to 12	Change day to 31.
6	32 or more	Divide days by 30	Add result to month	Use remainder for

day (see note 1).

7	2	0	Subtract 1 from month	Change day to 31.
8	29-30	Change day to 28 (see Note>2< of this table).
9	31 or more	Divide days by 30	Add result to month	Use remainder for day (see note 1).
10	3	0	Subtract 1 from month	Change day to 28 (see note 2).
11	32 or more	Divide days by 30	Add result to month	Use remainder for day (see note 1).

Figure 6-5. Converting to a Realistic Calendar Date (Continued)

R	A	B	C	D	E
U

L

E	If Month Is	And Day is	Then	And	And
12	4, 6, 9, or 11	0	Subtract 1 from month	Change day to 31.
13	31 or more	Divide days by 30	Add result to month	Use remainder for day (see note 1).
14	5, 7, 8, 10, or 12	0	Subtract 1 from month	Change day to 30 (see note 3).
15	32 or more	Divide days by 30	Add result to month	Use remainder for day (see note 1).
NOTES:

1. When proper Month-Day relationship is not created, use rule that applies to situation.

2. When year is a leap year (for example, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, or another Presidential election year), change day to 29.

3. When new month is 7 (July), use 31 rather than 30.

Figure 6-6. Example of Service Computation Date-Leave Calculation

An individual is appointed in the Department of the Treasury on November 15, 1998. On the Standard Form 144, Statement of Prior Federal Service, the employee claimed the following Governmental service. The service is shown in chronological order.

1.	U.S. Army Reserves from 1981 through 1986.

2.	Contractor working for the Department of Labor from September 7, 1981 thru December 13, 1983.

3.	Appointment with the Defense Logistics Agency from April 20, 1986 thru August 29, 1992.

4.	Appointment with Department of the Interior from September 2, 1992 thru December 31, 1992.

5.	Appointment with Department of Commerce on part time work schedule from February 24, 1993 thru July 7, 1993.

6.	Appointment with Department of Agriculture on part time work schedule from March 6, 1993 thru September 9, 1994.

7.	Appointment with Department of Veterans Affairs on intermittent work schedule from October 1, 1994 thru September 30, 1997.

Additional information:

1.	The DD 214 showed one year, one month, and four days active duty in the Reserves.

2.	The Official Personnel Folder showed seven months of leave without pay during calendar year 1988; this leave was not for uniformed service or due to compensable injury.

3.	The Official Personnel Folder showed a total of 2,134 hours in pay status during the intermittent appointment.

The Worksheet equivalent of the Standard Form 144-A documenting the Service Computation Date- Leave determination is on the next page. Note that:

1.	The three day break in service between the Defense Logistics Agency appointment and the Department of the Interior appointment is creditable time. For purposes of the calculation, the time is added to the first (Defense Logistics Agency) appointment.

2.	The concurrent appointments in the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture are treated as one appointment for purposes of the calculation since credit is limited to calendar time.

3.	The hours worked during the intermittent appointment were changed to calendar time using the chart in Figure 6-4. The credit for hours worked does not exceed the calendar time. (If it did, the calendar time would be the maximum amount credited.)

Figure 6-6. Example of Service Computation Date-Leave Calculation

STATEMENT OF PRIOR FEDERAL SERVICE -- WORKSHEET
Name (Last, First, Middle Initial)

Tickle, Elmo, M.	Social Security Number

000-00-0000	Date of Birth (Month, Day, Year)

3/30/1965
INSTRUCTIONS: Enter the appointment and separation dates in columns (A) and (B) below, using the numerical equivalent of the month.

See Chapter 6 of The Guide to Processing Personnel Actions for instructions on computing service computation dates (SCDs).
PART I - CREDITABLE SERVICE AND SERVICE COMPUTATION DATE FOR LEAVE PURPOSES
CREDITABLE SERVICE -

NAME OF AGENCY/ORGANIZATION

(List only periods that are creditable

for leave purposes)	(A)

APPOINTMENT DATE	(B)

SEPARATION DATE	NONCREDITABLE SERVICE

(Explain noncreditable time listed in Column (A), such as "lost time" during military service)
Year	Month	Day	Year	Month	Day
U.S. Army Reserves	1	1	4	Ltd to active duty time
Defense Logistics Agency	1986	4	20	1992	9	1
1	Excess LWOP - CY 1988
Dept of Interior	1992	9	2	1992	12	31
Comm & Agriculture - part time	1993	2	24	1994	9	9
Dept of Vet Affairs

intermittent hours 2134	1	9
No. of separations	3
Entrance on Duty Date	1998	11	15
Total noncreditable service
Total of appointment dates (A)	7969	27	61
Total of separation dates (B)	5980	31	57
SCD-Leave (A) - (B)	1988	8	4
PART II - CREDITABLE SERVICE AND SERVICE COMPUTATION DATE FOR REDUCTION-IN-FORCE (RIF) PURPOSES

Complete only in cases where the amount of service that is creditable for RIF purposes differs from the amount creditable for leave purposes.

[This portion of the form is not shown for this example.]
REMARKS

Concurrent part time appointments limited to calendar time.
Name of Person Computing SCD(s)

J. Reilly	Date SCD(s) Computed

11/15/1998

NOTE: This version of the Standard Form 144-A was reformatted to fit on one page. Part II of the Form was not shown in this example.

Subchapter 3.	Change in Service Computation Date-Leave.

3-1.	Actions to Change the Service Computation Date-Leave.

a.	Process a separate Change in Service Computation Date (SCD) action when the employee's SCD-Leave changes and no other change occurs. Examples are when:

-	additional periods of service are made creditable by statute or an Office of Personnel Management ruling;

-	service claimed and verified at the time of appointment was not credited and should have been;

-	the employee claims creditable service not previously claimed;

-	service claimed at the time of appointment is later verified.

b.	When an employee returns to duty after excess nonpay status, the Change in Service Computation Date (SCD) is effective the same date as the return to duty action. (See section 1-5b.) Document the SCD change as part of the return to duty action. Follow instructions in Chapter 16 of this Guide.

c.	When an employee changes from an intermittent to a part time or full time schedule, the change in Service Computation Date (SCD) is effective the same date as the change in work schedule. (See section 2-2f.) Document the SCD change as part of the change in work schedule action. Follow instructions in Chapter 24 of this Guide.

d.	When an employee with excess

nonpay or on an intermittent work schedule separates, document the change in Service Computation Date (SCD) on the separation

action. The change in SCD is effective the same date as the separation.

e.	Process a correction when the Service Computation Date is changing because a mathematical or similar error was made in the previous computation.

3-2.	Use of the Standard Form 52.

Use of the Standard Form 52 to process these actions is not required. Follow your agency's instructions.

3-3.	Processing Instructions.

a.	Effective Date. Use Table 6-1 to determine the appropriate effective date for a Change in Service Computation Date action. Note that corrections always have the same effective date as the original action.

b.	Nature of Action and Legal Authority. Enter the following nature of action and authority in blocks 5 A-D of the Standard Form 50.

Nature of Action	Authority

882 Chg in SCD	VZM 5 U.S.C. 6303

c.	Service Computation Date. Show the new Service Computation Date-Leave in block 31 of the Standard Form 50.

d.	Remarks. Use Table 6-1 to identify the required remarks. Also enter any additional remarks that are required by your agency or are necessary to explain the action.

e.	Standard Form (SF) 50. Follow the instructions in Chapter 4 to complete the Standard Form 50. File one copy on the

right side of the Official Personnel Folder; distribute other copies according to your agency's instructions.

Table 6-1. Effective Date and Remarks for Change in Service

Computation Date-Leave

R

U

L

E	A	B	C	D
If	Then Effective Date is	And Required Remark Codes Are	And Required Remarks Are
1	Civilian service claimed by employee is later made creditable by statute or Office of Personnel Management (OPM) ruling	Date set by the statute or the OPM ruling	B33	Changes SCD from (date) to reflect service which has been ruled creditable.

2	Employee claims additional creditable service not claimed at time of appointment	Date evidence of service is received in the Personnel Office	B34	Changes SCD from (date) to reflect previously unclaimed service.

3	Employee is removed from Uniformed Service Temporary Disability Retirement List (TDRL) and given a discharge	Date of discharge	B36	Changes SCD from (date) upon employee's receipt of discharge from uniformed service.
4	Service claimed at time of appointment is now being credited because it has just been verified or because credit was improperly denied at time of appointment	Date of appointment (see Note)	B35	Changes SCD from (date) because (state reasons).

NOTE:	If your agency's system will not accept a change which is effective on the date of the appointment because intervening actions have occurred, use the effective date of the most recent action and explain in remarks that the change is retroactive to the date of appointment.

11-1

Chapter 11. Excepted Service Appointments

(Natures of Action 130, 170, 171, 190, 570, 571, 590, 760)

Contents

Page

1.	Coverage	11-3

2.	Definitions	11-3

3.	Special Conditions	11-3

Job Aids

Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions on Appointments

in the Excepted Service	11-5

Tables

11-A.	Excepted Appointments that are not Based on Exercise of

Reemployment or Restoration Rights	11-11

11-B.	Excepted Appointments Based on Exercise of Reemployment

or Restoration Rights	11-21

11-C.	Remarks to be Shown on the Standard Form 50	11-25

>Figure

11-1. Legal Authority Codes Used for Schedule A, B, and C

Appointments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-38<

Page 11-2 is blank.

Update 37

Processing Personnel Actions	June 3, 2001

11-3

Chapter 11. Excepted Service Appointments

1. Coverage.

This chapter covers all appointments, conversions to appointments, and extensions of temporary appointments that are made without regard to the competitive requirements of the civil service rules and regulations and that are not covered by the Panama Canal Employment System (PCES) and the Senior Executive Service (SES) (Instructions for PCES appointments are published separately by the Panama Canal Commission. Instructions for SES appointments are published in Chapter 13.)

2. Definitions.

a. An appointment brings an individual onto the rolls (staff) of an agency.

b. A conversion changes an employee from one appointment to another appointment (under either the same or a different authority) in the same agency with no break in service or with a break of 3 days or less.

c. An extension continues a time-limited appointment (one with an NTE date) up to the maximum time allowed by the authority under which it was effected.

d. A Provisional Appointment NTE is a temporary appointment to a continuing position when the agency intends later to convert the employee to a nontemporary appointment, and has appropriate authority for the conversion at the time of the temporary appointment.

3. Special Conditions.

When making appointments in the excepted service, certain special conditions may impact the documentation of the personnel actions and require additional instructions.

a. Retired persons. When the person being appointed is retired from Federal civilian service, *** you must follow the instructions in

Chapter >3< as well as those instructions appropriate for excepted service appointments.

b. Separations by RIF. If an employee who is to be separated by reduction in force (RIF) procedures accepts a nonpermanent appointment in the same agency, each action must be documented separately, regardless of when the new appointment begins: the losing office processes a 356/Separation-RIF and the gaining offices processes the new appointment. If an employee accepts an offer of assignment under the RIF regulations to a specifically temporary position (e.g., if a career employee accepts an offer of assignment to a position that is scheduled to be abolished in a year), the action is processed as a Reassignment, Position Change, etc., following the instructions in Chapter 14.

c. Concurrent employment. If employee will be employed concurrently in two (or more) agencies, follow instructions in the >"Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance: A Handbook for Employees, Annuitants, Compensationers and Employing Offices" and the "Federal Employees' Health Benefit Program: A Handbook for Enrollees and Employing Offices"< to determine how health benefits and FEGLI will be handled, and to document those determinations on the Standard Form (SF) 52 (and SF 50).

>Page 11-4 is blank.<

Update 33

Processing Personnel Actions	January 2, 2000

Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions on Appointments in	the Excepted Service

Job Aid # 5

STEP	ACTION
1	When actions involve persons new to the rolls of your agency, compare data on the SF 52 submitted by the requesting office with the applications and other documents submitted.

When actions involve persons already on the rolls of your agency, compare data on the SF 52 submitted by the requesting office with the last action in the employee's Official Personnel Folder (OPF) to be sure it is correct. Then follow any of the instructions that are applicable:
If the employee...	Then...

Is being converted to a new appointment on the same date that he or she returns to duty from nonpay status,	Both the return-to-duty (RTD) action and the conversion must be documented.

Follow the instructions in Chapter 16 to document the RTD and the instructions in this chapter to document the conversion. If the actions are being documented on a single SF 52 (and SF 50), enter the nature of action and authority for the RTD in blocks 5A-5F.
Will change the work schedule, or the number of hours he or she works on a part- time basis, will change as a result of a conversion action,	The new schedule/hours must be documented.

Follow the instructions in Chapter 24 to select the nature of action, authority and remarks for the change in work schedule or hours.

If the conversion and the change in work schedule or hours are being documented on a single SF 52 (and SF 50), enter the nature of action and authority for the change in work schedule or hours in blocks 6A-6F; for a Chg in Hours action, enter the new hours per pay period in block 33.
continued on next page

Update 33

Processing Personnel Actions	January 2, 2000

Job Aid #5. Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions on Appointments in the Excepted
Service,	continued
STEP	ACTION
1	When actions involve persons already on the roles of your agency..., continued.
If the employee...	Then...
Will change the work schedule, or the number of hours he or she works on a part- time basis, will change as a result of a conversion action,	When an RTD and a conversion are effective on the same date as a change in work schedule or hours, and the RTD and conversion are being recorded on the same action, document the new work schedule in block 32 and the new hours in block 33; there is no need for a separate Chg in Work Schedule or Chg in Hours action.
Is voluntarily converting from a competitive service appointment to an excepted service appointment,	Obtain a statement from the employee that the employee is leaving the competitive service voluntarily to accept appointment in the excepted service.
2	Use Table 11-A or 11-B to select the nature of action and authority for the appointment or conversion and put them in blocks 5A-5F of the SF 52.

If the action is being taken under an authority that is unique to your department or agency, cite that authority (along with the authority code approved by OPM) instead of the authority and code shown in this chapter.
3	Use Table 11-C to select remarks codes/remarks required by OPM for the action and enter them in Part F of the SF 52. Also enter in Part F any additional remarks codes/remarks that are required by your agency's instructions or that are necessary to explain the action.
4	Use Chapter >3< to see what forms must be obtained or prepared with the action. You may need information from them to complete the SF 52. Follow instructions in that chapter to complete and distribute them.
5	Fill in remaining blocks on SF 52 as required by instructions to Chapter 4.

To identify an excepted appointment that is "conditional," enter "2" in block 24 of the SF 52; to identify an excepted appointment that is "indefinite," or "provisional" enter "3" in block 24 of the SF 52.

Follow your agency's instructions to obtain approval signature in Part C, block 2, of the SF 52.
6	Prepare the SF 50 from the information on the SF 52. Refer to Chapter 4 to see how the SF 50 should be completed. Follow your agency's instructions to have it signed or authenticated.
continued on next page

Update 33	Processing Personnel Actions

January 2, 2000

Job Aid #5. Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions on Appointments in the Excepted
Service, continued
STEP	ACTION
7	Check The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping to decide if any of the documents submitted with or created in connection with the action should be filed on the right side of the employee's Official Personnel Folder. Follow your agency's instructions to dispose of those not filed in the folder.
8
If the employee is...	Then...

Being converted to a new appointment and will be serviced by a new payroll office,	Give the employee, before the effective date of the conversion, a completed SF 8, Notice to Federal Employee About Unemployment Insurance. Show the full name and address of payroll office where the individual's records are maintained.
Coming from another agency,	Make another copy of the SF 50 (or list form of notice).
Send it to the servicing personnel office in the "losing" agency, and request that employee's OPF and leave record (SF 1150) be forwarded to your office.

If a copy of the appointment SF 50 (the "pick-up 50") cannot be sent to the losing agency within five days of the effective date of the appointment, send a copy of the appointment SF 52. That copy must show the effective date of the appointment and have the appointing official's signature in the approval block (Part C, block 2) of the SF 52.

Note: When the gaining agency is using an OPM-approved electronic SF 52 or SF 52 signature system, >use a letter or other written document as required by the losing agency< to request the OPF. The request letter >or other written document as required by the losing agency< must be signed by the appointing official and contain the information in Part B, blocks 1-6 and 15-22, of the SF 52.
continued on next page

Update 37

Processing Personnel Actions	June 3, 2001

Job Aid #5. Instructions for processing Personnel Actions on >Appointments< in the Excepted Service,

continued
STEP	ACTION
Prepare and distribute notices, continued:
9	Follow your agency instructions to distribute the Standard Form 50 copies.

Update 37	Processing Personnel Actions

June 3, 2001

Table Summary: Table 11-A. Excepted Service Appointments

If Appointment Is	Go to

Rules
On a provisional basis	7-8
Under VRA authority	9-13
Under the Student Educational Employment Program	14-33
Based on a move from the SES	34-37
By the President	38-45
Of an Expert or Consultant	46-49
Of a foreign national overseas	50-53
Under the IPA	54
***

Not listed above
•	Under Schedule A, B, or C authority	1-4, 55-58
•	Under another authority	63-66
•	Extension of an Exc Appt	67

Page 11-10 is blank.

