BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION

**HUMAN RESOURCES, DIVERSITY AND EEO**

**Portland, Oregon**

**Personnel Letter No. 572-1 (Rev) Date: March 23, 2001**

# Subject: Reimbursement of Travel and Transportation Expenses for 

# Pre-employment Interviews and Travel to First Post of Duty

I.  **PURPOSE OF ISSUANCE:**

> The purpose of this Personnel Letter is to transmit policy and
> guidance associated with the reimbursement of travel and
> transportation expenses for pre-employment interviews and travel to
> first post of duty.

II. **PURPOSE OF REVISION:**

This Personnel Letter is revised to update policy and procedures for
reimbursement of travel and transportation expenses for pre-employment
interviews and travel to first post of duty, including the relationship
of the latter authority to other recruitment incentives. Although it may
be possible to pay similar expenses for current Federal employees under
other authorities, those authorities are not discussed in this letter.
This Personnel Letter supersedes Personnel Letter No. 572-1 (Rev),
Reimbursement of Travel Expenses for

Pre-employment Interviews and Travel to First Duty Station, dated May 9,
1994.

## REFERENCES:

A.  5 U.S.C., Chapter 57

B.  5 CFR Part 572, Travel and Transportation Expenses; New Appointees
    and Interviews

#### BPA Manual Chapter 400/300, Employment

C.  Personnel Letter No. 530-2, Recruitment/Relocation Bonuses and
    Retention Incentives for Hourly Employees

#### Personnel Letter No 531-2, Advanced In-Hire Rate (Appointment Above the Minimum Rate of the Grade Because of Superior Qualifications)

D.  Personnel Letter No. 575-2, Recruitment Bonuses, Relocation Bonuses,
    and Retention Allowances for Annual Employees

#### Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) (41 CFR chapters 301-304)

#### BPA Travel Manual

E.  BPA New Appointee User's Guide

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IV. **POLICY**

BPA will only authorize reimbursement of Travel and Transportation
Expenses for Pre-employment Interviews and Travel to First Post of Duty
for permanent general schedule positions and hourly jobs.

######## RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITIES

## Senior Vice-Presidents and Vice-Presidents are responsible for:

1.  Determining which positions/jobs are covered; whether both travel
    expenses to pre-employment interviews and transportation expenses to
    first post of duty may be paid to the same person; and what types of
    interviews are eligible (e.g., first interview, final interview, all
    interviews).

2.  Determining the overall-staffing budget, and what funding is
    allotted for reimbursement of travel expenses for pre-employment
    interviews and travel to first post of duty.

## Authorizing reimbursement of travel and transportation expenses for 

## pre-employment interviews and travel to first post of duty; and {#pre-employment-interviews-and-travel-to-first-post-of-duty-and .unnumbered}

##  {#section .unnumbered}

## Re-delegating this authority in writing to any selecting official within his/her respective organization.

### B. Selecting Officials are responsible for: {#b.-selecting-officials-are-responsible-for .unnumbered}

###  {#section-1 .unnumbered}

### Determining the need to conduct pre-employment interviews for a particular job/position and the need to authorize reimbursement of associated travel expenses. 

1.  Determining the need to use payment of travel and transportation
    expenses to first post of duty, taking into account other
    recruitment incentives.

2.  Determining availability of funds to cover the expenses of travel
    for

> pre-employment interviews or for new appointees to first post of duty.

### C. Manager, Personnel Services is responsible for: {#c.-manager-personnel-services-is-responsible-for .unnumbered}

###  {#section-2 .unnumbered}

### Ensuring implementation of policy and procedures associated with the use of this authority.

### Advising selecting officials on the use of the authorities covered by this Personnel Letter, as well as other recruitment incentives.

###  {#section-3 .unnumbered}

### Ensuring notification to applicants on vacancy announcements or delegated examining announcements/advertisements of the authorization of travel and transportation expenses for a new appointee going to first post of duty, when such action is requested by the selecting official in advance of issuing the announcement(s).

1.  Obtaining a signed employment service agreement, in which the
    individual selected for appointment agrees in writing to remain in
    the Government service for a minimum period of 12 months.

