OPM issued a memo similar to one it traditionally sends out just before a presidential election, reminding agencies of restrictions on transferring political appointees to career positions, or “infiltration.”
“In this presidential election year, we remind agency heads of the need to ensure that all personnel actions are free from political influence or other improper conduct and comply with all relevant civil service laws, rules and regulations,” OPM said in a memo on chcoc.gov. “All official personnel records should clearly document continued adherence to federal meritocracy principles and freedom from prohibited personnel practices.”
“In particular, great care must be taken when appointing political appointees, Schedule C employees, and non-career senior management service members to competitive or nonpolitical excepted service positions, or career SES positions, to ensure compliance with meritocratic principles of fair and open competition,” the report states.
OPM emphasized that OPM policy requires pre-appointment review of all competitive and nonpolitical exceptional service appointment actions involving the appointment or conversion of a current or former political appointee, Schedule C employee, or noncareer SES member.
“OPM will continue to conduct personnel personnel reviews of proposed career SES selections for political, Schedule C, and non-career SES appointees, after which those selections will be presented to the Qualifications Review Board for certification of executive eligibility. As in the past, OPM will suspend the processing of QRB cases during the agency head transition period,” the statement said.
Additionally, the memo notifies agencies that they may not pay incentive compensation to non-regular SES members or individuals who hold classified or policy-making positions as Schedule C employees between June 1 and the end of the year. Additionally, the freeze on discretionary compensation, bonuses and similar payments that began in 2010 continues to apply to all political appointees, the memo states.
While political transitions remain a persistent problem among federal employees, especially around presidential elections, GAO studies covering the periods from 2005 to 2009 and 2010 to 2016 found only a small number of cases of transitions from political to professional positions — 69 in the former period and 117 in the latter — and noted that in all but a few cases, the appointees were deemed qualified for the job.
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