Update 36

Processing Personnel Actions	December 31, 2000

Table 11-A. Excepted Appointments that are not Based on Exercise of Reemployment or Restoration Rights
R	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
U

L

E	If the person	And the appointment	And the person	Then

NOAC is	NOA is	Auth code is	And Authority is

(See Notes 1-4 of this table)
1	Is being employed under a Schedule A, B, or C authority that is not specifically covered by the rules below	Is without time limitation	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt	(Cite code for Schedule A, B, or C authority that authorizes the appointment or conversion)	(Cite authority under Schedule A, B, or C that authorizes the appointment or conversion)
2	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt
3	Is temporary	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)
4	Is already on the rolls of your agency	571	Conv to Exc Appt NTE (date)
5	Reserved
6	Reserved
7	Is being appointed on a temporary basis to a continuing position when the agency intends later to convert the employee to a >non- temporary< position and has current authority for such conversion	Is not on your agency's rolls	190	Provisional Appt NTE (date)	(Cite code for the Sch A, B, or C, statutory, or regulatory authority for the appointment)	(Cite the Sch A, B, or C, statutory, or regulatory authority for the appointment)
8	Is already on the rolls of your agency	590	Conv to Provisional Appt NTE (date)
Table 11-A. Excepted Appointments that are not Based on Exercise of Reemployment or Restoration Rights (Continued)
R	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
U

L

E	If the person	And the appointment	And the person	Then

NOAC is	NOA is	Auth code is	And Authority is

(See Notes 1-4 of this table)
9	Is already employed under the Veterans Readjustment Authority (VRA) in a different agency	Is to a VRA position without a break in service	130	Transfer	J8M	Reg. 307.103
10	Is being employed under the Veterans Readjustment Authority (VRA) on an appointment without time limitation (see Note 5 of this table)	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt
11	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt
12	Is being employed under the Veterans Readjustment Authority (VRA) on a temporary appointment (see Note 6 of this table)	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)
13	Is already on the rolls of your agency	571	Conv to Exc Appt NTE (date)
14	Is a student in a high school diploma program	Is under the Student Temporary Employment Program of the Student Educational Program	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)	Y1K	Sch B, 213.3202(a)-HS
15	Is already on the rolls of your agency	571	Conv to Exc Appt NTE (date)
16	Is a student in a post- high school certificate or diploma program (e.g., a vocational or technical certificate program)

Is under the Student Temporary Employment Program of the Student Educational Employment Program	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)	Y2K	Sch B, 213.3202(a)- Voc/Tech
17	Is already on the rolls of your agency	571	Conv to Exc Appt NTE (date)
18	Is a student in an associate degree program	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)	Y3K	Sch B, 213.3202(a)- Assoc
19	Is already on the rolls of your agency	571	Conv to Exc Appt NTE (date)
20	Is a student in a baccalaureate degree program	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)	Y4K	Sch B, 213.3202(a)- BA/BS
21	Is already on the rolls of your agency	571	Conv to Exc Appt NTE (date)
22	Is a student in a graduate or professional degree program	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)	Y5K	Sch B, 213.3202(a)- Grad/Prof
23	Is already on the rolls of your agency	571	Conv to Exc Appt NTE (date)
24	Is a student in a high school diploma program	Is under the Student Career Experience Program of the Student Educational Employment Program	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt	YBM	Sch B, 213.3202(b)-HS
25	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt
26	Is a student in a post- high school certificate or diploma program (e.g., vocational or technical certificate program)	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt	YGM	Sch B, 213.3202(b)- Voc/Tech
27	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to

Exc Appt
28	Is a student in an associate degree program	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt	Y3M	Sch B, 213.3202(b)- Assoc
29	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to

Exc Appt
30	Is a student in a baccalaureate degree program	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt	Y1M	Sch B, 213.3202(b)- BA/BS
31	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt
32	Is a student in a graduate or professional degree program	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt	Y2M	Sch B, 213.3202(b)- Grad/Prof
33	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt
34	Is converted from an SES career appointment under which the individual had guaranteed placement rights to an appointment in the excepted service	Is based on unacceptable performance during the SES probationary period	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt	(Cite code for authority under which conversion is effected) and VDJ	(Cite the authority under which the conversion is effected) and 5 U.S.C. 3594(a)
35	Is based on less than fully successful performance following the SES probationary period	(Cite code for authority under which conversion is effected) and VCS	(Cite the authority under which the conversion is effected) and 5 U.S.C. 3594(b)(1)
36	Is based on a reduction in force in the SES	(Cite code for authority under which conversion is effected) and VCT	(Cite the authority under which the conversion is effected) and 5 U.S.C. 3594(b)(2)
37	Is converted from an SES career appointment under which the individual had guaranteed placement rights to an appointment in the excepted service	Is based on failure to be recertified in the SES	(Cite code for authority under which conversion is effected) and VCW	(Cite the authority under which the conversion is effected) and 5 U.S.C. 3594(b)(3)
38	Is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate	Is without time limitation	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt	ZNM	(Enter Law, E.O., or Reg. that authorizes the Presidential appointment with advice and consent of the Senate)
39	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt
40	Is temporary	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)
41	Is already on the rolls of your agency	571	Conv to Exc Appt NTE (date)
42	Is appointed by the President when advice and consent of the Senate is not required	Is without time limitation	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt	ZKM	(Enter Law, E.O., or Reg. that authorizes the Presidential appointment)
43	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt
44	Is temporary	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)
45	Is already on the rolls of your agency	571	Conv to Exc Appt NTE (date)
46	Is an expert or consultant appointed under the authority of

5 U.S.C. 3109 and agency's appropriation act or other statute	Is without time limitation	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt	>H2L<	>Reg. 304.103<
47	Is an expert or consultant appointed under the authority of

5 U.S.C. 3109 and agency's appropriation act or other statute	Is without time limitation	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt	H2L	Reg. 304.103
48	Is temporary	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)
49	Is already on the rolls of your agency	571	Conv to Exc Appt NTE (date)
50	Is a foreign national recruited overseas for an overseas position	Is without time limitation	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt	BPM	CS Rule 8.3
51	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt
52	Is temporary	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)
53	Is already on the rolls of your agency	571	Conv to Exc Appt NTE (date)
54	Is selected under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA)	Is under the authority of

5 U.S.C. 3374	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)	VPE	5 U.S.C. 3374
55	Is employed under the authority of Sch A, 213.3102(i) in a position for which a critical hiring need exists	Is temporary	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)	W9P	Sch A, 213.3102(i)(2)
56	Is already on the rolls of your agency	571	Conv to Exc Appt NTE (date)
57	Is without time limitation on a less than full-time basis	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt
58	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt
59	***

***	***	***	***	***	***
60	***	***	***
61	***	***	***	***
62	***	***	***
63	Is employed under the authority of any other law, Executive Order or Reg. not covered in the preceding rules of this Table (including Experts and Consultants employed under agency authority similar to that of 5 U.S.C. 3109)	Is without time limitation	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt	ZLM	(Enter Law, E.O., or Reg. that authorizes the appointment or conversion)
64	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt
65	Is temporary	Is not on your agency's rolls	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)
66	Is already on the rolls of your agency	571	Conv to Exc Appt NTE (date)
67	Is serving on an Exc Appt NTE	Is being extended	Is already on the rolls of your agency	760	Ext of Appt NTE (date)	(Enter same auth code as for the Exc Appt NTE)	(Enter same authority as for the Exc Appt NTE)

NOTES:

1. ZLM: Other Citation (Law, EO, or Reg) may be cited in addition to any other authority or authorities required by this Table. Cite ZLM immediately after the authority or authorities required by this table. If a Standard Form 59, Request for Approval of Non-Competitive Action, was obtained from the Office of Personnel Management for the action, also include with the authorities ABM: SF 59 approved (date). Cite ABM as the last authority.

2. If appointment was made using special section priority under the agency's Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP), cite ABR: Reg 330.608 following the authorities required by this Table and ZLM, if used.

3. When appointee or employee was selected on the basis of bicultural/bilingual selective factors, show as the second authority (in blocks 5E-5F or 6E-6F of the Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action), ABL: Bicultural/Bilingual Selective Factors.

4. For information on Schedule A, B, and C, see part 213 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulation. For authority codes for Schedules A, B, and C, see >Figure 11-1, or< The Guide to Personnel Data Standards.

5. Veterans' Readjustment Appointment appointees are placed in Tenure Group II of the Excepted Service.

6. These instructions apply only when the Veterans' Readjustment Appointment is to a position in an excepted service agency or organization. When a Veterans' Readjustment Appointment is made on a temporary basis to a position in the competitive service, follow the instructions in Chapter 10.

Page 11-20 is blank.

Table 11-B. Excepted Appointments Based on Exercise of Reemployment or Restoration Rights
R	A	B	D	E	F	G
U

L

E	If the person	And	Then NOAC is	NOA Is	Auth Code Is	And Authority Is

(See Notes 1-4 of this table)
1	Is exercising statutory restoration rights upon return from uniformed service	Appointment held prior to the separation upon which restoration is based was without time limitation	170	Exc Appt	QAK and (Cite auth code for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which restoration is based)	Reg. 353.207 and (Cite authority for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which restoration is based)
2	Appointment held prior to the separation upon which restoration is based was temporary	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)
3	Is ordered by MSPB directive to be restored to duty when person appeals failure to restore or improper restoration after uniformed service (see Note 5 of this table)	Appointment held prior to the separation upon which restoration is based was without time limitation	170	Exc Appt	ALM and (Cite auth code for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which restoration is based)	MSPB Directive—US and (Cite authority for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which restoration is based)
4	Appointment held prior to the separation upon which restoration is based was temporary	171	Exc Appt NTE (date)
5	Is exercising statutory restoration rights upon full recovery from a compensable injury	170	Exc Appt	QBK and (Cite auth code for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which reemployment is based)	Reg. 353.301 and (Cite authority for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which restoration is based)
6	Is appointed based on his or her partial recovery from a compensable injury	QCK and (Cite auth code for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which reemployment is based)	Reg. 353.301(d) and (Cite authority for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which reemployment is based)
Table 11-B. Excepted Appointments Based on Exercise of Reemployment or Restoration Rights (Continued)
R	A	B	D	E	F	G
U

L

E	If the person	And	Then NOAC is	NOA Is	Auth Code Is	And Authority Is

(See Notes 1-4 of this table)
7	Is ordered by MSPB Directive to be restored to duty after person appeals failure to restore or improper restoration upon recovery from compensable injury (see Note 5 of this table)	170	Exc Appt	AQM and (Cite auth code for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which restoration is based)	MSPB Directive Inj and (Cite authority for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which restoration is based)
8	Exercises reemployment rights after having moved between executive agencies during an emergency	PWM and (Cite auth code for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which reemployment is based)	Reg. 352.204 and (Cite authority for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which reemployment is based)
9	Exercises reemployment rights after having transferred to an international organization	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt	P3M and (Cite auth code for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which reemployment is based)	Reg. 352.311 and (Cite authority for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which reemployment is based)
10	Exercises reinstatement rights after serving in the Agency for International Development under sections 233(d) and 625(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act	P5M and (Cite auth code for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which reemployment is based)	Reg. 352.507 and (Cite authority for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which reemployment is based)
11	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt
12	Exercises reemployment rights after service with the American Institute in Taiwan	Is not on your agency's rolls	170	Exc Appt	P7M	Reg. 352.803
13	Exercises reemployment rights under circumstances not covered in Rules 1-12

ZRM and (Cite auth code for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which reemployment is based)	(Cite authority for the reemployment) and (Cite authority for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which reemployment is based)
14	Is already on the rolls of your agency	570	Conv to Exc Appt	ZRM and (Cite auth code for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which reemployment is based)	(Cite authority for the reemployment) and (Cite authority for the appointment held prior to the separation upon which reemployment is based)
NOTES:

1. ZLM: Other Citation (Law, E.O., or Reg) may be cited in addition to any other authority or authorities required by this Table. Cite ZLM immediately after the authority or authorities required by this table.

2. If an SF 59 was obtained from OPM for the action, also include with the authorities ABM: SF 59 approved (date). Cite ABM as the last authority.

3. For information on Schedule A, B, and C, see part 213 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations. For authority codes for Schedules A, B, and C, see >Figure 11-1, or< The Guide to Personnel Data Standards.

4. On a restoration or reemployment action, cite as the second authority the one that was used for the last appointment or conversion to appointment that occurred before the employee left his or her agency. Use The Guide to Personnel Data Standards to identify the code for that legal authority.

5. If MSPB determines restoration was improper, cancel it following instructions in Chapter 32 of this Guide.

Page 11-24 is blank.

Table 11-C. Remarks to be Shown on SF 50 (See Note 1 *** of this table)
R	A	B	C	D
U

L

E	If	And	Then Remark Code Is	And Remark Is
1	Employee was required to complete an appointment affidavit, SF 61.	M01	Appointment affidavit executed (date).
2	Action is an appointment or a conversion to appointment	M39	Creditable Military Service: (enter yrs and mos, e.g., "6 yrs, 7 mos") [This remark is not required for reemployed Civil Service annuitants. For other employees, where there is no prior military service, enter "none;" otherwise, follow the instructions in Chapter 6 to calculate years and months of service.]
3	M40	Previous Retirement Coverage: (enter "never covered" or "previously covered") ["Previously covered" indicates that employee was previously covered by the CSRS or the FERS.]
4	Appointment requires employee to complete a trial period	Employee has not completed that trial period	E19	Appointment is subject to completion of 1 year trial period beginning (date).
5	Employee has already completed that trial period	E03	Trial period completed.
6	Employee is given excepted appointment in an agency which uses an appointment system equivalent to the career-conditional appointment system in the competitive service	Employee has not completed the service requirement for Tenure Group I	T09	Service counting towards permanent tenure from (date).
7	Employee has completed the service requirement for Tenure Group I	T08	Service counting towards permanent tenure from (date) to (date).

Table 11-C. Remarks to be Shown on SF 50 (See Note 1 *** of this table) (Continued)
R	A	B	C	D
U

L

E	If	And	Then Remark Code Is	And Remark Is
8	Employee qualified for position under a training agreement under which he or she is placed directly into target occupation without first meeting qualification standards	E56	Qualified for this position only under training agreement. Not eligible for other positions in this series until satisfactorily completes prescribed training.
9	Employee is a seasonal employee, i.e., one who is employed under conditions requiring a recurring period of employment of less than 2080 hours per year in which he or she is placed in nonpay status in accordance with pre- established conditions of employment	A01	Appointment is on a seasonal basis; the employee is subject to release to nonpay status and recall to duty to meet workload requirements as a condition of employment in accordance with the attached agreement. (see Note 3 of this table)
10	Appointment is indefinite, i.e., nonpermanent without a definite time limitation, and there is no plan (or employee is not eligible under any existing plan) for movement into the agency's permanent workforce without new examination of qualifications	E01	Appointment is indefinite.
11	Employee is currently serving in tenure group "0"	Has completed one year of current continuous employment

T11	Completed 1 year of current continuous service. (see Note 4 of this table)
12	Action is a Provisional Appt NTE or a Conversion to Provisional Appt NTE	E58	Appointment is on a provisional basis. You are eligible for retirement coverage and for health benefits and life insurance. If your performance is satisfactory, and you meet all legal, qualifications, and other applicable requirements, you may be converted to a nontemporary appointment before this appointment expires.
13	Employee is given a time-limited appointment (NOA 171), or a time-limited appointment is extended.	M06	Reason for temporary appointment: (state reason)
14	Reserved
15	Reserved
16	Reserved
17	Appointment is made under Schedule A, Sec. 213.3102(o)	This is the employee's first appointment under the authority during the service year (see Note 5 of this table)	A11	Employment under this appointment must not exceed (number) working days a year.
18	Appointment authority limits the number of days employee may work during a service year	Employee is served in your agency under another appointment under the same authority within the past year (see Note 5 of this table)	A12	Employment under this and previous appointment must not exceed (number) working days a year.
19	Appointment authority limits the number of hours employee may work during a service year	This is the employee's first appointment under this authority during the service year (see Note 5 of this table)	A07	Employment under this appointment must not exceed (number) hours a year.
20	Appointment authority limits the number of hours employee may work during a service year	Employee has served in your agency under another appointment under this authority within the past year (see Note 5 of this table)	A08	Employment under this and previous appointment must not exceed (number) hours a year.
21	Appointment is made under Schedule A, Sec. 213.3102(e)	A22	This appointment cannot be renewed. Upon admission to the Bar, you will be eligible for appointment as attorney in accordance with (agency) appointment procedures.
22	Appointment is made under Schedule A, Sec. 213.3102(g)	A15	Total compensation during service year may not exceed 40% of salary for GS-3/1; salary increase resulting from a within grade increase will not count against this limitation.

23	Appointment is made under Schedule A, Sec. 213.3102(ii) (see Note 6 of this table)	A04	Appointment is NTE 2 years. Upon satisfactory completion of internship, you may be noncompetitively converted to career or career-conditional appointment. If your performance is not satisfactory or if you fail to satisfactorily complete this internship, employment will be terminated.

