Subpart D—Temporary Limited Employment

(a) Appropriate use. An agency may make a temporary limited appointment—

(1) To fill a short-term position (i.e., one that is not expected to last longer than 1 year);

(2) To meet an employment need that is scheduled to be terminated within the timeframe set out in paragraph (c) of this section for such reasons as abolishment, reorganization, or contracting of the function, anticipated reduction in funding, or completion of a specific project or peak workload; or

(3) To fill positions on a temporary basis when the positions are expected to be needed for placement of permanent employees who would otherwise be displaced from other parts of the organization.

(b) Certification of appropriate use. The supervisor of each position filled by temporary appointment must certify that the employment need is truly temporary and that the proposed appointment meets the regulatory time limits. This certification may constitute appropriate documentation of compliance with the limits set out in paragraph (c) of this section. The reason(s) for making a temporary limited appointment must be stated on the form documenting each such appointment.

(c) Time limits—general. (1) An agency may make a temporary appointment for a specified period not to exceed 1 year. The appointment may be extended up to a maximum of 1 additional year (24 months of total service). Appointment to a successor position (i.e., to a position that replaces and absorbs the position to which an individual was originally appointed) is considered to be an extension of the original appointment. Appointment to a position involving the same basic duties and in the same major subdivision of the agency and same local commuting area as the original appointment is also considered to be an extension of the original appointment.

(2) An agency may not fill a position by temporary appointment if that position has previously been filled by temporary appointment(s) for an aggregate of 2 years, or 24 months, within the preceding 3-year period.

(d) Exceptions to general time limits. (1) Agencies may make and extend temporary appointments to positions involving intermittent or seasonal work without regard to the requirements in paragraph (c) of this section, provided that:

(i) Appointments and extensions are made in increments of 1 year or less.

(ii) Employment in the same or a successor position under this and any other appointing authority totals less than 6 months (1,040 hours), excluding overtime, in a service year. The service year is the calendar year that begins on the date of the employee's initial appointment in the agency. Should employment in a position filled under this exception total 6 months or more in any service year, the provisions of paragraph (c) of this section will apply to subsequent extension or reappointment unless OPM approves continued exception under this section. An individual may be employed for training for up to 120 days following initial appointment and up to 2 weeks a year thereafter without regard to the service year limitation.

(2) OPM will authorize exceptions to the limits set out in paragraph (c) of this section only when necessitated by major reorganizations or base closings or other unusual circumstances. Requests based on major reorganization, base closing, restructuring, or other unusual circumstances that apply agencywide must be made by an official at the headquarters level of the Department or agency. Requests involving extension of appointments to a specific position or project based on other unusual circumstances may be submitted by the employing office to the appropriate OPM service center.

[59 FR 46898, Sept. 13, 1994]

(a) Competitive temporary appointments. In accordance with the time limits in § 316.401, an agency may make a temporary appointment under part 332 of this chapter, by using competitive procedures, or under part 337 of this chapter, by using direct-hire procedures, as appropriate.

(b) Noncompetitive temporary appointments. In accordance with the time limits in § 316.401, an agency may give a noncompetitive temporary appointment, without regard to the requirements of parts 332 and 333 of this chapter, to an individual who is qualified for the position and who is eligible for:

(1) Reinstatement under § 315.401 of this chapter;

(2) Veterans recruitment appointment under § 307.103 of this chapter. Temporary limited appointments under this section are permitted only at the grade levels authorized for VRA appointments. Such appointments are not VRA appointments and do not lead to conversion to career-conditional appointment;

(3) Career-conditional appointment under § 315.601, 315.604, 315.605, 315.606, 315.607, 315.608, 315.609, 315.612, 315.703, or 315.711 of this chapter;

(4) Appointment under 5 U.S.C. 3112 (veterans with compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent of more). The disability must be documented by a notice of retirement or discharge due to service-connected disability from active military service dated at any time, or by a notice of compensable disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs, dated 1991 or later;

(5) Appointment under 31 U.S.C. 732(g) for current and former employees of the General Accounting Office;

(6) Appointment under 28 U.S.C. 602 for current and former employees of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts;

(7) Reappointment on the basis of being a former temporary employee of the agency who was originally appointed from a certificate of eligibles or under the provisions of part 333 of this chapter. An agency may not reappoint a former temporary employee if the individual has already served the maximum time allowed in § 316.401 or if the position has been filled under temporary appointment for the maximum time allowed in § 316.401. Reappointment must be to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements;

(8) Reappointment on the basis of being a former temporary employee who was originally appointed from a certificate of eligibles or under the provisions of part 333 of this chapter and who sustained a compensable injury while serving on the temporary appointment. Reappointment must be to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements. If the compensable injury disqualifies the former individual from performing such a position, reappointment may be to any position for which the individual is qualified. Reappointment must be for a minimum of 120 days.

(c) Extension of temporary appointments. An individual who receives a valid temporary appointment will be eligible for an extension in accordance with § 316.401 even if his or her eligibility for noncompetitive appointment expires or is lost during the authorized period of temporary employment.

[63 FR 63784, Nov. 17, 1998, as amended at 68 FR 35268, June 13, 2003; 69 FR 33275, June 15, 2004; 73 FR 60611, Oct. 14, 2008; 74 FR 40477, Aug. 12, 2009]

(a) Conditions for designation. An agency may designate a temporary appointment as a provisional appointment only when all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The appointment is made to fill a continuing position by a provisional appointment leading to permanent appointment when the position must be filled more quickly than would be possible under the procedures required for nontemporary appointment or when such a provisional appointment is a requirement of the applicable authority;

(2) The agency must have current budgetary and appointing authority for the nontemporary appointment (assuming satisfactory completion of the required procedures); and

(3) The agency must have a specific intention to convert the appointee to a nontemporary appointment under appropriate authority before the expiration of the temporary appointment, must state this intention in any written offer of employment and document this intention as part of the permanent record of the initial appointment in accordance with instructions issued by OPM.

(b) Authority for provisional appointments. Provisional appointments must be made under an authority established by law, Executive order, or regulation or granted by OPM. Appointments which may be treated as provisional appointments under this paragraph may be made under any appropriate authority, including, but not limited to:

(1) Noncompetitive temporary appointments of disabled veterans under § 316.402(b)(5), when the appointments are intended to afford eligibility for conversion in accordance with § 315.707 of this chapter and section 3112 of title 5, United States Code;

(2) Temporary appointments of nurses in the Department of Veterans Affairs, when the appointments are made under the provisions of section 4114 of title 38, United States Code, with the intention of converting the appointees to continuing appointments as soon as the appointees obtain required State certification or registration and/or the agency completes necessary verification of references;

(3) Temporary transitional Schedule C appointments made under § 213.3302 of this chapter, when the appointees are to be converted to nontemporary Schedule C appointments upon OPM approval and completion of necessary clearances.

(4) Senior Executive Service limited term and limited emergency appointments made under § 317.601 of this chapter, when the appointees are to be converted to nontemporary appointments in the Senior Executive Service or to nontemporary Presidential appointments, upon further action, such as OPM approval, White House clearance, and/or confirmation by the Senate; and

(5) Temporary appointments of severely physically handicapped individuals, when such appointments are required to demonstrate qualifications for nontemporary appointment under § 213.3102(u) of this chapter, and when the appointees will be converted to such nontemporary appointment upon successful performance in the trial position.

[56 FR 10142, Mar. 11, 1991, as amended at 60 FR 35120, July 6, 1995; 63 FR 63784, Nov. 17, 1998; 66 FR 66710, Dec. 27, 2001]