### D. Manager, Human Resources, Diversity, and EEO is responsible for developing policy and procedures for implementation on the use of this authority. {#d.-manager-human-resources-diversity-and-eeo-is-responsible-for-developing-policy-and-procedures-for-implementation-on-the-use-of-this-authority. .unnumbered}

### E. Disbursement Staff, Financial Operations, are responsible for ensuring all documents supporting reimbursements for travel and transportation expenses under this authority, for pre-employment interviews and travel to first post of duty, are authorized by the selecting official. {#e.-disbursement-staff-financial-operations-are-responsible-for-ensuring-all-documents-supporting-reimbursements-for-travel-and-transportation-expenses-under-this-authority-for-pre-employment-interviews-and-travel-to-first-post-of-duty-are-authorized-by-the-selecting-official. .unnumbered}

V.  **DEFINITIONS:**

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A.  **Travel and Transportation Expenses:**

Payment for a candidate's travel expenses to a pre-employment interview,
or payment of travel and transportation expenses for a new employee's
move to his or her first Federal Government position.

B.  **First Post of Duty:**

The employee's first work location for the Federal Government.

C.  **New Appointee and Student Trainee:**

An individual receiving his/her first appointment as an employee of the
Federal Government, regardless of tenure. That is, the person must have
had no previous civilian Federal or District of Columbia employment of
any kind. (Note: If the travel and transportation expenses of a student
trainee were paid when he/she was appointed, they may not be paid when
he/she is assigned after completion of college work.)

##### Pre-employment Interview: 

##### An interview with a candidate to:  {#an-interview-with-a-candidate-to .unnumbered}

##### Further assess competencies and/or technical/functional skills; 

##### Enhance the selecting official's ability to distinguish among candidates; 

##### Interest qualified candidates, when a labor shortage exists for position/job; or 

##### Interest qualified candidates in a hard to fill geographic location.

##### Recruitment Incentives: 

##### In addition to the authorities covered by this Personnel Letter, this would include superior qualifications appointments and special rates for annual employees, as well as recruitment bonuses for annual and hourly employees. {#in-addition-to-the-authorities-covered-by-this-personnel-letter-this-would-include-superior-qualifications-appointments-and-special-rates-for-annual-employees-as-well-as-recruitment-bonuses-for-annual-and-hourly-employees. .unnumbered}

##### Recruitment Bonus: 

A one-time payment to entice a candidate to accept an offer of
employment. Used to fill positions/jobs with candidates from outside the
Federal Government.

##### Superior Qualifications Appointment:

##### Appointment where pay is set higher than the minimum rate because of the applicant's superior qualifications or a special BPA need for the employee's services. {#appointment-where-pay-is-set-higher-than-the-minimum-rate-because-of-the-applicants-superior-qualifications-or-a-special-bpa-need-for-the-employees-services. .unnumbered}

##### Special Salary Rate: 

##### A salary rate that is set higher than the minimum for all employees on the regular GS schedule in a particular occupation and location. {#a-salary-rate-that-is-set-higher-than-the-minimum-for-all-employees-on-the-regular-gs-schedule-in-a-particular-occupation-and-location. .unnumbered}

##### Service Agreement: 

##### Written agreement between BPA and an employee in which the employee agrees to a specified period of employment in return for payment of travel and transportation expenses to first post of duty (See Section VI.) {#written-agreement-between-bpa-and-an-employee-in-which-the-employee-agrees-to-a-specified-period-of-employment-in-return-for-payment-of-travel-and-transportation-expenses-to-first-post-of-duty-see-section-vi. .unnumbered}

####### SERVICE AGREEMENTS

Prior to entrance on duty, and in exchange for payment of travel and
transportation expenses to the first post of duty, appointees must agree
in writing to remain with the Federal Government for 12 months. For BPA
purposes, completing the period of employment in another Federal agency
does not fulfill the terms of an agreement.

VIII. **RECORDKEEPING**

      A.  Personnel Services will ensure that service agreements are
          filed on the left side of the Official Personnel Folder.

      B.  For pre-employment interviews and first post of duty
          decisions, original records and supporting documents are kept
          at the applicable office.

Godfrey C. Beckett

Manager, Human Resources, Diversity, and EEO

Attachment A -- Sample Service Agreement

Attachment A

SAMPLE SERVICE AGREEMENT FOR RECEIPT OF TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION
EXPENSES FOR NEW APPOINTMENTS

I hereby agree to remain with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)
for the period beginning \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and ending on
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, 12 months following the effective date of my
appointment, unless I am separated for reasons beyond my control and
which are acceptable to BPA.

I agree that if I do not remain in the Government service for the
above-specified period, I will repay the money spent by the Government
for travel and transportation expenses and understand that these monies
are recoverable from me as a debt due the United States Government.

Signature Date