24	The employee is currently employed under a nontemporary appointment in the competitive service

A24	Employee informed in advance of the conditions of appointment under the Presidential Management Intern Program.
25	Appointment is made under the Student Temporary Employment Program

(Sch B, Sec. 213.3202(a))	A30	This appointment does not confer eligibility to be noncompetitively converted to career- conditional or career appointment.
26	Appointment is made under the Student Career Experience Program

(Sch B, Sec. 213.3202(b))

(see Note 6 of this table)	A31	This appointment is intended to continue through completion of education and study-related work requirements. An agency may noncompetitively appoint you to a career or career-conditional appointment within 120 days after satisfactory completion of your educational program and satisfactory completion of at least 640 hours of career-related work experience. The work experience must have been completed prior to or concurrently with the completion of the requirements of your educational program.
27	Appointment is made under the Veterans Readjustment Authority (VRA)—5 CFR, part 307

(see Note 6 of this table)	Appointment is to a competitive service agency and not to an excepted service agency or organization	A03	This is appointment intended to continue for 2 years. Upon satisfactory completion of 2-year trial period, you will be noncompetitively converted to career- conditional or career appointment. If performance is not satisfactory or you fail to satisfactorily complete program, employment will be terminated.
28	Employee is already on the rolls of your agency	Will serve on two (or more) appointments at the same time	M36	Concurrent employment: (identify position or agency unit where concurrently employed)
29	Action is a conversion to another appointment of an employee who is being retained on the agency's rolls under a temporary exception to RIF release	The retention has been documented with a 755/Exception to RIF Release action	K60	Action is in lieu of RIF separation of employee retained under temporary exception.
30	Employee is on the rolls of another agency on a part-time or intermittent appointment (see Note 7 of this table)	Will continue in that status after appointment in your agency	M34	On part-time or (intermittent) appointment in (agency).
31	Employee is on the rolls of another agency in a nonpay status (see Note 7 of this table)	M33	On nonpay status in (agency).
32

Employee is moving between executive agencies	Has reemployment rights in former agency or office	M02	You have reemployment rights for two years in (former agency) granted under Reg. 352.204 and OPM letter of (date).
33	Employee is a Special Government Employee as defined in sec. 202 of title 18, U.S. Code	E21	You are subject to regulations governing conduct and responsibilities of Special Government Employees.
34	Employee is converted from an SES appointment	Action is because of employee's less than fully successful performance in the SES position or because of employee's failure to be recertified in the SES	M58	No SES reinstatement rights.
35	Employee declined conversion to an SES appointment	Position to which employee is being assigned is an SES position	M52	Employee declined conversion to the Senior Executive Service and continues under (enter: type of appointment) with all associated rights and benefits.
36	Employee receives Presidential appointment that requires Senate confirmation	Appointment follows an SES Career Appt without a break in service and the employee elects to continue SES pay and/or benefits	E54	Employee elects to continue appropriate SES provisions under 5 U.S.C. 3392
37	Employee was a career appointee in the SES who voluntarily requested a change to a position in the excepted service	M20	Action at employee's request.
38	Appointment is at salary rate above minimum rate of the grade	P04	Superior qualifications appointment made under Reg. 531.203(b).
39	Employee is appointed to or converted to a position for which special higher-than-usual pay rate has been established under 5 U.S.C. 5305 to recruit and retain qualified employees

P05	Special rate under 5 U.S.C. 5305.
40	Employee is appointed to or converted to a supervisory GS position in which he or she supervises higher paid employees under another pay system	Employee receives a supervisory differential	P72	Salary in block 20 includes supervisory differential of $________.
41	Employee's salary will be based on his or her highest previous rate of pay	Salary for current action is based on that higher rate	P01	Previously employed at (pay plan, grade, rate).
42	Agency cannot verify salary before action is effected	P03	Pay rate shown is subject to upward retroactive adjustment upon verification of prior service.
43	Rate increase (other than a WGI) is due on effective date of action	A separate SF 50 is not being processed for the rate increase	P02	Pay rate fixed to include rate increase due on same date.
44	Employee is returning after service with the American Institute in Taiwan an international organization, military service, or absence due to compensable injury	Rate of pay includes increases he or she earned while absent	P06	Pay rate includes WGI's or other rate changes to which employee would have been entitled had he or she remained continuously in Federal service.
45	Employee was promoted or reassigned while absent	K38	Promoted (or reassigned) from (former position and grade), effective (date).
46	Employee is entitled to grade retention under 5 U.S.C. 5362	X37	Employee is entitled to retain grade of (pay plan and grade) through (date).
47	X61	Retained grade will not be used for purposes of reduction-in- force.
48	X45	Retained grade will be used to determine employee's pay, retirement and insurance benefits, and promotion and training eligibility.
49	Retained grade is equivalent to grade actually held by the employee prior to the reduction which entitled employee to grade retention	X35

(see Note 8 of this table)	The retained pay plan and grade (pay plan and grade) is equivalent to (pay plan and grade), the position from which reduced.
50	Employee will be entitled another period of grade retention when the current period has ended	X38

(see Note >8< of this table)	On (date) employee will be entitled to retain grade of (pay plan and grade) through (date) provided the preceding period of grade retention is not terminated earlier.
51	Employee was entitled to grade retention under 5 U.S.C. 5362 on previous position	Employee has accepted a change to a lower grade position for personal cause	X36	Grade retention entitlement terminated. No further entitlement to grade or pay retention.
52	Employee was entitled to grade retention under 5 U.S.C. 5362 on previous position	Employee has accepted a change to a lower grade position for personal cause	X49	Change to lower grade is for personal cause.
53	Employee who is moved out of SES is entitled to a retained rate of pay higher than the pay of the position in which he or she is placed	X40	Employee is entitled to pay retention.
54	Employee is entitled to pay retention under 5 U.S.C. 5363
55	Employee's salary is 150% of the maximum rate of the grade to which assigned	X41	Salary is 150% of maximum rate of grade to which assigned.
56	Employee was entitled to pay retention under 5 U.S.C. 5363 on previous position	Employee has accepted a change to a lower grade position for personal cause	X49	Change to lower grade is for personal cause.
57	X42	Pay retention entitlement is terminated.
58	Employee has been receiving severance pay or is eligible to begin receiving severance pay from another agency.	Is given a temporary appointment.	N24	Severance pay suspended by (agency paying the full severance pay) until termination of this appointment.
59	Appointment is not described in Rule 58	N25	Severance pay discontinued. Employee has received (total number) weeks of severance pay.
60	Employee's total salary includes a retention allowance	P70	Salary in block 20 includes retention allowance of $_______.
61	Employee's total salary includes payment for AUO	P81	Salary in block 20 includes AUO of $_______.
62	***	***	***
63	Employee's total salary includes availability pay	P99	Salary in block 20 includes availability pay of $________.
64	Employee who is reemployed under FICA, CSRS, or CSRS-Offset, is eligible to elect FERS as provided in Chapter 11 of The CSRS and FERS Handbook	Employee has been given SF 3109, FERS Election of Coverage, and receipt copy has been filed in employee's OPF	B60	Eligible to elect coverage under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) within 6 months of the effective date of this personnel action. SF 3109 provided to employee.
65	Employee's retirement code will be "C," "E," "K," "L," "M," or "N"	M38	Frozen Service: (enter yrs and mos, e.g., "20 yrs, 5 mos")
66	Employee's retirement code will be "K," "L," "M," or "N"	Employee previously elected coverage under FERS	M46	Employee is covered by FERS because of previous election.
67	Rule 65 does not apply	M45	Employee is automatically covered under FERS.
68	Employee has elected to retain coverage under a retirement system for NAF employees	B63	Elected to retain coverage under a retirement system for NAF employees.
69	Employee is eligible for life insurance coverage	Is working on a part-time schedule	B51	Basic Life insurance coverage and Additional Optional coverage (if elected) are based on the rate of annual salary payable to you as a part-time employee, not the full- time salary rate shown in block 20 of this SF 50. However, Basic Life insurance coverage is always at least $10,000.
70	Employee is eligible for health benefits coverage	Is working on a part-time schedule of 16-32 hours per week covered by the Federal Employees Part- Time Career Employment Act of 1978	B43	Government share of premium for health benefits coverage will be reduced because you are working part-time. You will have to pay the employee share of the premium plus the difference between what the Government pays for your enrollment and the amount the Government pays for a full-time employee.
71	Employee elected health benefits coverage on last appointment	That coverage will continue	B44	Health benefits coverage continues.
72	Employee moves from the jurisdiction of one payroll office to the jurisdiction of another (whether in same agency or in another agency)	Elected not to enroll health benefits plan while in previous agency or office	B02	Elected not to enroll for health benefits.
73	Canceled enrollment while in previous agency or office	B01	Canceled health benefits.
74	Employment is on a short-term basis (i.e., employee is expected to work less than 6 months in each year) or is working on an intermittent basis	B03	Ineligible for health benefits.
75	Action is appointment NTE or conversion to appointment NTE (NOA 171 or 571)	Is not described in Rule 74 and employee has not already made a health benefits enrollment decision	B52	Ineligible for health benefits until you complete 1 year of current continuous employment. Then you may elect health benefits for which you will be charged the full premium.
76	Conversion is from intermittent employment without compensation (WC)	G29	Intermittent employment totaled (number) hours in work status from (date) to (date).
77	Conversion is from intermittent employment with pay	G30	Intermittent employment totaled (number) hours in pay status from (date) to (date).
78	Reserved

79	Employee is not eligible to earn annual or sick leave	B04	Ineligible for leave.
80	Office that provides personnel service (including OPF maintenance) is not at the same location or is not part of the same organization as the one to which the employee is assigned (e.g., employee is located in Europe and OPF is maintained in Washington, DC, or employee works for agency A and receives personnel service from agency B).	M10	OPF maintained by (name and address of office).
>81	Will be reemployed annuitant	A17	As a reemployed annuitant, you serve at the will of the appointing officer.<
82	Will be reemployed annuitant	Salary will be reduced by the amount of the annuity because neither the Office of Personnel Management nor the agency has approved a waiver unde 5 CFR, part 533	P08	Annual salary to be reduced by the amount of your retirement annuity and by further cost of l iving increases.
83	P90	You are required to submit to the personnel office a copy of any subsequent notice from OPM of any change in your gross annuity rate. (See Note 10 of this table)
84	P10	Annuity at present is $ pa. (See Note 11 of this table)

NOTES:

1. Use as many remarks as are applicable.

2. ***

3. Be sure to attach to the employee copy of the SF 50 a copy of his or her employment or working agreement.

4. Tenure group in block 24 changes to "3."

5. Service year means a consecutive 12 month period beginning with date of the first appointment under a specific authority. Calendar year means the 12-month period beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31. Unless otherwise stated, appointments limited to a specific number of hours during a year refer to a "service year." Thus, if an appointment is limited to 1040 hours during a year, the year begins on date of the appointment and runs for 12 consecutive months from that date.

6. Employees are placed in Tenure Group II.

7. Send copy of appointment Standard Form 50 to employee's servicing personnel office in the other agency (reference 5 U.S.C. 5533).

8. Use this remark in addition to those required under Rules 45-48.

9. ***

10. When the employee submits the notice of annuity adjustment, follow your agency's procedures to forward it to the payroll office.

11. To determine the annual (pa) rate, multiply by 12 the gross monthly annuity shown on the notice of annuity adjustment from the Office of Personnel Management.

***

>Figure 11-1. Legal Authority Codes Used For Schedule A, B, and C Appointments

For appointments under: Use Legal Authority Code:

Sch A,	213.3102(a)	WAM

213.3102(c)	WCM

213.3102(d)	WDM

213.3102(e)	WEM

213.3102(f)	WFM

213.3102(g)	WGM

213.3102(i)(1)	W9N

213.3102(i)(2)	W9P

213.3102(i)(3)	W9R

213.3102(j)	WJM

213.3102(k)	WKM

213.3102(l)	WLM

213.3102(n)	WNM

213.3102(o)	W6M

213.3102(r)	W9S

213.3102(s)	W9T

213.3102(t)	WTM

213.3102(u)	WUM

213.3102(x)	WXM<

Figure 11-1. Legal Authority Codes Used For Schedule A, B, and C Appointments (continued)

For appointments under: Use Legal Authority Code:

Sch A,	213.3102(z)	WZM

213.3102(aa)	XAM

213.3102(bb)	XBM

213.3102(ff)	XFM

213.3102(gg)	XGM

213.3102(ii)	X9M

213.3102(ll)	XXM

213.31xx - Agency unique Sch A	XZM
authority

Sch B, 213.3202(a) - Student Temporary

Employment Program - for students

pursuing:

- High school diploma	Y1K

- Vocational/Technical certificate	Y2K

- Associate degree	Y3K

- Bachelor's degree	Y4K

- Graduate/Professional degree	Y5K

Figure 11-1. Legal Authority Codes Used For Schedule A, B, and C Appointments (continued)

For appointments under: Use Legal Authority Code:

Sch B, 213.3202(b) - Student Career

Experience Program - for students

pursuing:

- High school diploma	YBM

- Vocational/Technical certificate	YGM

- Associate degree	Y3M

- Bachelor's degree	Y1M

- Graduate/Professional degree	Y2M

Sch B, 213.3202(j)	YJM

213.3202(m)	YMM

213.3202(n)*	YKB

213.3202(o)	YCM

213.32xx. Agency-unique Schedule B authority	Y5M

Sch C, 213.33xx. Agency-unique Schedule C authority	Y7M

Sch C, 213.3302(a) Temp. transitional Sch C	Y9K

Sch C, Authority other than Sch C, 213.33xx,

(i.e., Law or E.O. which establishes a Sch C

Position)	Y8M

*Effective as of November 30, 1999, agencies may no longer make new appointments under this authority; however, prior appointees under this authority may be promoted, demoted, or reassigned within the appointing agency while remaining under this appointing authority as long as there is no break in service.

17-1

Chapter 17. Pay and Step Changes

(Natures of Action 810, 818, 819, 866, 888, 891, 892, 893, 894, 895, and 899)

Contents

Page

1.	Coverage	17-3

2.	Definitions	17-3

3.	Use of Standard Form 52	17-5

4.	Documenting the Personnel Action	17-5

5.	Actions for Absent Employees	17-5

Job Aids

Processing Personnel Actions for Pay and Step Changes	17-7

Tables

17-A.	Pay and Step Changes Under the General Schedule	17-9

17-B.	***

17-C.	Pay and Step Changes Under Prevailing Rate Systems	17-21

17-D.	Pay and Step Changes Under Pay Systems Other Than the

General Schedule or Prevailing Rate Systems	17-27

17-E.	***

17-F.	Codes and Remarks for Pay and Step Changes	>17-31<

Page 17-2 is blank.

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17-3

Chapter 17. Pay and Step Changes

1. Coverage.

This chapter provides instructions for processing pay-related actions that occur when there is no change in the employee's agency, appointment status, position, or grade:

—Change in Allowance/Differential,

—Administratively Uncontrollable
Overtime,

—Availability Pay,

—Locality Payment

—Pay Adjustment,

—Within-grade Increase,

—Quality Step Increase,

—Denial of Within-grade Increase,

—Step Adjustment, and

—Termination of Grade Retention.

See Chapter 31 when processing actions when an employee changes agencies; see Chapters 9-13 when appointment status changes; see Chapter 14 for position or grade changes.

2. Definitions.

a. Adjusted basic pay >is that amount which, after taking into account all applicable pay caps, is the higher of the following rates of pay to which the employee is entitled: basic pay; locality pay; special law enforcement officer adjusted pay; or the continued rate of pay.<

b. Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime ( AUO ) pay is calculated as 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 are required on an irregular basis.

c. Availability pay is a special form of premium pay 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.

d. IGA continued rate of pay means a rate of pay first established in January 1994 for an employee who previously received an interim geographic adjustment (IGA) on top of a worldwide or nationwide special rate authorized under 5 U.S.C. 5305.

e. Denial of Within-grade Increase means the decision to withhold (not grant) a within-grade increase to an employee because of a determination that the employee's performance is not an acceptable level of competence.
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17-4	THE GUIDE TO PROCESSING PERSONNEL ACTIONS

f. GM Within-grade Increase is an agency-awarded increase in rate of basic pay, with no change in grade, to an employee who is covered under the Performance Management and Recognition System termination provisions of Public Law 103-89.

g. Grade Retention entitles an employee to retain for 2 years, for pay and benefits purposes, the grade of the position from which he or she was reduced.

h. Locality payment means a locality-based comparability payment or special pay adjustment for law enforcement officers.

(1) Locality-based comparability payment means a payment under 5 U.S.C. 5304.

(2) Special pay adjustment for law enforcement officer means an additional payment made to a law enforcement officer whose official duty station is in one of eight special pay areas defined in section 404 of the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990.

i. Pay Adjustment (as used in this Guide)—Any increase or decrease in an employee's rate of basic pay where there is no change in the duties or responsibilities of the employee's position. A pay adjustment may include a change in the step at which the employee is paid. A change in the pay system under which the employee is paid is also a pay adjustment.

j. Pay plan means the pay system or pay schedule under which the employee's rate of basic pay is determined, for example, General Schedule (GS), Executive Pay (EX), or Leader under the Federal Wage System (WL).

k. Pay retention entitlement is an employee's right to retain, under certain circumstances, a rate of basic pay that is higher than the maximum rate of the grade for the position that he or she occupies.

l. Performance Management and Recognition System (PMRS) was the pay system established under 5 U.S.C. chapter 54 for General Schedule employees in grades 13 through 15 in supervisory, managerial, or management official positions.

m. Quality (Step) Increase (QSI or QI) is an increase in an employee's rate of basic pay through an additional within-grade increase granted under 5 U.S.C. 5336 for sustained high quality performance.

n. Rate of basic pay means the rate of pay fixed by law or administrative action for the position held by the employee before any deductions (such as taxes) and exclusive of additional pay of any kind (such as overtime pay). For example, $9793 per year; $6.41 per hour.

o. Retention Allowance is the annual total dollar amount (up to 25 percent of basic pay) paid to an employee with unusually high qualifications or special skills in those cases where the agency determines that the employee would be likely to leave Federal employment if no allowance were paid.
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Chapter 17. Pay and Step Changes	17-5

p. Special Salary Rates are higher than the regular statutory schedule. The President establishes these higher pay rates for occupations in which private enterprise is paying substantially more than the regular Government schedule, and this salary gap significantly handicaps the Government's recruitment or retention of well-qualified persons.

q. Step means the step of the pay plan under which an employee is paid, for example, step 2 of GS 7 or step 1 of WG 5.

r. Step Adjustment means a change in the step of the grade at which the employee is serving, without a change in the employee's rate of basic pay.

s. Supervisory Differential the annual total dollar amount paid, over and above basic pay, to a General Schedule supervisor who otherwise would be paid less than one or more of the civilian employees supervised.

t. Within-grade Increase (WGI) is an increase in an employee's rate of basic pay by advancement from one step of his or her grade to the next after meeting requirements for length of service and performance.

3. Use of Standard Form 52.

The Standard Form 52, Request for Personnel Action, is used to request and document approval of pay or step changes for employees who are absent because of compensable injury, military duty, or service with an international organization. For other pay and step change actions, the agency may use either a Standard Form 52 or an agency form to request actions and document approvals. For changes required by statute or regulation, and for which no approval signature is needed, no request document is needed.

4. Documenting the Personnel Action.

Usually, personnel actions for pay and step changes will use a Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action. However, when an action involves large numbers of employees and requires a change in only one data item (salary), as in the case of statutory pay increase for General Schedule employees, the change may be made in agency data systems automatically. Each adjustment must be reported to the Central Personnel Data File. In addition, each salary adjustment or change must be documented in the Official Personnel Folder and the employee must be notified of the adjustment. >Employees< may be notified of the adjustment by a copy of the Official Personnel Folder document or an agency issuance described in Chapter 4, section 6. Either Standard Form 50 or one of these alternate forms of notice may be used for Official Personnel Folder documentation.

a. A copy of the new pay schedule containing the new rates, the authority for the change, the date of the authority and the effective date of the new rates may be used. Circle the employee's new salary and file the copy in the Official Personnel Folder on the right side.
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Processing Personnel Actions	January 27, 2002

17-6	THE GUIDE TO PROCESSING PERSONNEL ACTIONS

b. A computer-printed notice, showing:

Name of employee;

Pay System, Grade, Step, and new salary;

Effective date of new rate;

Authority for change and date of
authority; and

Social Security Number.

