# SUMMARY

**1. Welcome --** [Lauren](mailto:terry.young@mail.va.gov) Kuiper-Rocha,
Moderator (202-273-5575)

> **2. HRMO Activity**

**[SELECTION(S) MADE:]{.underline}**

No selections to announce at this time.

**[CURRENT VACANCIES:]{.underline}**

GS-14 Boston, MA **Opening Date: 08/26/04**

**Closing Date: 09/09/04**

GS-13 Grand Junction, CO **Opening Date: 06/17/04**

**Closing Date: Open Until Filled**

GS-13 Togus, ME **Opening Date: 07/14/04**

**Closing Date: 10/15/04**

> **3. HR Management Programs and Policies - Items of Interest:**
>
> **Overpayment Status Update** -- [Bob
> Baratta](mailto:robert.baratta@mail.va.gov) (202-273-9752)
>
> All employees who were overpaid more than \$5.00 (gross) as a result
> of automatic retroactive processing of the 1/11/04 general pay raise
> in April will receive an individual notice identifying the amount of
> the overpayment and what options are available for repayment.  The
> notices will be distributed on 9/14/04 with the normal Earnings &
> Leave statement for pay period 17. All repayment and waiver related
> activity should be between the individual employee and the local
> payroll office.
>
> **New Title 38 Hybrid Occupations** **Update** -- [Staffing Policy
> 059/VACO](mailto:Staffing Policy 059/VACO)

-   New policies regarding the advancement and promotions system are
    essentially complete and currently are in formal collaboration with
    the unions. Most of the remaining policies requiring changes are in
    the concurrence process and will be sent to the union for unusual
    notification.

-   The qualification standards for the new occupations are moving
    toward completion.

-   OHRM/LR is working with Brian McVeigh and Mary Park of VHA on
    developing implementation tools. Field sites will be provided a full
    tool kit for implementing the new hybrid policies and procedures.

-   Question from the field (previously sent to OHRM/LR) -- Why don't
    hybrids have to serve three years on probation before they are coded
    in PAID as tenure group 1, in the same way that competitive service
    employees do?

> Answer: The question mixes two separate topics: probationary periods
> and career tenure. Like title 5 employees in both the competitive and
> excepted services, hybrids serve a one year probationary period.
> However, unlike title 5 competitive service, the excepted services
> (neither title 5 nor title 38) do not have excepted conditional
> appointments or excepted tenure appointments, there are simply
> excepted appointments. Therefore, after the probationary period is
> completed, excepted service employees are converted to Tenure Group 1
> in PAID.

Questions may be directed via email, to the [Staffing Policy
059/VACO](mailto:Staffing Policy 059/VACO) mailbox.

**Legal Authority for New Title 38 Hybrid Occupations.**

> 1\. This message is to clarify questions about the appropriate legal
> authority for employing and promoting individuals to one of the new
> hybrid occupations as outlined in Human Resources Management Letter
> (HRML) No. 05-04-02, dated March 17, 2004, as interim guidance for
> implementing Public Law (P. L.) 108-170, Veterans Health Care, Capital
> Asset, and Business Improvement Act of 2003. This law converted 22
> health care occupations from title 5 United States Code (U.S.C.)
> regulations to the hybrid title 38 employment system effective
> December 6, 2003.
>
> 2\. The appropriate code is **Z90** and legal authority **PL 108-170,
> Section** **301, dated 12/6/03**, for the following personnel actions-

-   Full-time appointments,

-   Part-time appointments,

-   Temporary appointments,

-   Conversions, or

-   Promotions (includes temporary promotions).

3\. Guidance concerning this subject is available from the following
publications-

-   WIST Bulletin 04-23, dated April 29, 2004, at

> <http://vaww.va.gov/WIST/WIST2004/WB0423.doc> and;

-   HRML 05-04-02, at
    <http://vaww1.va.gov/ohrm/HRLibrary/HRMLs/HRML05-04-02.pdf>.