5. Actions for Absent Employees.

a. Employees who are in nonpay status.

(1) Process the following actions when they are due, regardless of whether the employee is in pay or nonpay status on the effective date of the action:

—	pay adjustment to effect an annual General Schedule pay adjustment, or to establish, change or terminate a locality payment;

—	pay adjustment to implement, change, or discontinue a special rate;

—	termination of grade retention at the expiration of the employee's 2-year period of grade retention;

—	pay adjustment resulting from the termination of grade retention;

—	within-grade increase for which employee became eligible before a period of nonpay status began; and

—	within-grade increase for which employee becomes eligible during a period of nonpay status that is creditable for within-grade increase purposes.

(2) Wait to record other pay actions until the employee returns to duty. Show the new pay or step on the return to duty personnel action and enter in the remarks on that action P09—"Pay or step adjusted (date) by (authority)."

b. Employees who have separated to enter on active military duty—prepare the pay adjustment or step change Standard Form 52, showing the date on which the action is due, and file it on the right side of the employee's Official Personnel Folder. Wait to prepare and distribute the Standard Form 50 until the employee exercises restoration rights, moving the Standard Form 52 to the left side of the Official Personnel Folder at that time. If the employee does not exercise restoration rights, remove and destroy the Standard Form 52.

c. Employees who have transferred to international organizations—if the employee is serving with an international organization, prepare and obtain necessary approvals on two copies of a Standard Form 52 to record the action. File one copy on the right side of the employee's Official Personnel Folder and send the second copy to the payroll office; payroll needs the salary information on the form to make the correct retirement and Federal Employees Group Life Insurance deductions for the employee while he or she serves with the international organization. Note the pay or step change on the Standard Form 52 that is used to process the reemployment action with remark P06—"Pay rate includes WGI's or other rate changes to which employee would have been entitled had he or she remained continuously in Federal service."

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January 27, 2002	Processing Personnel Actions

Chapter 17. Pay and Step Changes	17-7

Job Aid

Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions on Pay and Step Changes

STEP	ACTION
1	Use the table for the applicable pay plan to select the nature of action and authority:
Pay Plan	Table
General Schedule (GS), >including employees covered by the Performance Management and Recognition System termination provisions of P.L. 103-89 (meaning GM employees)<

***

Prevailing Rate Systems

Other Pay Systems
Table 17-A

***

Table 17-C

Table 17-D
Enter nature of action and authority in blocks 5A-F of the Standard Form 52 or in the appropriate place on the agency form used to request and approve the action.

If the action is being taken under an authority that is unique to your department or agency, cite that authority (along with the authority code approved by the Office of Personnel Management) instead of the authority and code shown in this chapter.
2	Use Table *** 17-F to select remarks/remarks codes required by the Office of Personnel Management for the action and enter them in Part F of the Standard Form 52 or in the appropriate place on the agency form used to request and approve the action.

Also enter any additional remarks/remarks codes that are required by your agency's instructions or that are necessary to explain the action.
3	Complete the Standard Form 52 as required by instructions in Chapter 4 of this Guide; follow your agency's procedures to complete an agency request document.
4	Follow your agency's procedures to get the approval signature on the Standard Form 52 or the form your agency uses to request action. No approval is needed for a pay adjustment or a change in allowance/differential that results from a statutory or regulatory change in rates or an Executive Order.
5	Follow instructions in Chapter 4 of this Guide to complete the Standard Form 50. The Standard Form 50 must be signed or authenticated for all pay and step changes except for those actions that are required by statute or regulation (and for which a Standard Form 50 or an alternate form of notice may be used). On actions for which a signature or authentication is required, follow your agency's instructions to obtain it.

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Processing Personnel Actions	January 27, 2002

17-8	THE GUIDE TO PROCESSING PERSONNEL ACTIONS

Job Aid

Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions on Pay and Step Changes, continued

STEP	ACTION
6	Enter or update suspense or remainder dates in your service record system and in any other tickler system your agency uses.

These dates include:

—	date eligible for next within-grade increase,

—	grade retention expiration date, and

—	date on which next performance determination must be made (when within-grade increase has been denied).
7	Check The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping to decide how to file the documents related to the action.
8	Reserved
9	Follow your agency's instructions to distribute documentation of the personnel action.

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January 27, 2002	Processing Personnel Actions

Table 17-A. Pay and Step Changes under the General Schedule ***

>(This Table has been reformatted, and the Rules and Notes renumbered. It includes information previously shown in Table 17-B which has been deleted ).

R	A	B	C	D	E	F
U

L

E	If Basis for Action is	And	Then

NOAC is	NOA is	Auth Code is	Authority is
1

Within-grade increase based on employee's meeting length of service and performance requirements (see Note 1 of this table)	Employee is not covered by the PMRS Termination Provisions of P.L. 103-89	893	Within-grade Inc	Q7M

Reg. 531.404 (see Note 7 of this table)
2	Employee is covered by the PMRS Termination Provisions of P.L. 103- 89 (see Note 6 of this table)	891	GM WGI	Z2P

P.L. 103-89
3	Decision to withhold within-grade increase	Employee is not covered by the PMRS Termination Provisions of P.L. 103-89	888	Denial of WGI (see Note 2 of this table)	Q5M

Reg. 531.409 (see Note 7 of this table)
4	Employee is covered by the PMRS Termination Provisions of P.L. 103- 89

Z2P

P.L. 103-89
5	Quality increase based on employee's high quality performance

892	Quality Inc	RBM

Reg. 531.501 (see Note 7 of this table)
6	Pay adjustment effective under 5 U.S.C. 5303	894	Pay Adj	QWM

and

ZLM	Reg. 531.205 and (Cite E.O. that established new rates)<

17-10 THE GUIDE TO PROCESSING PERSONNEL ACTIONS

Table 17-A. Pay and Step Changes under the General Schedule ***

>(This Table has been reformatted, and the Rules and Notes renumbered. It includes information previously shown in Table 17-B which has been deleted). (Cont.)
R	A	B	C	D	E	F
U

L

E	If Basis for Action is	And	Then

NOAC is	NOA is	Auth Code is	Authority is
7	Initial establishment of or increase in special rates schedule	Pay is adjusted on the basis of the employee's existing grade retention entitlement	894	Pay Adj	QHP

and

ZLM	Reg. 530.306 (a)(1) and

(Cite OPM issuance that published new rates)
8	Pay is adjusted on the basis of employee's existing pay retention entitlement	QJP

and

ZLM	Reg. 530.306 (a)(2) and

(Cite OPM issuance that published new rates)
9	Employee is not entitled to grade or pay retention	QHP

and

ZLM	Reg. 530.306 (a)(1) and

(Cite OPM issuance that published new rates)
10	Initial establishment of, or change in, special rate for a law enforcement officer under section 403 of Public Law 101-509

(see Note 3 of this table)	ZTW	P.L. 101-509, Sec. 403
11	Decrease in or discontinuance of special rates	Employee's existing rate is equal to one of the rates in the regular or decreased special rate schedule	899	Step Adj	QKP

and

ZLM	Reg. 530.306 (b)(1)(i) and (Cite OPM issuance that published new rates)
12	Employee's existing rate is higher than the new maximum allowed for his or her grade level	QMP

and

ZLM	Reg. 530.306 (b)(1)(iii) and (Cite OPM issuance that published new rates)
13

Employee has an existing rate of pay that falls between two rates in the regular decreased rate schedule	894	Pay Adj	QLP

and

ZLM	Reg. 530.306 (b)(1)(ii) and (Cite OPM issuance that published new rates)<
14	Position that has been under the GM pay plan is determined to be under the General Schedule (see Note 4 of this table)	894	Pay Adj	QUM

Reg. 531.204(e) (see Notes 7 and 8 of this table)

15	Employee's position is brought under the General Schedule (see Note 4 of this table)	ZLM

(Cite E.O., Law, or Reg that brought position under the General Schedule) and (see Notes 7 and 8 of this table)
16	Termination of grade retention benefits because 2-year period has expired	Employee is entitled to complete another period of grade retention	866	Termination of Grade Retention	VKJ	5 U.S.C. 5362
17	Employeeis entitled to a retained rate under pay retention	VRJ	5 U.S.C. 5363
18	Employee is entitled to a rate of basic pay that is equal to or higher than his or her existing rate, which rate can be accommodated within the range of the employee's grade
19	Termination of grade retention with no further grade or pay retention entitlement

Employee declined a reasonable offer	VNJ	5 U.S.C. 5362(d)(3)
20	Employee elected to terminate benefits	VPL	5 U.S.C. 5362(d)(4)
21

Employee failed to comply with agency's priority placement program's requirements	RLM	Reg. 536.207(b)(2)<
22	Termination of pay retention because employee declined a reasonable offer	894	Pay Adj	VTJ	5 USC 5363(c)(2)
23	Termination of pay retention because of pay schedule adjustment under which employee becomes entitled to a higher rate of pay than that to which entitled under 5 U.S.C. 5363

ZLM

(Cite E.O. or other authority that established new rates)

24

Establishment, change in percentage, or termination of special pay adjustment authorized for law enforcement officers under Sec. 404 of Public Law 101-509	895	Locality Payment	ZTX	P.L. 101-509, Sec. 404
25	Establishment, change in percentage, or termination of locality-based comparability payment	VGR	5 U.S.C. 5304
26	Establishment, change in percentage, or termination of retention allowance (see Note 5 of this table)	810	Chg in Allow/Diff	VPG	5 U.S.C. 5754
27

Establishment, change in percentage, or termination of supervisory differential (see Note 5 of this table)	VPH	5 U.S.C. 5755<
28	Establishment, change in percentage, or termination of administratively uncontrollable overtime entitlement	818	AUO	RMM	Reg. 550.151
29	Establishment or termination of availability pay	819	Availability Pay	Z2S	P.L. 103-329, Sec. 633
30

An adjustment in employee's basic rate of pay that is not described in Rules 1-29	894	Pay Adj	ZLM	(Cite authority for the adjustment) (see Notes 7 and 8 of this table)

NOTES:

1. When a within-grade increase action is effective on the same date as a quality step increase or a promotion, the actions may be documented on the same

SF 52/50 or on separate ones. When a single SF 52/50 is used, document the within-grade increase (NOA "893") in blocks 5A-F of the SF 52/50 and the other action in blocks 6A-F.

2. Show in "TO" block of SF 52/50 the step and salary currently held by the employee. Do not show the step and salary being denied or withheld. Show "00" in block 19 if employee is subject to the PMRS Termination Provisions of P.L. 103-89. Show as the effective date the date on which the increase would have been effective.

3. LEO special salary rates under section 403 of FEPCA are published in special salary rate table 491.

4. When an action involves a change in employee's position or grade, follow the instructions in Chapter 14; when it involves a change in employee's agency or appointment status, follow the instructions in Chapters 9-13.<

17-14 THE GUIDE TO PROCESSING PERSONNEL ACTIONS

>NOTES, continued:

5. When an action grants, changes, or terminates an allowance/differential for an employee who is entitled to both the retention allowance and supervisory differential described in rules 26 and 27, only one NOA 810 SF 50 is required. The authority for each allowance/differential must be cited in blocks 5-C-through 5-F of the SF 52/50 (the agency may determine the order in which they are cited). When an action grants, changes, or terminates both the allowance/differential for an employee who is entitled to both payments described in rules 26 and 27, process one NOA 810 SF 50 and cite as the authority ZTZ/P.L. 101-509. (If more than one NOA 810 SF 50 is prepared with the same effective date, the actions must be combined for submission to the Central Personnel Data File.)

6. Enter "00" in block 19.

7. If employee is entitled to grade retention, a second authority may be cited: VLJ - 5 U.S.C. 5362(c).

8. If employee is entitled to pay retention, a second authority may be cited: VSJ - 5 U.S.C. 5363(a).

Pages 17-15 thru 17-20 are blank<

Table 17-C. Pay and Step Changes Under Prevailing Rate Systems

(This Table has been reformatted. See Table 17-F for applicable remarks).
R	A	B	C	D	E	F
U

L

E	If Employee	And	Then

NOAC is	NOA is	Auth code is (see Notes 3 and 4 of this table)	Auth is
1	Receives a within-grade increase

893	Within-grade Inc	VUL	5 U.S.C. 5343(e)(2)
2	Occupies a position that changed from the General Schedule to a Prevailing Rate System	894	Pay Adj	FEM	Reg. 532.405(c)(2)

3

Occupies a position in a wage area that is consolidated with another wage area	FTM	Reg. 532.415(a)

4

Has basic rate of pay adjusted by application of special rates or schedules authorized by OPM for recruitment and retention	FGM	Reg. 532.251
5	Has basic rate of pay adjusted because special rates range is established for leader, supervisor or production facilitating positions	F8M	Reg. 532.253
6

Is subject to a reduction in a prevailing rate schedule resulting from the findings of a wage survey	Employee's existing rate is higher than the new maximum rate allowed for employee's grade level and employee is entitled to pay retention	899	Step Adj (see Note 2 of this table)	FNM	Reg. 532.415(c)
7	Employee's existing rate falls between two rates in the new schedule and employee's pay will be set at the higher rate	894	Pay Adj	RJR	Reg. 536.205(b)(2)

Table 17-C. Pay and Step Changes Under Prevailing Rate Systems (Continued)

(This Table has been reformatted. See Table 17-F for applicable remarks).
R	A	B	C	D	E	F
U

L

E	If Employee	And	Then

NOAC is	NOA is	Auth code is >(see Notes 3 and 4 of this table)<	Auth is
8	Has basic rate of pay adjusted by application of a new or revised wage schedule not covered in Rules 3-7 (e.g., to implement results of an annual wage survey)	894	Pay Adj	FNM	Reg. 532.415(c)
9	Is subject to termination of grade retention benefits because 2-year period has expired	Employee is entitled to complete another period of grade retention	866	Termination of Grade Retention	VKJ	5 U.S.C. 5362
10	Employee is entitled to a retained rate under pay retention	VRJ	5 U.S.C. 5363
11	Employee is entitled to a rate of basic pay that is equal to or higher than his or her existing rate, which rate can be accommodated within the range of the employee's grade

12

Is subject to termination of grade retention because employee declined a

reasonable offer

VNJ	5 U.S.C. 5362(d)(3)
13	Is subject to termination of grade retention because employee elected to terminate benefits	866	Termination of Grade Retention	VPL	5 U.S.C. 5362(d)(4)
14	Is subject to termination of grade retention benefits because employee failed to enroll in or comply with agency's priority placement program requirements	RLM	Reg. 536.207(b)(2)
15	Is subject to termination of pay retention because employee declined a reasonable offer	894

Pay Adj	VTJ	5 U.S.C. 5363(c)(2)
16	Is subject to termination of pay retention because of pay schedule adjustment under which employee becomes entitled to a higher rate of pay than that to which employee is entitled under 5 U.S.C. 5363

ZLM	(Cite E.O., Law or Reg. that sets new pay schedule)
17	Has rate of basic pay adjusted as a result of the termination of grade retention

894

Pay Adj

(Enter same code as was used for the 866/ Termination of Grade Retention action)	(Enter same authority as was used for the 866/ Termination of Grade Retention action)
18	Is subject to an adjustment in basic rate of pay that is not described in

Rules 1-17	ZLM	(Enter E.O., Law or Reg. that adjusted pay)
19	Establishment, change in percentage, or termination of retention allowance	810	Chg in Allow/Diff	VPG	5 U.S.C. 5754

NOTES:

1. "Reserved".

2. Be sure to change the step to "00" and to change the Pay Rate Determinant (PRD).

3. If employee is entitled to grade retention, VLJ - 5 U.S.C. 5362(c) may be cited as the second authority.

4. If employee is entitled to pay retention, VSJ - 5 U.S.C. 5363(a) may be cited as the second authority.

17-25 and 17-26 are blank

Table 17-D. Pay and Step Changes under Pay Systems other than the General Schedule or Prevailing Rate System

>(This Table has been reformatted. See Table 17-F for applicable remarks).
R	A	B	C	D	E	F
U

L

E	If Basis for Action is	And	Then NOAC is	NOA is	Auth Code is	Authority is
1	Within-grade increase	893	Within-grade Inc	ZLM	(Cite authority for the increase)
2	Pay change for an employee in a senior level (SL) or scientific or professional (ST) position	Change is the annual comparability adjustment	894	Pay Adj	(Cite Reg. 534.504 plus the Executive Order containing rates of pay for the General Schedule and the Executive Schedule)
3	Change is not described in Rule 2	(Cite Reg. 534.503)
4	Pay change based on legislative or agency determination	Change is not described in

Rules 2-3	(Cite authority for the increase)

(See Note 2 of this table)
5	Change in pay level (or rate) and salary of an SES employee	VWH	5 U.S.C. 5383<

Table 17-D. Pay and Step Changes under Pay Systems other than the General Schedule or Prevailing Rate System

>(This Table has been reformatted. See Table 17-F for applicable remarks).
R	A	B	C	D	E	F
U

L

E	If Basis for Action is	And	Then NOAC is	NOA is	Auth Code is	Authority is
6	General change in SES salary rates	894	Pay Adj	ZLM	(Cite E.O. that established new rates)
7	Initial establishment of or increase in special rate schedule	QHP

and

ZLM	Reg. 530.306(a)(1) and (Cite OPM issuance that published new rates)
8	Decrease in or discontinuance of special rates	Employee's existing rate of pay is higher than the maximum allowed for the grade or level	899	Step Adj	QMP

and

ZLM	Reg. 530.306(b)(1)(iii) and (Cite OPM issuance that published new rates)
9	Employee's existing rate of pay is equal to one of the rates in the new schedule for the grade or level	QKP

and

ZLM	Reg. 530.306(b)(1)(i) and (Cite OPM issuance that published new rates)
10	Employee's existing rate is between two rates in the regular or decreased rate schedule	894	Pay Adj	QLP

and

ZLM	Reg. 530.306(b)(1)(ii) and (Cite OPM issuance that published new rates)
11	Establishment or termination of availability pay	819	Availability Pay	Z2S

P.L. 103-329, Sec. 633

12	Establishment, change in percentage, or termination of locality- based comparability payment	895	Locality

Payment	VGR	5 U.S.C. 5304<
13	Establishment, change in, or termination of retention allowance	810	Chg in Allow/Diff	VPG	5 U.S.C. 5754
14	Establishment, change in, or termination of administratively uncontrollable overtime entitlement	818	AUO	RMM	Reg. 550.151<

NOTES:

1. ***

2. For agency-determined changes, the authority for employees in senior-level (pay plan SL) and scientific and professional (pay plan ST) positions is 5 U.S.C. 5376; for employees in Agency Board of Contract Appeals positions (pay plan CA), the authority is 5 U.S.C. 5372a; and for administrative law judges (pay plan AL), the authority is 5 U.S.C. 5372. For employees in positions under other pay plans, cite the authority that established the pay plan.

Page 17-30 is blank.

Chapter 17. Pay and Step Changes 17-31

Table 17-F. Codes and Remarks for Pay and Step Changes >(*Use as many remark codes as apply)

(This Table has been reformatted, and the Rules have been renumbered. It includes information previously shown in Table 17-E which has been deleted).

R

U

L

E	A	B	C	D
If	And	Then Remark Code Is*	And Remark Is:
1	Action is a within-grade increase (WGI)	P14	Work performance is at an acceptable level of competence.
2

The amount of time the employee was in nonpay status requires that the due date for the WGI be set back	P13	Effective date adjusted due to excess time in nonpay status of (number) hours.
3

Granted to an employee who is entitled to grade retention	X46	Action gives employee within-grade increase/quality increase to step [number] of [pay plan and grade], retained grade.
4	Action is a quality step increase	Granted to a GS employee who is entitled to grade retention	X46	Action gives employee within-grade increase/quality increase to step [number] of [pay plan and grade], retained grade.
5	Decision is made to withhold WGI to GS employee

Employee is not entitled to grade retention	P15	Within-grade increase to step [number] denied because your work is not at an acceptable level of competence. You remain at GS [number], step [number].
6

Employee is entitled to grade retention	X47

Action denies within-grade increase to step [number] of employee's retained grade.
7	Decision is made to withhold WGI to GM employee	P91	Within-grade increase denied because your work is not at an acceptable level of competence. Your salary does not change.<

Update 39

Processing Personnel Actions	January 27, 2002

17-32 THE GUIDE TO PROCESSING PERSONNEL ACTIONS

Table 17-F. Codes and Remarks for Pay and Step Changes >(*Use as many remark codes as apply)

(This Table has been reformatted, and the Rules have been renumbered. It includes information previously shown in Table 17-E which has been deleted).

R

U

L

E	A	B	C	D
If	And	Then Remark Code Is*	And Remark Is
8	Action is a pay adjustment	Employee is entitled to pay retention	X40	Employee is entitled to pay retention.
9	Employee is entitled to grade retention	X44	Rate is step [number] of [pay plan and grade], retained grade.
10	Employee is entitled to grade retention	X37	Employee is entitled to retain grade of [pay plan and grade] through [date].
X45	Retained grade will be used to determine employee's pay, retirement and insurance benefits, and promotion and training eligibility.
X61	Retained grade will not be used for reduction-
in-force purposes.
11	Employee who is entitled to grade retention moves from a pay system other than GS or prevailing rate system	Retained grade is equivalent to one held prior to the reduction that entitled employee to grade retention	X35	The retained pay plan and grade [pay plan and grade] is equivalent to [pay plan and grade], the position from which reduced.
12	Action terminates employee's entitlement to grade retention	Eligibility has expired for current period, and employee not entitled to new period of grade retention	X43	Expiration of grade retention period as [pay plan and grade].
13

Employee elected to terminate grade retention entitlement	X39	Employee elected to terminate grade retention entitlement.<

Update 39

January 27, 2002	Processing Personnel Actions

Chapter 17. Pay and Step Changes 17-33

Table 17-F. Codes and Remarks for Pay and Step Changes (*Use as many remark codes as apply)

>(This Table has been reformatted, and the Rules have been renumbered. It includes information previously shown in Table 17-E which has been deleted).

R

U

L

E	A	B	C	D
If	And	Then Remark Code Is*	An Remark Is
14	Action terminates employee's entitlement to grade retention	Employee declined position offered	X48	Declined offer of [position title, pay plan, series and grade].
15	Employee didn't comply with priority placement program requirements	X50	Failed to comply with priority placement program requirements.
16	No further entitlement to grade or pay retention	X36	Grade retention entitlement terminated. No further entitlement to grade or pay retention.
17	Employee is entitled to begin pay retention	X40	Employee is entitled to pay retention.
18	Employee entitled to begin another period of grade retention	X37	Employee is entitled to retain grade of [pay plan and grade] through [date].
X45	Retained grade will be used to determine employee's pay, retirement and insurance benefits, and promotion and training eligibility.
X61	Retained grade will not be used for reduction-
in-force purposes.
19	Employee is entitled to pay retention	Employee's salary is now 150% of maximum rate for grade to which assigned	X41	Salary is 150% of maximum rate of grade to which assigned.
20	Action is terminating pay retention	Adjustment in pay schedule results in employee being entitled to a rate of pay equal to or higher than that to which entitled under pay retention (5 U.S.C. 5363(c)(2))	X42	Pay retention entitlement terminated.
21	Employee declined position offered	X48	Declined offer of [position title, pay plan, series and grade].<
Update 39

Processing Personnel Actions	January 27, 2002

17-34 THE GUIDE TO PROCESSING PERSONNEL ACTIONS

Table 17-F. Codes and Remarks for Pay and Step Changes >(*Use as many remark codes as apply)

(This Table has been reformatted, and the Rules have been renumbered. It includes information previously shown in Table 17-E which has been deleted).

R

U

L

E	A	B	C	D
If	And	Then Remark Code Is*	And Remark Is
22	Employee is being paid a special rate established under 5 U.S.C. 5305	P05	Special Rate under 5 U.S.C. 5305.
23	Employee's total salary includes a retention allowance	P70	Salary in block 20 includes retention allowance of $ .
24	Employee's total salary includes payment for AUO	Action is an 818/AUO that establishes/changes percent paid for AUO	P73	Block 20 shows the percent of your rate of adjusted basic pay which is paid to you for the substantial, irregular overtime work you perform which cannot be controlled administratively.
25	Action is other than an 818/AUO	P81	Salary in block 20 includes AUO of $ .
26	Total salary includes availability pay	P99	Salary in block 20 includes availability pay of

$ .
27	Total salary includes supervisory differential	P72	Salary in block 20 includes supervisory differential of $ .<

Update 39

January 27, 2002	Processing Personnel Actions

Chapter 17. Pay and Step Changes 17-35

Table 17-F. Codes and Remarks for Pay and Step Changes >(*Use as many remarks as applicable)

(This Table has been reformatted, and the Rules have been renumbered. It includes information previously shown in Table 17-E which has been deleted).

R

U

L

E	A	B	C	D
If	And	Then

Remark Code Is*	And Remark Is
28	Employee is a law enforcement officer whose total salary includes a special rate established under Sec. 403 of Public law 101- 59, plus a special pay (locality) adjustment established under Sec. 404 of Public Law 101- 59	P85	Amount in block 20-B includes the special pay adjustment for law enforcement officers of $ .
29	Action is an 895/Locality Payment	Special rate exceeds the locality rate of pay	P93	Special rate exceeds the locality rate of pay, so employee receives no locality payment.
30	Special adjusted rate for law enforcement officers exceeds locality rate of pay	P95	Special adjusted rate for law enforcement officers exceeds locality rate of pay, so employee receives no locality payment.
31	IGA continued rate of pay continues until one of the terminating conditions in 5 CFR 531.703(g) is satisfied	P96	IGA continued rate of pay continues until one of the terminating conditions in 5 CFR 531.703(g) is satisfied -- i.e., the employee's duty station is no longer in an interim geographic adjustment area; the employee is no longer in a position covered by a nationwide or worldwide special salary rate; the employee is entitled to a higher rate of pay under another authority; or the employee's position is reduced in grade.
32	Rules 29-31 do not apply	P92	Salary includes a locality-based payment of %.
33	Action gives employee a higher rate of pay which results in termination of the IGA continued rate employee has been receiving under 5 U.S.C. 5304	P97	This action terminates your IGA continued rate of pay.<
Update 39

Processing Personnel Actions

1.	Coverage	18-3

2.	Documentation	18-3

Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions on Exceptions to

Reduction in Force Release	18-5

18-A.	Documenting Exceptions to Reduction in Force Release	18-7

18-B.	Remarks	18-9

This chapter covers the temporary exception to the order of release from a competitive level in a reduction in force.

An agency will release a competing employee from a competitive level while retaining in that level another competing employee with lower retention standing only as authorized under title 5 Code of Federal Regulation part 351. When it does so, the agency processes an "Exception to RIF Release" for the employee for whom the exception is made.

. This chapter does not cover:

The reduction in force separation that follows an exception to reduction in force release (see Chapter 31).

The retirement that follows an exception to reduction in force release (see Chapter 30).

Extension of an appointment to meet benefit eligibility when involuntary separation is under non-reduction in force circumstances.

Extension of a temporary appointment (see Chapters 10 or 11, as appropriate).

Leave without pay granted during the period of the exception (see Chapter 15).

Use of the Standard Form 52, Request for Personnel Action, to process this action is optional. Follow your agency's instructions.

Use of the Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action, to document this action is optional. Agencies may use the Standard Form 50 or some other method to notify the employee of this action (See Chapter 4, section 6).

Documentation of this action is not authorized for long-term Official Personnel Folder retention. At their option, agencies may file documentation of this action among temporary documents on the left side of the Official Personnel Folder. A Standard Form 50 documenting an exception to reduction in force release should not be filed on the right side of the Official Personnel Folder.

These actions should be reported to the Central Personnel Data File.

Chapter 18. Exceptions to Reduction in Force Release

STEP	ACTION
1	Use Table 18-A to select nature of action and authority for the exception to reduction in force release. Use them to process the action.

If the action being taken is under an authority that is unique to your department or agency, cite that authority (along with the authority code approved by the Office of Personnel Management) instead of the authority and code shown in this chapter.
2	Use the required remarks on the employee notification of this action. The remark codes are found in Table 18-A. Use Table 18-B to translate codes into actual remarks.

Also use any additional remarks that are required by your agency's instructions or that are necessary to explain the action.
3	Determine the effect on health insurance coverage when leave without pay is granted.

Follow instructions in .
4	Enter or update any suspense/reminder system your agency maintains so that you will be notified when the separation action needs to be processed.
5	Follow your agency instructions to handle any documents created in connection with this action.
6	Prepare and distribute required notices.

If the employee will be in nonpay status for more than 7 consecutive days, issue a completed Standard Form 8, Notice To Federal Employee About Unemployment Insurance, showing the full address of the payroll office where the individual records are maintained.

Chapter 18. Exceptions to Reduction in Force Release

R

U

L

E	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
If the employee is retained	And the reason is	Then the NOAC is	Nature of Action is	Authority Code is	Authority is	Remark Code is (See Note 1 of this table)
1	On Sick Leave >at agency's discretion<	755	Exception to RIF Release	PTR	Reg. 351.608(d)	M91
2	On Annual Leave >at agency's discretion (agency is not covered by chapter 63 of title 5, U.S.C.)<	To reach first retirement eligibility (See Note 2 of this table)	PTT	Reg 351.608(e)(1)***	M90
3	To establish >first< eligibility to carry health benefits into retirement	PTS	Reg. 351.608(e)(1)***
>4	On Annual Leave authorized as a mandatory exception (agency is covered by chapter 63 of title 5, U.S.C.)	To reach first retirement eligibility (See Note 2 of this table)	PTP	Reg. 351.606(b)
5	To establish first eligibility to carry health benefits into retirement	PTU	Reg. 351.606(b)<
>6<	In duty, leave without pay, or leave status for up to 90 days

To continue an activity without undue interruption	PTM	Reg. 351.608(b)	M92
7	For other reasons >when a higher standing employee is not affected<	PTK	Reg. 351.608>(f)<

THE GUIDE TO PROCESSING PERSONNEL ACTIONS

R

U

L

E	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
If the employee is retained	And the reason is	Then the NOAC is	Nature of Action is	Authority Code is	Authority is	Remark Code is (See Note 1 of this table)
>8<	In duty, leave without pay, or leave status	To enable the agency to satisfy a Government obligation	755	Exception to RIF Release	PTL	Reg. 351.608(c)	M92
>9<	To satisfy rights following restoration after military service	PTJ	Reg. 351.606(a)
>10<	For more than 90 days to avoid undue interruption	PTH	Reg. 351.607
>11<	In a liquidation situation: employees are released without regard to service date (See Note 3 of this table)	PTG	Reg. 351.605	M93

NOTES:

1. See Table 18-B to translate codes into actual remarks.

2. First retirement eligibility is when the employee becomes eligible for an immediate annuity under optional or discontinued service retirement, whichever occurs first.

3. Liquidation situation exists when an agency will abolish all positions in a competitive area within >180< days.

Chapter 18. Exceptions to Reduction in Force Release

R

U

L

E	A	B
If Code is	Then Remark is
1	B40	Health benefits coverage will continue for up to 365 days in nonpay status unless you cancel your enrollment. You are liable for your full share of premiums for this period. Payments should be made to your agency during your nonpay status or when you return to duty.
2	M90	Employee retained, on accrued annual leave NTE (date), past RIF separation date of (date) to establish eligibility for (enter: retirement; health benefits coverage; or retirement and health benefits coverage).
3	M91	Employee retained on sick leave past RIF separation date of (date) >until (new separation date).<
>4<	M92	Employee retained past RIF effective date of (date) >until (new separation date)< to (enter reason).
>5<	M93	Employee retained under authority of liquidation provisions prior to completion of liquidation on RIF separation date of (date).

January 27, 2002

34-39

Chapter 34. Topic Index

All references below are chapters in The Guide to Processing Personnel Actions, except where otherwise indicated.

TOPIC	REFERENCE

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE	See Instructional Program

ADVERSE ACTIONS—how to document

reductions in grade (also called change to lower grade)	14

separations	31

suspensions	15

AGENCY CODE

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

how to process a change in	28

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

ANNUITANT INDICATOR

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

how to process a change in	28

APPOINTMENTS—how to document on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50

Career	9

Career-conditional	9

Critical hiring need	11

Emergency	10

Excepted Service	11

Indefinite	11

Nonstatus in the competitive service	10

NTE (not-to-exceed)	10, 11 and 13

Overseas Limited	10

Provisional

in the competitive service	10

in the excepted service	11

in the Senior Executive Service	13

Retirees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	3

Student Educational Employment Program	11

Temporary pending establishment of register (TAPER)	10

Temporary in the competitive service	10

Temporary in the excepted service	11

Term	10

APPOINTMENTS (continued)

Schedule A	11

Schedule B	11

Schedule C	11

Senior Executive Service (SES)	13

Status Quo	10

Veterans' Readjustment Authority (VRA)	11

Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime (AUO)

actions to grant or change	17

AUTHORITY/AUTHORITY CODE

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

definitions of codes	*** The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

AVAILABILITY PAY

actions to grant or terminate	17

AWARDS	29

BARGAINING UNIT STATUS (BUS)

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

definitions of codes	Union Recognition in the Federal Government, published by the Office of Personnel Management

how to process a change in	28

BONUSES	29

CANCELLATIONS OF PERSONNEL ACTIONS	3 and 32

CAREER/CAREER CONDITIONAL APPOINTMENTS	9

CHANGES TO or IN

Data element	28

Duty station	23

Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI)	22

Hours of work	24

Lower grade	14

Name	20

Pay	17

Position	14

Service Computation Date (SCD)	6

CHANGES TO or IN (continued)

Step	17

Tenure Group	26

Veterans' preference	7

Work schedule	24

CITIZENSHIP

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

when and how to record on Standard Form 52	4

CODES

explanation of codes used for nature of action, legal authority, and remarks	1

definitions	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

instructions for use in processing actions	See chapter covering action being processed.

CONCURRENT APPOINTMENTS

how to document	4 ***

CONTINUANCE NTE (NOT-TO-EXCEED)	19

CONVERSION (TO APPOINTMENT) ACTIONS

Career appointment	9

Career-conditional appointment	9

Nonstatus competitive service appointment	10

Excepted service appointment	11

Temporary Appointment	10-13

Senior Executive Service (SES)	13

COOPERATIVE EDUCATION (CO-OP) APPOINTMENTS (see STUDENT EDUCATIONAL

EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM)

CORRECTIONS	32

CREDITABLE MILITARY SERVICE

how to compute	6

how to document	*** 28

CREDITABLE SERVICE—how to determine for leave

accrual	6

DATA ELEMENTS

actions to record changes in or to	28

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

explanation of (definitions of) codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

DATE OF BIRTH

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50/list of

forms of notice	4

DEATHS

how to document	31

actions to take when employee dies	31

DECISION LOGIC TABLE (DLT)—how to use	1

DEFINITIONS

of terms used in this Guide and in processing personnel actions	35

of codes used in Standard Form 50	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

DEMOTIONS (see ADVERSE ACTIONS, REDUCTION IN GRADE)

DETAILS

when to use a Standard Form 52 to document a detail	14

DISTRIBUTION OF STANDARD FORM 50	See instructions in chapter for action being processed.