> 4\. The use of the legal authority found in title 5 Code of Federal
> Regulations, Chapter 1, Part 335 (Promotion and Internal Placement)
> for appointing and making career promotions for these covered
> occupations is inappropriate. However, the P.L. has not been codified
> in statue found in 38 U.S.C., Chapter 74, and so you must actually
> cite the P. L. as your legal authority as instructed in paragraph 2.

5.  Questions about the content of this message may be directed via
    email, to the [Staffing Policy
    059/VACO](mailto:Staffing Policy 059/VACO) mailbox.

> **VHA Information Letter on Credentialing and Privileging of Doctors
> of Chiropractic**
>
> VHA recently published an Information Letter (IL) 10-2004-011, on the
> Credentialing and Privileging of Doctors of Chiropractic. Facilities
> planning to appoint Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) should review this
> document and ensure that their credentialing and privileging staff
> also have copies. The IL references the Doctor of Chiropractic
> qualification standard and the appointment process that is found in VA
> Handbook 5005.
>
> HR employees should bring this document to the attention of the
> facility\'s Chief of Staff and employees involved in credentialing and
> privileging of DCs.

Questions may be directed via email, to the [Staffing Policy
059/VACO](mailto:Staffing Policy 059/VACO) mailbox.

> **HRM Self-evaluation Questionnaire Undergoing Pilot Testing**

-- [Carol Mellen](mailto:carol.mellen@mail.va.gov) (202-273-9827)

> We are currently pilot testing the on-line application of the HR
> Management Self-evaluation questionnaire that facility managers can
> use to evaluate their HR programs. Our thanks to VBA and VHA
> volunteers for agreeing to pilot test the on-line application. We are
> very interested in their comments and suggestions for improvement when
> the pilot ends this week. Based on the feedback we receive from these
> pilots, we will be providing improved communication/training
> information as we move to full implementation by the end of this
> month. You can view a copy of the self evaluation questionnaire on the
> OHRM website under Oversight and Effectiveness at
> <http://vaww.appc1.va.gov/ohrm/Oversight-Effectiveness/OE.htm> \[see
> HRM Guide for Conducting Self-Evaluations (Non-Automated)\]

**FEGLI Open Season Update** -- [Therese
Kilgore](mailto:therese.kilgore@mail.va.gov) (202-273-8258)

Good afternoon everyone.

> As you all know by now, the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance
> (FEGLI) Program 2004 Open Season is being held from September 1 to
> September 30, 2004.
>
> New coverage elected during this open season will become effective on
> the first day of the first pay period that begins on or after
> September 1, 2005, and that immediately follows a pay period in which
> the employee meets the pay and duty status requirements. The previous
> flyers we have issued contain open season information from OPM.
>
> By now you should have received all of your open season material and
> distributed the open season enrollment packets to all your employees.
> If you did not receive the shipment or did not have enough packets for
> all your employees, you should contact John V. Peters or Robert Moores
> at the VA Depot, both are listed in Outlook. It is very important that
> you provide this open season information as soon as possible, because
> VA and OPM have received complaints from VA employees that they have
> not received any open season information.
>
> Open season flyers and OPM Benefit Administration Letters can be found
> on the OHRM-LR Web site at vaww.va.gov/ohrm. In addition the FEGLI
> Open Season Web site is up and running and is an excellent resource
> for employees and HR staff and FEGLI 2004 Open Season Web site at
> www.fegli2004.opm.gov.
>
> When employees complete and turn in FEGLI 2004 open season election
> forms, HR Offices are to LEAVE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF COVERAGE BLANK AT
> THIS TIME.  The form needs to be dated with a current date in the
> appropriate box on the bottom of the form in Item 6. Instructions on
> the disposition of the form can be found on the back of page 1.  After
> HR offices review the forms and complete Item 6, we recommend that
> every few days the employee copies are returned to the employee.
>
> Earlier today we issued another flyer regarding belated open season
> elections and election errors.

Coding instructions for open season elections have been provided by
WIST.

Does anyone have any questions?