DIVERSITY PROGRAMS

competitive service appointment based on person's disability	10

excepted service appointment based on person's disability	11

Veterans' Readjustment Authority (VRA) appointment	11

DUTY STATION

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

how to process change in	23

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL (ED. LEVEL)

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

when and how to record on Standard Form 52	4

EFFECTIVE DATE

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

policy on setting effective dates	3

EMPLOYING DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

EMPLOYING OFFICE, NAME AND LOCATION OF

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

EXCEPTED SERVICE APPOINTMENTS	11

EXCEPTIONS TO REDUCTION IN FORCE RELEASE	18

EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY ACTIONS

Appointments

in the competitive service	10

in the excepted service	11

in the Senior Executive Service (SES)	13

Furlough Not To Exceed (NTE)	15

Leave Without Pay (LWOP) NTE	15

Position Change NTE	14

Promotion NTE	14

FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM (FEHBP)

how to determine eligibility for health benefits	The Federal Employees Health Benefits Handbook for Personnel and Payroll Offices

FEDERAL EMPLOYEES GROUP LIFE INSURANCE (FEGLI)

how to determine eligibility for FEGLI	Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program - A Handbook for Employees, Annuitants, Compensationers and Employing Offices

how to process change in	22

election of Living Benefit, how to document	22

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) EXEMPTION STATUS

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

how to process a change in	28

FROZEN SERVICE

how to compute	6

how to document	*** 28

FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS

definitions	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

when and how to record on Standard Form 52	4

FURLOUGH

how to document on Standard Form 50	15

definitions	15 and 35

GLOSSARY	35

GRADE

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

GRADE (continued)

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

GRADE RETENTION

how to document actions that result in grade retention	14

how to document actions that record termination of grade retention	17

how to record position title, series, grade, step and salary on Standard Form 52/

Standard Form 50 when employee is entitled to grade retention	4

HANDICAP CODE (REPORTABLE HANDICAP)

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

when and how to report to the Central Personnel Data File	>The Guide to Central Personnel Data File Reporting Requirements<

HANDICAPPED, PROGRAMS FOR THE (see DIVERSITY PROGRAMS)

HEALTH BENEFITS (see FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS

PROGRAM)

HOURS OF DUTY/WORK

how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

how to process change in	24

ILLEGAL APPOINTMENTS

policy on cancellations and retroactive personnel actions	3

INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

when and how to record on Standard Form 52	4

INTERIM RELIEF

actions to effect	32

INTRODUCTION (TO THE GUIDE)	1

JOB AIDS

getting ready to process personnel actions	1

instructions for processing personnel actions:

Appointments in the Competitive Service	9

Appointments in the Excepted Service	11

Change in Duty Station	23

Instructions for Processing Personnel Actions	1

List Forms of Notice to Document Actions for Realignment and

Mass Transfer	21

Nonstatus Appointments in the Competitive Service	10

Promotions, Changes to Lower Grade, Reassignments, Position Changes,

and Details	14

Pay and Step Changes	17

JOB AIDS (continued)

how to use a decision logic table	1

sample notice that name of organization has changed	21

when to process a promotion, change to lower grade, reassignment,

position change or detail	14

***

LEVEL (see GRADE)

LIST FORMS OF NOTICE

use of list form in lieu of Standard Form 50	4

contents/format of	4

LOCALITY PAYMENT	17

LOCATION CODE

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

definitions of codes	Listed in the duty station file that is electronically issued by the Office of Personnel Management

LEAVE WITHOUT PAY (LWOP)

how to process action to place employee on	15

effect of LWOP on service dates and benefits	15 and 16

how to return employee to duty from LWOP	16

MASS TRANSFER	21

NAME CHANGE	20

NAME, EMPLOYEE

policy on use of name on employee records	4

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

NATURE OF ACTION (NOA) and NATURE OF ACTION CODE (NOAC)

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

NONDUTY STATUS

how to document on Standard Form 50

Furlough	15

Leave Without Pay (LWOP)	15

***

Sabbatical for Employee	15

Suspension	15

effect on service dates and benefits	15 and 16

return to duty from	16

NONDUTY STATUS (continued)

effect on service computation date (SCD)	6

how to recompute SCD after nonpay status	6

NONSTATUS APPOINTMENTS IN THE COMPETITIVE SERVICE	10

NOTIFICATION OF PERSONNEL ACTION (Standard Form 50)	4

OCCUPATIONAL CODE

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

how to process change in definitions of codes	28

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

OFFICIAL PERSONNEL FOLDER (OPF)

establishment of	The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping

disposition of when employee retires	30 and The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping

disposition of when employee separates by other than retirement	31 and The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping

ORGANIZATION OF THE GUIDE TO PROCESSING PERSONNEL

ACTIONS	1

OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT

Overseas appointments	10

Appointment based on service overseas while a family member of a civilian,

Nonappropriated Fund Instrumentality (NAFI), or uniformed service member

who is serving overseas Career-conditional	9

Temporary	10

PAY ADJUSTMENTS	17

PAY BASIS

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

PAY PLAN

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

PAY RATE DETERMINANT (PRD)

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

PAY RATE DETERMINANT (PRD) (continued)

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

how to process a change in	28

PERSONNEL OFFICE IDENTIFIER (POI)

how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

how to process a change in	28

POSITION CHANGE ACTIONS	14

POSITION OCCUPIED

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

how to process a change in	28

definitions of codes	4 and The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

POSITION TITLE

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

PREFERENCE (see VETERANS' PREFERENCE)

PROMOTIONS	14

PREVIOUS RETIREMENT COVERAGE

how to document	*** and 28

PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENTS	10, 11, and 13

QUALITY (STEP) INCREASES	17

RACE AND NATIONAL ORIGIN CODE (RNO)

when and how to report to the Central Personnel Data File	>The Guide to Central Personnel Data File Reporting Requirements<

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

RATE (see STEP)	17

REALIGNMENTS	21

REASSIGNMENTS	14

REDUCTION IN FORCE ACTIONS (see RIF ACTIONS)	14

REEMPLOYED ANNUITANTS, APPOINTMENTS OF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

REFERENCE MATERIALS NEEDED WITH THE GUIDE TO

PROCESSING PERSONNEL ACTIONS	1

REINSTATEMENT

to Career apppointment	9

to Career-conditional apppointment	9

to Temporary apppointment based on eligibility	10

REMARKS ON STANDARD FORM 50

agency findings	30 and 31

explanation of remarks codes	1

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

selection of remarks	See chapter covering action being processed.

REMOVALS	31

REQUEST FOR PERSONNEL ACTION (Standard Form 52)	4

REPLACEMENT ACTIONS

(actions to replace the ones that have been canceled)	3 and 32

REPORTABLE HANDICAP (see HANDICAP CODE)

RESIGNATIONS	31

RESTORATION

to Career appointment.	9

to Career-conditional appointment.	9

to Emergency appointment.	10

to Excepted service appointment.	11

to Overseas appointment.	10

to Status Quo appointment.	10

to Temporary Appointment Pending Establishment of Register (TAPER)	10

RETENTION ALLOWANCE	17

RETIREES, ACTIONS WHEN APPOINTED	3

RETIREMENT

how to determine coverage for the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)	The CSRS and FERS Handbook, Chapter 10

mandatory retirement, who is subject to	19

actions when employee retires	30

actions when employee is separated by other than retirement	31

RETIREMENT (continued)

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

how to process change in	28

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

RETROACTIVE PERSONNEL ACTIONS - policy on processing	3

RETURN TO DUTY ACTIONS	16

RIF ACTIONS (REDUCTION IN FORCE)

exceptions to RIF release	18

furloughs	15

position change actions	14

reassignments	14

changes to lower grade	14

resignations	31

retirements	30

separations by RIF	31

RNO (see RACE AND NATIONAL ORIGIN CODE)

SABBATICAL

how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	15

definition	15 and 35

SALARY

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

SEASONAL EMPLOYEES

how to document placement in nonpay status	15

how to document placement in pay status	16

definition	15 and 35

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAMS (see DIVERSITY PROGRAMS)

SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE (SES)	13

SEPARATION ACTIONS

by death	31

to move to another agency	31

by removal	31

by retirement	30

due to reduction in force (RIF)	31

due to relocation of sponsor	31

to accept employment with a non-Federal entity	31

upon entry on duty with the uniformed services	31

by termination	31

by termination during probation/trial period	31

SEPARATION INCENTIVE	29

SERVICE COMPUTATION DATES (SCDs)

when and how to record on Standard Form 50	4

how to compute	6

effect on SCD of time in nonpay status	6, 15 and 16

how to process change in	6

STANDARD FORM 50, NOTIFICATION OF PERSONNEL ACTION	4

STANDARD FORM 50 DATA ELEMENTS (see DATA ELEMENTS)	4

STANDARD FORM 52, REQUEST FOR PERSONNEL ACTION	4

SIGNATURES

on Standard Form 52	4

on Standard Form 50	4

electronic signatures	3

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN)

how to establish a pseudo SSN	4

when and how to record on Standard Form 52	4

STEP

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

when and how to process change in	17

STEP (PAY STEP) CHANGES	17

STUDENT EDUCATIONAL EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

appointments	11

SUPERVISORY DIFFERENTIAL	17

SUPERVISORY STATUS

when and how to record on Standard Form 52	4

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

SUSPENSION

how to document on Standard Form 50	15

definition	15 and 35

TEMPORARY ACTIONS

competitive service appointments	10

excepted service appointments	11

exceptions to RIF release	18

TEMPORARY ACTIONS (continued)

Senior Executive Service (SES) appointments	13

promotions	14

position changes	14

details	14

TERMINATIONS	31

TERMS USED IN PROCESSING PERSONNEL ACTIONS	35

TENURE (TENURE GROUP)

when and how to record on Standard Form 52/Standard Form 50	4

how to process change in	26

definitions of tenure groups	4, 26, and The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

TRANSFER

competitive service appointment based on transfer eligibility	9

veterans readjustment appointment based on transfer eligibility	11

senior executive service appointment based on transfer eligibility	13

action to separate employee who is moving to another agency (Termination-

Appointment In)	31

USING THE GUIDE, INSTRUCTIONS FOR	1

VETERANS' STATUS

when and how to record on Standard Form 50	4

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

VETERANS' PREFERENCE

***

***

when and how to record on Standard Form 5/Standard Form 50	4

definitions of codes	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

how to process change in veterans' preference for reduction in force	7

VETERANS' READJUSTMENT AUTHORITY (VRA) APPOINTMENTS	11

VOLUNTEER SERVICE, DOCUMENTATION OF	33

WITHIN GRADE INCREASE (WGI)

action to record granting of WGI	17

action to record denial of WGI	17

WORK SCHEDULE

when and how to record on Standard Form 5/Standard Form 50	4

how to process change in	>24<

definitions of codes	4 and The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

YEAR DEGREE OR CERTIFICATE ATTAINED

definition	The Guide to Personnel Data Standards

when and how to record on Standard Form 52	4

35-59

Chapter 35. Glossary of Terms Used in Processing Personnel Actions

(Citations in parentheses refer to laws, regulations, or publications where more information can be found.)

ABANDONMENT OF POSITION—When an employee fails to report for duty and does not submit a resignation.

ABSENCE WITHOUT LEAVE (AWOL)—Absence without prior approval, a nonpay 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.< (5 CFR part 531, subparts B, C, F and G.)

ADVERSE ACTION—A personnel action considered unfavorable to an employee, e.g., removal, suspension, furlough, or reduction in grade or pay. (5 U.S.C. chapter 75 and 5 CFR part 752)

AGENCY [as used in this Guide]—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. Examples: Department of Transportation, Small Business Administration, Federal Trade Commission. Note: The Departments of Army, Navy, and Air Force are considered to be individual agencies for the purposes of this Guide; all organizations within the Department of Defense which have agency codes that begin with "DD" (e.g., DD04) are considered as one agency.

ANNUITANT—[As used in this Guide] 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. (5 CFR 550.151)

AUTHORITY SUFFIX—See LEGAL AUTHORITY SUFFIX

AVAILABILITY PAY—A special form of premium pay 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.

BREAK IN SERVICE—The time when an employee is no longer on the payroll of an agency. (In computing creditable service for benefits, e.g., leave accrual and reduction in force retention, a separation of 1, 2, or 3 calendar days is not considered to be a break in service; a separation of 4 or more calendar days is considered to be a break in service and the days of separation are subtracted from the employee's total creditable service.)

"CA"APPOINTMENTS—Canal Area appointments that are made under the Panama Canal Employment System. (35 CFR part 253)

CAO (CHANGE OF APPOINTING OFFICE)— Movement of an employee from the jurisdiction of one appointing officer in an agency to that of another appointing officer in the same agency. This usually involves a move from a position for which one personnel office provides service and maintains records to a position for which another personnel office in the same agency provides service and maintains records. Prior to 1/1/82, such moves were sometimes identified on personnel actions with the abbreviation "CAO" following the nature of action.

CAREER APPOINTMENT—Competitive service permanent appointment given to an employee who has completed 3 substantially continuous, creditable years of Federal service. In special cases (such as Administrative Law Judges), career appointment may be given to a person at the time he or she is hired from a civil service register. (See "SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS SERVICE" and "CREDITABLE SERVICE.") (5 CFR part 315)

CERTIFICATE—A list of eligibles taken from a register and submitted to an appointing officer for employment consideration. (5 CFR part 332)

CERTIFICATION—The process by which the OPM, or an agency office with delegated examining authority, submits certificates to appointing officers.

CHANGE TO LOWER GRADE (also called "Demotion" and "Reduction in Grade")—Personnel action that moves an employee, while serving continuously in the same agency, to (1) a position at a lower grade when both the old and new positions are under the General Schedule or under the same type graded wage schedule, or (2) to a position with a lower rate of basic pay when both the old and the new positions are under the same type ungraded wage schedule or in a different pay-method category.

CIVILIAN POSITION—A civilian office or position (including a temporary or part-time or intermittent position), appointive or elective, in the legislative, executive, or judicial branch of the Federal Government (including each corporation owned or controlled by the Federal Government and including nonappropriated fund instrumentalities under the jurisdiction of the Armed Forces) or in the Government of the District of Columbia.

CIVILIAN RETIREE—A person who has retired from Federal Government civilian employment under any Federal Government-administered retirement system. The social security system (FICA) is not a retirement system for purposes of this definition.

CIVIL SERVICE RETIREE—A person retired under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS).

CLASS OR CLASS OF POSITIONS—All positions that are sufficiently similar in (1) kind or subject matter of work, (2) the level of difficulty and responsibility, and (3) the qualification requirements for the work, to warrant similar treatment in personnel and pay administration.

(5 U.S.C. chapter 51)

CLASSIFY—To evaluate the duties and responsibilities of a position and assign a title, occupation series and grade.

COMMISSION (Abbreviated as CSC)—The U.S. Civil Service Commission – now the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

COMPENSATION—money paid by theDepartment of Veterans Affairs for service-connected disability of 10 percent or more.

COMPETITIVE AREA—For reduction in force, that part of an agency within which employees are in competition for retention. Generally it is restricted by what is considered a "local commuting area."

(5 CFR 351.402)

COMPETITIVE LEVEL—A competitive level for reduction in force consists of all jobs in a competitive area which are so similar in all important respects that the agency can readily move an employee from one to another without significant training and without loss of productivity. (5 CFR 351.403)

COMPETITIVE POSITION—A position in the competitive service.

COMPETITIVE SERVICE—All civilian positions in the Federal Government that are not specifically excepted from the civil service laws by or pursuant to statute, by the President, or by the OPM under Rule VI, and that are not in the Senior Executive Service.

COMPETITIVE STATUS—Basic eligibility for noncompetitive assignment to a competitive position. A person on a career or career- conditional appointment acquires competitive status upon satisfactory completion of a probationary period. It may also be granted by statute, Executive order, or the civil service rules without competitive examination. A person with competitive status may be promoted, transferred, reassigned, reinstated, or demoted without taking an open competitive examination, subject to the conditions prescribed by the Civil Service rules and regulations.

(5 CFR 212.301)

CONSULTANT—One who serves in an advisory capacity to an officer or instrumentality of the government. (5 U.S.C. 3109)

CONSULTANT POSITION—A position requiring the performance of purely advisory or consultant services, not including the performance of operating functions.

CONTINUANCE—The personnel action used to document that an employee has received a waiver from mandatory retirement or the extension of the not-to-exceed date of a previous waiver.

CONTINUED RATE OF PAY—The rate of pay first established in January 1994 for an employee who previously received an interim geographic adjustment on top of a worldwide or nationwide special rate authorized under 5 U.S.C. 5305.

CONVERSION—The changing of an employee from one appointment to another appointment (under either the same or a different authority) in the same agency with no break in service or with a break of 3 days or less. The change may be in one or more of the following: the type of appointment under which the employee is serving, the authority for the appointment, the position on which the employee is serving, or the not-to-exceed date of a temporary appointment (e.g., from Excepted Appt NTE in a GS-3 position in organization A to an Excepted Appt NTE in a GS-4 position in organization B.)

COOPERATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM (CO-OP PROGRAM OR WORK STUDY PROGRAM)—Program under which a student alternates periods of education and Federal employment under terms of an agreement between his or her school and a government agency. Agreements may provide for the student's permanent employment in the agency upon satisfactory completion of the education and work assignments required by the agreement. [The CO-OP Program was eliminated in December 1994 with the establishment of the Student Educational Employment Program, 5 CFR 213.3202(a)]

CREDITABLE MILITARY SERVICE—The total number of years and months of military service that is creditable for annual leave accrual purposes.

CREDITABLE SERVICE—Federal Government employment (civilian or uniformed service) that meets requirements for a particular type of appointment or benefit, such as leave accrual or reduction in force retention.

CZMS —Canal Zone Merit System. This system was replaced by the Panama Canal Employment System, established by the Panama Canal Act of 1979.

DEMOTION—See CHANGE TO LOWER GRADE

DENIAL OF WITHIN-GRADE INCREASE—The decision to withhold (not grant) a within-grade increase to a General Schedule employee because of a determination that the employee's performance is not at an acceptable level of competence.

(5 CFR 531.409)

DETAIL—A temporary assignment of an employee to a different position for a specified period, with the employee returning to his or her regular duties at the end of the detail. (5 U.S.C. chapter 33, subchapter III)

DIRECT HIRING AUTHORITY—OPM-approved agency recruiting plans which expedite recruitment of persons for appointment to positions in shortage occupations.

DISABILITY RETIREMENT PAY (from a uniformed service)—money paid by a uniformed service for disability incurred in or the proximate result of performance of active duty.

DISABLED VETERAN—Means a person who was separated under honorable conditions from active duty in the Armed Forces performed at any time and who has established the present existence of a service-connected disability or is receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pension because of a public statute administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs or a military department.

DISCHARGE—A nature of action used for an agency-initiated separation (for work performance and/or misconduct or delinquency) of an employee who was serving on an appointment that did not afford appeal rights. [Discharge was deleted as a nature of action and is no longer used.]

DISCHARGE DURING PROB/TRIAL PERIOD—An agency-initiated separation (for preappointment conditions or for postappointment work performance and/or misconduct or delinquency) of an employee who was serving an initial appointment probation or was serving on a trial period required by civil service or agency regulations. [This nature of action is no longer used.]

DISCHARGE UNDER HONORABLE CONDITIONS—Means either an honorable or a general discharge from the Armed Forces. The term does not apply to the honorable discharge given an enlisted person to allow commissioning as an officer without a break in service. In this situation the officer's discharge must be under honorable conditions.

DISCONTINUED SERVICE RETIREMENT—See RETIREMENT, DISCONTINUED SERVICE.

DUAL COMPENSATION—Payment for more than one civilian office involving a total of more than 40 hours a week. ***

DUTY STATION—The city/town, county, and State in which the employee works. For most employees, this will be the location of the employee's work site.

EFFECTIVE DATE—The date on which a personnel action takes place and on which the employee's official assignment begins.

EOD (ENTRY ON DUTY)—The process by which a person completes the necessary paperwork and is sworn in as an employee.

EOD (ENTRY ON DUTY) DATE—The date on which a person completes the necessary paperwork and is sworn in as an employee.

EX-SERVICE PERSON—A person who was separated from active duty performed in peacetime or wartime. (A person on active duty may be an ex-serviceperson because of separation from previous active duty.)

EXCEPTED POSITION—A position in the excepted service (5 U.S.C. 2103 and 5 CFR part 213).

EXCEPTED SERVICE—Unclassified service, unclassified Civil Service or positions outside the competitive service and the senior executive service. Excepted service positions have been excepted from the requirements of the competitive service by law, Executive order, or OPM regulation. (5 U.S.C. 2103 and 5 CFR part 213)

EXECUTIVE ORDER—A directive issued by the President.

EXPERT—A person with excellent qualifications and a high degree of attainment in professional, scientific, technical, or other field. An expert's attainment is such that he or she usually is regarded as an authority or as a practitioner

of unusual competence and skill by

other persons in the profession, occupation, or activity. (5 U.S.C. 3109)

EXPERT POSITION—A position that cannot be satisfactorily performed by someone who is not an expert in that field.

EXTENSION—The continuation of a time-limited appointment (one with an NTE date) up to the maximum time allowed by the authority under which it was effected.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE—The total of all periods of military and civilian Federal service considered for retirement, reduction in force, and leave purposes.

FEDERAL MERIT SYSTEM—A complete system of personnel selection and management based on an integrated set of personnel policies, procedures and practices designed to accomplish three basic objectives: (1) to recruit a competent work force; (2) to insure a stable work force; and (3) to provide equal opportunity for employment.

FEDERAL PERSONNEL MANUAL (FPM) SYSTEM—An Office of Personnel Management (OPM) system for publishing personnel regulations, policy, and issuing instructions to Federal agencies. The FPM system, which was abolished effective 12/31/93, included:

FPM BULLETINS which contained temporary instructions or notices;

FPM LETTERS which contained continuing instructions that, because of urgency, could not be put in the FPM or its supplements at the time of issuance; and

FPM SUPPLEMENTS which amplified or explained in detail various subjects covered in the basic FPM chapters.

FEDERAL WAGE SYSTEM—The job-grading and pay system that applies to most trade, craft, and labor positions in agencies subject to 5 U.S.C. 5342. Under this system, pay is adjusted according to the rates paid by private industry for similar jobs in the same area. Included are Federal employees in recognized trade or craft or skilled mechanical crafts,

in unskilled, semiskilled or skilled manual labor occupations, and other persons, including foremen or supervisors, in positions where trade, craft, or labor experience or knowledge is the main requirement. (5 U.S.C. chapter 53, subchapter IV, and 5 CFR part 532)

FEGLI —Federal Employee's Group Life Insurance.

(5 U.S.C. chapter 87, 5 CFR parts 870-874, and The Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Handbook)

FEHBP —Federal Employee's Health Benefits Program. (5 U.S.C. chapter 89, 5 CFR part 890, and The Federal Employees Health Benefits Handbook)

FERS RETIREE—A person retired under the Federal Employees Retirement System.

FROZEN SERVICE is the total number of years and months of civilian and military service that is creditable in a CSRS component of a FERS employee.

FULL-TIME WORK SCHEDULE—A full-time work schedule requires most employees to work 40 hours during the work week.

FURLOUGH—The placement of an employee in a temporary nonpay status and nonduty status (or absence from duty) because of lack of work or funds, or for other nondisciplinary reasons.

GENERAL DISCHARGE—A discharge granted from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions.

GENERAL SCHEDULE—The GS graded pay system established under the Classification Act of 1949, as amended. (5 U.S.C. chapter 53, subchapter III, and

5 CFR part 531)

GM WITHIN-GRADE INCREASE—is an agency-
awarded increase in basic rate of pay, with no change in grade, to an employee who is covered under the Performance Management and Recognition System termination provisions of Public Law 103-89.

GRADE—A level of work or range of difficulty, responsibility and qualification requirements. (5 U.S.C. 5102)

GRADE RESTORATION ACTION—An action taken to restore to an employee the grade held prior to a grade reduction that was effective during the retroactive period of title VIII of the Civil Service Reform Act. The grade restoration action recorded the employee's retained grade in the OPM's data system.

GRADE RETENTION ACTION—An action to retain the grade held by an employee prior to a grade reduction that was effective during the retroactive period of title VIII of the Civil Service Reform Act. The grade retention action documented the employee's step in the retained grade and the rate of basic pay to which he or she was entitled.

GRADE RETENTION ENTITLEMENT—The right of an employee to retain for 2 years, for pay and benefits purposes, the grade of the position from which he or she was reduced. (5 U.S.C. 5362 and 5 CFR part 536)

HEALTH BENEFITS—The health service and insurance programs established for Federal employees under 5 U.S.C. 7901 and 8901-8914.

HEARING—The presentation of such oral and written evidence concerning an appeal or equal employment opportunity complaint that the appeal authority or complaints examiner deems pertinent to the consideration of the appeal or complaint on its merits.

ILIA—An acronym that stands for "in lieu of involuntary action" and is used with certain natures of action.

INDEFINITE APPOINTMENT—One given a nonpermanent employee who is hired for an unlimited period of time.

INDUCTION—See EOD .

INJURY COMPENSATION—The compensation and medical care provided to civilian Federal employees for disability due to personal injuries sustained while in performance of duty and due to diseases relating to this employment. (5 U.S.C 8101-8151)

INTERIM GEOGRAPHIC ADJUSTMENT is an additional payment made to a General Schedule, Foreign Service, or Veterans Health Administration employee, or an officer of the U.S. Park Police whose official duty station is in an area where the President has determined that significant pay disparities and recruitment or retention problems exist. (Note: An interim geographic adjustment also may be authorized for other groups of employees upon request of the head of an agency.) [This term was deleted from the Guide in Update 23 (2/97)]

INTERMITTENT SERVICE OR INTERMITTENT EMPLOYMENT—Service when employee works on less than a full-time basis with no prescheduled tour of duty. In the past, "WAE" was used on personnel documents to identify intermittent service.

INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION—A separation against the will of and without the consent of the employee, other than separation for cause on charges of misconduct or delinquency. Examples include separation based on reduction in force, abolishment of position, expiration of term of office, lack of funds, and unacceptable performance (unless due to the employee's misconduct). (The CSRS and FERS Handbook, Chapter 44)

JOB DESCRIPTION—See POSITION DESCRIPTION.

JOB SHEET—See POSITION DESCRIPTION

LEAD AGENCY—Under the Federal Wage System, an agency designated by the OPM to plan and conduct wage surveys, analyze the survey data and determine and issue required wage schedules for a wage area. (5 U.S.C. chapter 53, subchapter IV, and 5 CFR part 532)

LEGAL AUTHORITY—The legal authority is the law, Executive Order, regulation, agency directive, or the instruction under which the personnel action is taken.

LEAVE, ANNUAL—Leave of absence with pay allowed for personal, emergency, and other purposes. With certain exceptions, employees earn or accrue leave at the rate of 13 to 26 working days a ear, depending on length of service. (5 U.S.C. 6303 and 5 CFR part 630, subpart C)

LEAVE, MILITARY—Paid leave provided to Reservists and members of the National Guard under 5 U.S.C. 6323 who serve on active duty. (Military Leave is not available for inactive duty or drills.)

LEAVE, SICK—Leave of absence with pay allowed for employees when the employee is physically incapacitated for the performance of duties; receives medical, dental, or optical examination or treatment; or is required to give care and attendance to a member of his or her immediate family who is afflicted with a contagious disease. With certain exceptions, all civilian employees of the Federal Government earn sick leave at the rate of 13 working days a year. (5 U.S.C. 6307 and 5 CFR part 630, subpart D)

LEAVE WITH PAY ( LWP )—An absence from duty with pay (in sick leave status) granted at the employee's request following the approval of a disability retirement application, or after application for optional retirement due to disability.

LEAVE WITHOUT PAY ( LWOP )—A temporary nonpay status and nonduty status (or absence from a prescheduled tour of duty) granted at the employee's request. LWOP-US (formerly called LWOP-MIL) is a nature of action specifically used to document a leave of absence to perform duty with the uniformed services.

LEGAL AUTHORITY SUFFIX—A word or phase added to the legal authority to more precisely identify the circumstances under which the authority is being used or the action is being taken. These suffixes are generally abbreviated as shown below:

CAA = Action proposed under civil service adverse action procedures

CLG = Change to Lower Grade

Comp = Competitive

Decl = Declined

Disp = Displacement

EAA = Action proposed under agency procedures which are equivalent to civil service adverse action procedures

Eq = Equivalent

Exc = Excepted Service

Inj = Injury

Mil = Military

Mix = For mixed reasons, (for both conduct and performance reasons)

MFD = More than 14 days

NARS = No Appeal Rights

Nonsupv = Nonsupervisory

Nondisp = Nondisciplinary

OAA = Action proposed under other adverse action procedures

OTD = Over 30 days

Perf = Performance

Preappt = Preappointment

Prom = Promotion

Prob = Probationary

Reas = Reassignment

Recert = Recertification

Reclass = Reclassification

Relo = Relocation

RIF = Reduction in force

T/F = Transfer of Function

WTO = Worker Trainee Opportunity Program

LIFE INSURANCE—The group life, death and accidental dismemberment insurance available to Federal employees. (5 U.S.C. chapter 87 and 5 CFR parts 870-874)

LOCALITY ADJUSTMENT means a locality-based comparability payment, or special pay adjustment for law enforcement officers.

LOCALITY-BASED COMPARABILITY PAYMENT means a payment under 5 U.S.C. 5304.

LWOP —See LEAVE WITHOUT PAY.

LWP —See LEAVE WITH PAY.

MASS TRANSFER—The movement of an employee with his or her position to a different agency when (1) a transfer of function or an organization change takes place and (2) there is no change in the employee's position, grade, or pay. (Note: for purposes of this definition, a change in the amount of any locality payment to which the employee is entitled is not a change in pay.)

MERGED RECORDS PERSONNEL FOLDER ( MRPF ), Standard Form 66-C is a file containing personnel records established both within and outside the scope of OPM's recordkeeping authority.

MERIT PAY SYSTEM—The pay system established, under 5 U.S.C. chapter 54, for General Schedule employees in grades 13 through 15 who were in supervisory, managerial, or management official positions. The Merit Pay System was replaced by the Performance Management and Recognition System, which was terminated on 11-01-93.

MERIT PROMOTION PROGRAM—See MERIT STAFFING PROGRAM.

MERIT STAFFING PROGRAM—The system under which agencies consider an employee for vacant positions on the basis of personal merit. Vacant positions are usually filled through competition with applicants being evaluated and ranked for the position on the basis of their experience, education, skills and performance record. (5 CFR part 335)

MILITARY RETIREE—A person who has retired from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard.

MSPB —Merit Systems Protection Board.

MOBILIZATION—Readiness provisions for operating the Federal Personnel System in time of national emergency. (5 CFR part 230, subpart D)

NATURE OF ACTION—The nature of action is a phrase that explains the action that is occurring (such as "appointment" or "promotion") when a personnel action is documented by a Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action.

NONAPPROPRIATED FUNDS INSTRUMENTALITY ( NAFI) means the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, Army and Air Force Motion Picture Service, Navy Ship's Stores Ashore, Navy exchanges, Marine Corps exchanges, Coast Guard exchanges, and other instrumentalities of the United States under the jurisdiction of the Armed Forces conducted for the comfort, pleasure, contentment, and mental and physical improvement of personnel of the Armed Forces. Employees of these organizations are not paid from funds appropriated by the Congress and, for most purposes, are not considered to be Federal employees. (5 U.S.C. 2105(c))

NONCOMPETITIVE ACTION means a promotion, demotion, reassignment, transfer, reinstatement, or an appointment based on prior service.

(5 CFR 210.102)

OCCUPATIONAL CODE—See definition of series.

OFFICIAL PERSONNEL FOLDER ( OPF ), Standard Form 66 is a file containing records and documents related to civilian employment under title 5, U.S. Code.

ON-CALL EMPLOYEE—one who worked when needed during periods of heavy workload with expected cumulative service of at least 6 months in pay status each year. [On-call employment was deleted from this Guide in Update 15, 3/15/95.]

OPM—The Office of Personnel Management.

OPERATING MANUALS—OPM issuances that contain procedural guidance applicable to all agencies.

PART-TIME SERVICE or PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT—Employment on less than a full-
time basis under a prescheduled regular tour of duty.

PART-TIME WORK SCHEDULE—A schedule that requires an employee to work less than full-time, but

for a specific number of hours (usually 16-32 hours per administrative work week) on a prearranged scheduled tour of duty.

PAY ADJUSTMENT—[as used in this Guide] Any increase or decrease in an employee's rate of basic pay when there is no change in the duties or responsibilities of the employee's position. A pay adjustment may include a change in the step at which the employee is paid. A change in the pay system under which the employee is paid is also a pay adjustment.

***

PAY PLAN—The pay system or pay schedule under which the employee's rate of basic pay is determined, e.g., General Schedule (GS), Executive Schedule (EX), and Leader under the Federal Wage System (WL).

PAY RETENTION ENTITLEMENT—The right of an employee to retain, under certain circumstances, a rate of basic pay higher than the maximum rate of the grade for the position occupied. (5 U.S.C. 5363 and 5 CFR part 536)

PENSION—money paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs for disability that is not necessarily service-connected.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND RECOGNITION SYSTEM ( PMRS )—The pay system established under Public Law 98-615 to replace the Merit Pay System for General Schedule employees in grades GS-13 through GS-15 in supervisory, managerial, or management official positions. PMRS was terminated on 11-01-93 by Public Law 103-89.

PERSONNEL ACTION—The process necessary to appoint, separate, or make other personnel changes.

PERSONNEL OFFICE IDENTIFIER (POI)— Identifies the Federal civilian personnel office authorized to appoint and separate the employee, and, to the extent such functions have been delegated, to prepare personnel actions, maintain official personnel records, and administer programs for staff compensation, training and development, benefits and awards, and employee and labor relations.

PLACEMENT—Putting employees into jobs. This may be done by appointment of someone new to government; by promotion, change to lower grade, reassignment, or transfer within an agency or from other agencies of a current employee; and by reinstatement of a former employee.

PMRS MERIT INCREASE—An agency-awarded increase in rate of basic pay with no change in grade to an employee who was under the Performance Management and Recognition system.

POSITION means the work, consisting of the duties and responsibilities assigned by competent authority for performance by an employee.

(5 U.S.C. 5102 and 5 CFR 511.101)

POSITION CHANGE—A move by an employee from one position to another position during his or her continuous service within the same agency.

When the move establishes the employee's eligibility for grade retention (under 5 U.S.C. 5362), the nature of action for the move is also called "Position Change." It is also called a "Position Change" when an employee who is already entitled to grade retention moves to another position at or below his or her retained grade. Moves when the employee is not entitled to grade retention are called promotions, changes to lower grade, or reassignments.

POSITION CLASSIFICATION means the analysis and identification of a position and placing it under the position classification plan established by OPM under chapter 51 of title 5, U.S. Code.

POSITION DESCRIPTION—A statement of duties and responsibilities comprising the work assigned to a civilian employee.

POSITION (or JOB) TITLE—The name of a position, such as "Secretary," or "Civil Engineer," or "Personnel Staffing Specialist."

PRD (PAY RATE DETERMINANT)—A designation of any special factors that help determine an employee's rate of basic pay or adjusted basic pay.

PREFERENCE (VETERANS' PREFERENCE) is an employee's category of entitlement to preference in the Federal service based on active military service that was terminated honorably:

—	5-point preference is the preference granted to a preference-eligible veteran who does notmeet the criteria for one of the types of 10-point preferences listed above.

—	10-point (disability) preference is the preference to which a disabled veteran is entitled.

—	10-point (compensable disability) preference is the preference to which a disabled veteran is entitled if he or she has a compensable service-connected disability rating of 10-percent or more.

—	10-point (30% compensable disability) preference is the preference to which a disabled veteran is entitled if he or she is entitled to a 10-point preference due to a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more.

—	10-point (other) preference is the preference granted to the widow/widower or mother of a deceased veteran or to the spouse or mother of a disabled veteran. It is called "derived preference" because it is derived from the military service of someone else - a veteran who is not using it for preference. When the disabled veteran does use the service for preference, then the spouse or mother is no longer entitled to preference.

PREFERENCE ELIGIBLE means veterans, spouses, widows, or mothers who meet the definition of "preference eligible" in 5 U.S.C. 2108. Preference eligibles are entitled to have 5 or 10 points added to their earned score on a civil service examination (see 5 U.S.C. 3309). They are also accorded a higher retention standing in the event of a reduction in force (see 5 U.S.C. 3502). Preference does not apply, however, to inservice placement actions such as promotions.

PREMIUM PAY—Additional pay for overtime, night, holiday, or Sunday work and standby duty or administratively uncontrollable work. (5 CFR part 550, subpart A)

PREVAILING RATE SYSTEM—See FEDERAL WAGE SYSTEM.

PREVIOUS RETIREMENT COVERAGE—An indicator of whether the employee has, at the time of

most recent appointment to the Federal service, previously been covered by the Civil Service Retirement System or Federal Employees Retirement System.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD is the first year of service of employee who is given a career or career- conditional appointment under 5 CFR part 315. During this period, the agency determines the fitness of the employee, and the employee has no appeal rights. (5 CFR part 315, subpart H)

PROMOTION—A nature of action used to document personnel actions that change an employee (1) to a position at a higher grade level within the same job classification system and pay schedule or (2) to position with a higher rate of basic pay in a different job classification system and pay schedule.

PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENT—A temporary appointment to a continuing position when the agency intends later to convert the employee to a nontemporary appointment and has current authority for such conversion.

QUALITY (STEP) INCREASE ( QSI OR QI )—An increase in employee's rate of basic pay through an additional within-grade increase granted under 5 U.S.C. 5336 for sustained high quality performance.

QUALIFICATIONS STANDARDS FOR THE GENERAL SCHEDULE (formerly Handbook X-
118)—Qualification standards manual. The manual contains specific standards for General Schedule positions.

"RARE BIRD" POSITION—One where the OPM has determined that the pay or duties of the position are such, or that the qualified persons are so few, it would not be in the interest of good civil service administration to fill the position through open-competitive examination. (5 CFR 316.601)

RATE OF BASIC PAY—The rate of pay fixed by law or administrative action for the position held by an employee before any deductions (such as taxes) and exclusive of additional pay of any kind (such as overtime pay).

REALIGNMENT—The movement of an employee and his or her position when (1) a transfer of

function or an organization change occurs, and (2) the employee stays in the same agency, and (3) there is no change in the employee's position, grade or pay. (Note: For purposes of this definition, a change in the amount of any locality payment to which the employee is entitled is not a change in pay.)

REASSIGNMENT—The change of an employee from one position to another without promotion or change to lower grade. Reassignment includes: (1) movement to a position in a new occupational series, or to another position in the same series; (2) assignment to a position that has been redescribed due to the introduction of a new or revised classification or job grading standard; (3) assignment to a position that has been redescribed as a result of position review; and (4) movement to a different position at the same grade but with a change in salary that is the result of different local prevailing wage rates or a different locality payment.

RECRUITMENT BONUS—A one time payment of up to 25 percent of basic pay to an employee who is newly appointed to a hard-to-fill position.

(5 U.S.C. 5753)

REDUCTION IN FORCE ( RIF )—Separation of an employee from his or her competitive level, required by the agency because of lack of work or funds, abolition of position or agency, or cuts in personnel authorizations. (5 U.S.C. chapter 35, subchapter I, and 5 CFR part 351)

REDUCTION IN GRADE, See CHANGE TO LOWER GRADE

REEMPLOYED ANNUITANT—A person retired under the Civil Service or Federal Employees Retirement System whose annuity continues after he or she is reemployed by the Federal Government.

REEMPLOYMENT PRIORITY LIST—A list of career and career-conditional employees an agency has separated because of (1) reduction in force or (2) compensable injury or disability where recovery takes more than one year from the time the employee began receiving compensation.

REEMPLOYMENT RIGHTS—The entitlement of an employee to return to nontemporary employment after assignment to other civilian employment. This other employment may be with the Foreign Service, public international organizations, or other agencies in the executive branch or overseas. (5 CFR part 352)

REGISTER—A list of qualified applicants compiled in order of relative standing for certification.

REINSTATEMENT—Noncompetitive reemployment in the competitive service as a career or career-conditional employee of a person formerly employed in the competitive service who had a competitive status or was serving probation when separated. (5 CFR part 315, subpart D)

RELOCATION BONUS—A one-time payment of up to 25 percent of basic pay to a current employee who relocates to take a hard-to-fill position.

(5 U.S.C. 5753)

REMOVAL—A separation from Federal service initiated by the agency, Office of Personnel Management, or Merit Systems Protection Board, under 5 CFR parts 359, 432, 731, or 752; section 1201 of title 5, U.S. Code; or comparable agency statutes or regulations.

RESERVIST—A member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard reserves.

RESIGNATION—A separation action initiated by the employee to leave Federal civil service.

RESIGNATION-ILIA—A nature of action used to document the resignation initiated by employee under circumstances that meet the definition of "involuntary separation" in Chapter 44 of The CSRS and FERS Handbook.

RESTORATION RIGHTS—The entitlement of employees who leave their civilian positions for military duty to return to those positions after termination of that duty and the entitlement of an employee to return to his or her position after recovery from compensable injury.

(5 CFR part 353)

RETAINED RATE—A rate of pay above the maximum rate of the employee's grade which an

employee is allowed to keep in special situations rather than having his or her rate of basic pay reduced.

RETENTION ALLOWANCE is the annual total dollar amount (up to 25 percent of basic pay) paid to an essential employee with unusually high qualifications or special skills in those cases where the agency determines that the employee would be likely to leave Federal employment if no allowance were paid. (5 U.S.C. 5754)

RETENTION PREFERENCE—The relative right of an employee to be retained in a position when similar positions are being abolished and employees in them are being separated or furloughed. (5 CFR part 351)

RETENTION REGISTER—A written or printed record of all employees occupying positions in a competitive level arranged by tenure groups and subgroups, and by service dates within the subgroup. It is used in a reduction in force to determine which employees are retained and which are separated or moved to other positions. (5 CFR part 351)

RETIREMENT—Separation from the service when employee is eligible to obtain an immediate annuity.

RETIREMENT, DEFERRED—Retirement of a person age 62 or older with at least 5 years of civilian service who was formerly employed under the Civil Service Retirement System and then left Federal service or moved to a position not under the retirement system. An employee covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System who separates after completing 10 years of service can also receive a deferred retirement upon reaching the Federal Employees Retirement System "Minimum Retirement Age" (55 to 57, depending on birth date). (The CSRS and FERS Handbook)

RETIREMENT, DISCONTINUED SER -
VICE—Retirement based on involuntary separation against the will and without the consent of the employee, other than on charges of misconduct or delinquency. An employee who does not meet the age and service requirements for optional retirement at the time of separation may retire on discontinued service if he or she is age 50 with 20 years of creditable service or at any age with 25 years of creditable service including 5 years of civilian service. (The CSRS and FERS Handbook)

RETIREMENT, OPTIONAL means voluntary retirement, without reduction in annuity, of an employee who meets minimum age and service requirements. Under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), an employee qualifies at age 55 with 30 years of creditable service; under the Federal Employees Retirement System ( FERS ), an employee qualifies at the minimum retirement age (55-57, depending on birth date) with 30 years of creditable service. Under both CSRS and FERS , an employee also qualifies at age 60 with 20 years of creditable service and at age 62 with 5 years of creditable service. (The CSRS and FERS Handbook)

RETURN TO DUTY—Placement of an employee back in pay and duty status after absence for Furlough, Suspension, or Leave Without Pay.

SABBATICAL—An absence from duty, without charge to pay or leave, that an agency may grant to a Senior Executive Service career appointee to engage in study or uncompensated work experience. (5 U.S.C. 3396(c)(1))

SEASONAL EMPLOYEE—An employee who works on an annual recurring basis for periods of less than 12 months (2087 hours) each year.

SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL (ST) POSITIONS are positions established under 5 U.S.C. 3104 to carry out research and development functions that require the services of specially qualified personnel. ST positions are in the competitive service, but are not filled through competitive examinations. Recruitment is carried out by the agencies concerned. ST positions are ungraded. (5 CFR part 319)

SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE—Positions that are classified above GS-15 of the General Schedule or in level IV or V or the Executive Schedule or equivalent positions, which are not required to be filled by an appointment by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and in which employees direct, monitor and manage the work of an organizational unit or exercise other executive functions.

SENIOR LEVEL (SL) POSITIONS are positions established under the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-509) to replace positions at grades GS-16, GS-17, and GS-18 of the General Schedule. SL positions are classified above GS-15 of the General Schedule and are ungraded. (5 CFR part 319)

SEPARATED UNDER HONORABLE CONDITIONS means either an honorable or general discharge from the Armed Forces. The Department of Defense is responsible for administering and defining military discharges.

SEPARATION-APPT IN (name of entity) is a separation when an employee leaves a Federal agency to accept employment with a non-Federal Government entity that takes over his or her Federal functions AND the employee will continue to receive Federal benefits.

SEPARATION-US (uniformed services) (formerly called Separation–MIL) is a separation action initiated by an agency when the employee enters on duty with the uniformed services and provides written notice of intent not to return to a position of employment with the agency or elects to be separated in lieu of placement in a leave without pay status.

SEPARATION-RIF is a separation from an agency's rolls under 5 CFR parts 351 or 359, or as a consequence of a reduction in force.

SERIES—Classes of positions similar in specialized line of work but differing in difficulty or responsibility of work, or qualifications requirements and, therefore, differing in grade and pay range.

SERVICE COMPUTATION DATE (SCD)—The date, either actual or constructed by crediting service, used to determine benefits that are based on how long the person has been in the Federal Service.

For an employee with no prior creditable civilian or military service, the service computation date is the effective date of the employee's first Federal civilian appointment. For an employee with prior creditable service, the service computation date is constructed by totaling the days, months and years of the employee's creditable civilian and military service and subtracting that total from the effective date of the employee's most recent appointment. For example, if an employee is appointed on 10-12-1998 and has 4 years, 3 months and 3 days of prior service that is creditable, the service computation date will be constructed as follows:

When service credit of 4 years, 3 months, and 3 days, is subtracted from the date, 1998-10-12, the result is 1994-07-09. Thus, the service computation date will then be 07-09-1994.

SEVERANCE PAY—Sum of money (based on last salary, length of service, and age) which an employee may be paid when separated involuntarily from an agency, such as during a reduction in force. An employee is ineligible for severance pay if the separation results from misconduct or if the employee is eligible for an immediate (retirement) annuity. (5 CFR part 550, subpart G)

SON (SUBMITTING OFFICE NUMBER)—A number that was assigned by OPM to identify an office that submitted personnel action data to the Central Personnel Data File ( CPDF ). The SON was replaced by the POI (Personnel Office Identifier.)

SPECIAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE—An employee who is appointed to work for a period not to exceed 130 days during any period of 365 days. The standards of employee conduct to which a special government employee is subject differ from those to which other employees are subject. (18 U.S.C. 202)

SPECIAL PAY ADJUSTMENT for LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS is an additional payment made to a law enforcement officer whose official duty station is in one of eight special pay areas defined in section 404 of the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990. (5 CFR part 531, subpart C)

SPECIAL SALARY RATES—Salary rates higher than the regular statutory schedule. The President establishes these higher pay rates for occupations in which private enterprise is paying substantially more than the regular Government schedule and this salary gap significantly handicaps the Government's recruitment or retention of well-qualified persons. (5 U.S.C. 5305 and 5 CFR part 530, subpart C)

STANDARD FORM 50 (also called "50")—Notification of Personnel Action. The Standard Form 50 is completed by the personnel or administrative office to which appointing authority has been delegated, and is used to notify the employee and the payroll office, and to record the action in the employee's Official Personnel Folder.

STANDARD FORM 52 (also called a "52")—Request for Personnel Action. Is used by operating officials or supervisors to request personnel actions and to secure internal agency clearance of requests for personnel action. Employees use the Standard Form 52 to request leave without pay or a name change and to notify the agency of their intent to resign or retire. (Chapter 4 of this Guide)

STATUS EMPLOYEE—One who has completed the probationary period under the career-conditional employment system. Also known as an employee with competitive status. (5 CFR 315.503)

STATUS QUO EMPLOYEE—An employee who failed to acquire competitive status when the position in which he or she was serving was placed in the competitive service by a statute, Executive Order, or Civil Service Rule which permitted his or her retention without acquisition of status. (5 CFR part 316, subpart G).

STEP—The step of the pay plan under which an employee is paid. For example, step 2 of GS 7; step 1 of WG 5.

STEP ADJUSTMENT—A change in the step of the grade at which the employee is serving without a change in the employee's rate of basic pay.

SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS SER- VICE—Federal civilian service which continued without break or interruption; a period of service from which time off the agency's rolls was not deducted or subtracted from employee's total period of service.

SUPERIOR QUALIFICATIONS APPOINT-
MENT —Placement of a person in a hard-to-recruit-for position at a pay rate above the minimum based on the applicant's unique or unusually high qualifications, a special government need for applicants' services and the fact applicants' present salary or salary offerings are higher than the minimum rate of the grade level to which the applicant can be appointed. (5 CFR 531.203(b))

SUPERVISORY DIFFERENTIAL >The annual total dollar amount paid, over and above basic pay, to a General Schedule supervisor who otherwise would be paid less than one or more of the civilian employees supervised.< (5 U.S.C. 5755)

SUSPENSION—Placement of an employee in a temporary nonpay and nonduty status (or absence from duty) for disciplinary reasons or other reasons pending an inquiry. (5 CFR part 752)

TEMP APPT-PER—(Sometimes referred to as "TAPER" appointment) A nature of action that documents a temporary appointment authorized by the Office of Personnel Management in the absence of eligibles who can be considered for permanent employment from a civil service register. The appointment is temporary, pending the establishment of a register from which permanent employees can be selected. (5 CFR part 316, subpart B).

TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT—An appointment made for a limited period of time and with a specific not-to-exceed ( NTE ) date determined by the authority under which the appointment is made.

TENURE—The period of time an employee may reasonably expect to serve under his or her current appointment. Tenure is governed by the type of appointment under which an employee is currently serving, without regard to whether the employee has competitive status or whether the employee's appointment is to a competitive service position or an excepted service position.

TENURE GROUPS—Categories of employees ranked in priority order for retention during reduction in force .

TENURE SUBGROUPS—Within each tenure group, employees are divided into three subgroups. Subgroup AD includes each preference eligible employee who has a compensable service- connected disability of 30 percent or more. Subgroup A consists of employees with veterans' preference who are not in subgroup AD. Subgroup B consists of employees who have no veterans' preference.

TERM APPOINTMENT—Appointment to a position that will last more than one year but not more than four years and that is of a project nature where the job will terminate upon completion of the project. (5 CFR part 316, subpart C)

TERMINATION-APPT IN (agency)—A separation action initiated by either the employee or the agency when the employee (or a group of employees) moves from >one< agency to another agency.

TERMINATION DURING PROB/TRIAL PERIOD —An agency-initiated separation of an employee who is serving an initial appointment probation or a trial period required by civil service or agency regulations.

TERMINATION-EXP OF APPT—A separation action initiated by the agency to end employment on the not-to-exceed date of a temporary appointment or when the employee has worked the number of days or hours to which >the< appointment was limited.

TERMINATION-SPONSOR RELOCATING—An action to document the separation of a Department of Defense employee who submits a resignation to accompany a military or civilian sponsor to a new duty station.

TIME–AFTER–COMPETITIVE–APPOINTMENT RESTRICTION—The provision that 3 months must elapse after an employee's latest nontemporary competitive appointment before he or she may be (1) promoted or reassigned, or transferred to a different line of work or to a different geographical area, or (2) transferred to or reinstated to a higher grade or different line of work in the competitive service. (5 CFR part 330.501)

TOUR OF DUTY—The hours of a day (daily tour of duty) and the days of an administrative workweek (weekly tour of duty) that are scheduled in advance and during which an employee is required to perform work on a regularly recurring basis.

TRANSFER—A change of an employee, without a break in service of one full workday, from a position in one agency to a position in another agency that can be filled under the same appointing authority: 5 CFR 315.501 authorizes the transfer of competitive service career and career-conditional appointees to competitive service career or career-conditional appointments in other agencies; 5 CFR 307.103 authorizes transfer of excepted service veterans' readjustment appointees to excepted service veterans' readjustment appointment positions in other agencies; and 5 U.S.C. 3395 authorizes transfer of career and noncareer appointees in the Senior Executive Service to career and noncareer appointments in other agencies.

TRANSFER OF FUNCTION—The movement of the work of one or more employees from one competitive area to another. (5 CFR part 351, subpart C)

UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION—An unemployment insurance for Federal employees.

(5 U.S.C. chapter 85)

UNIFORMED SERVICES—The Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) plus the commissioned officer corps of the Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

VETERAN—Means a person who was separated with an honorable discharge or under honorable conditions from active duty in the Armed Forces performed during one of the periods described in

5 U.S.C. 2108.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE is an employee's category of entitlement to preference in the Federal service based on active military service that terminated honorably.

WAE (when actually employed)—See INTERMITTENT SERVICE.

WAGE AREA—A geographical area within which a single set of regular wage schedules is applied uniformly by Federal installations to the covered occupations under the Federal Wage System.

(5 U.S.C. chapter 53, Subchapter IV, and 5 CFR part 532)

WAGE EMPLOYEES—Also called Federal wage employees or prevailing >rate< employees. These employees are in trades, crafts, or labor occupations covered by the Federal Wage System and their pay is fixed and adjusted from time-to-time in accordance with prevailing rates.

WC (Without Compensation)—Under certain circumstances, an agency may be authorized to appoint an employee to provide services to the government without pay.

WITHIN-GRADE INCREASE ( WGI )—Is an increase in employee's rate of basic pay by advancement from one step of his or her grade to the next after meeting requirements for length of service and performance.

WORK SCHEDULE—The time basis on which an employee is paid. A work schedule may be full-time, part-time, or intermittent.

WORK SITE of the employee is the place where he or she works, or at which the employee's activities are based, as determined by the employing agency.