Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2008/10/31/E8-26009/reemployment-rights
Timestamp: 2018-04-22 15:07:41
Document Index: 127003229

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 352', 'art 352', 'art 352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', 'art 534', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u2009352', '§\u20091201', '§\u2009352']

Federal Register :: Reemployment Rights
A Rule by the Personnel Management Office on 10/31/2008
This rule is effective on December 1, 2008.
73 FR 64859
64859-64861 (3 pages)
3206-AI19
E8-26009
List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 352
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E8-26009 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E8-26009
Start Preamble Start Printed Page 64859
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing final regulations on the detail and transfer of Federal employees to international organizations. The final regulation eliminates the “equalization allowance,” modernizes regulatory language, and clarifies that the Department of State is the delegated authority to designate any organization as an international organization.
Jacquelyn A. Carrington at (202) 606-0960, FAX at (202) 606-2329, TDD at (202) 418-3134, or e-mail at jacquelyn.carrington@opm.gov.
On October 2, 2007, OPM issued proposed regulations in the Federal Register at 72 FR 56019 to make part 352, subpart C, of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), consistent with section 3582(b) of title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.). We requested comments on the proposed rule to be submitted by December 3, 2007.
Section 2504 of Public Law 105-277 amended 5 U.S.C. 3582 by eliminating employee entitlement to be paid an “equalization allowance” upon return to Federal service from a transfer to an international organization. The equalization allowance was a payment equal to the difference between the pay, allowances, post differential, and other monetary benefits paid by the international organization and the pay, allowances, post differential, and other monetary benefits that would have been paid by the employing agency had the employee been detailed to the international organization. Because of the amendment, an employee who transferred, with the consent of the employing agency, to an international organization on or after October 21, 1998, is entitled, upon reemployment, to only the rate of basic pay the employee would have received had the employee remained in the civil service. We proposed removing section 352.310 to reflect this change.
We also proposed revising section 352.309 to make clear agency responsibilities and employee entitlements, and explain action required to retain an employee's coverage under the retirement, health benefits, and group life insurance system when the employee transfers to an international organization. No other substantive changes were proposed in this section.
Employees returning from detail or transfer to an international organization are not entitled to back pay for the time they were absent from the employing agency. However, such employees are entitled to any promotions, position upgrades, or other salary increases they would have received, but for their absence, retroactive to the date such actions otherwise would have taken effect.
The Office of Personnel Management received comments from three agencies and one individual.
One agency requested that we replace the phrase “period of consent” used in section 352.308(d)(2), with the word “period” and clarify the phrase “all appropriate civil service employment purposes” used in section 352.311(d). We are adopting the agency's recommendation that the phrase “period of consent” should be replaced with the word “period”, and have amended section 352.311(d) accordingly. The phrase “all appropriate civil service employment purposes” includes time in grade, tenure, service computation dates, within grade increases, etc.
Another agency suggested that OPM clarify whether individuals serving on term appointments are eligible for details or transfers to international organizations under this part. The law does not exclude individuals serving on term appointments from coverage. Therefore, individuals serving on term appointments are included under this part. However, 5 U.S.C. 3582 excludes individuals serving on temporary appointments from coverage.
An individual asked OPM to revise section 352.311(b) to include the equalization allowance. OPM cannot adopt this request because Congress repealed this provision in Public Law 105-277.
One agency recommended OPM amend section 352.314(b) by inserting “upon return” at the end of the sentence. We are adopting the agency's recommendation that section 352.314(b) should end with the word “return” and have amended that section accordingly.
OPM received comments from another Federal agency which went beyond the scope of the proposed amendments to the regulation. However, OPM agrees that further information may be helpful to agencies; therefore, we will address these comments in supplementary guidance. These comments are as follows:
How should an agency determine the pay of an employee if the agency has a pay-for-performance system where pay is linked directly to performance?
How does an agency make pay actions effective as if the employee were not absent?
How does an agency evaluate an employee detailed or transferred to an international organization (IO) if the IO does not have a systematic way of evaluating the individual's performance?
How does an agency determine effective dates for career-ladder promotions for individuals detailed or transferred to an international organization?
When should position upgrades occur, and should an employee be downgraded upon return if the position the employee held was downgraded in the employee's absence?
I certify that these regulations will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because the regulations pertain only to Federal employees and agencies. Start Printed Page 64860
The information collection requirements contained in this final rule are currently approved by OMB under 3206-AI19. This final regulation does not modify this approved collection.
1. The authority citation for part 352, subpart C, continues to read:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 3584, E.O. 11552, 3 CFR, 1966-1970 Comp., p. 954; Section 352.313 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 7701, et seq.
§ 352.303
2. Remove and reserve § 352.303.
3. Revise § 352.304 to read as follows:
4. Revise § 352.305 to read as follows:
§ 352.305
Eligibility for detail.
5. Revise § 352.306 to read as follows:
§ 352.306
6. Revise § 352.308(d) to read as follows:
§ 352.308
7. Revise § 352.309 to read as follows:
§ 352.309
Retirement, health benefits, and group life insurance.
(b) Employee action. The employee must acknowledge, in writing, receipt of the notice and state whether or not he or she wishes to retain coverage under the retirement, health benefits, and group life insurance systems or any of them by continuing the required employee payments. The employee must make a written election to retain benefits, as applicable, and make arrangements for the required employee payments. An employee who transfers to an international organization is not eligible to participate in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) while employed by the international organization even if he or she elects to retain Federal retirement coverage. However, upon reemployment, an employee who elected to retain Federal retirement coverage while employed by the international organization and has made all deposits required for such coverage may make contributions to the TSP which he or she missed as a result of the service with an international organization, and receive make-up agency contributions and lost earnings on the agency contributions, as provided under § 352.311(e).
(c) Agency responsibility. For retirement and group life insurance purposes, the employing agency is responsible for determining the applicable rate of pay in accordance with the provisions of section 3583 of title 5, United States Code. The agency is also responsible for collecting, accounting for, and depositing in the respective funds all retirement, health benefits, and group life insurance employee payments required to be made for the purpose of protecting the rights of the employee so transferred; and for accounting for and depositing in the respective funds all agency contributions. The agency must furnish Start Printed Page 64861the employee with specific information as to how, when, and where the payments are to be submitted.
8. Remove and reserve § 352.310.
9. Revise § 352.311 through § 352.314 to read as follows:
§ 352.311
(c) When an employee's reemployment right is to a position in the SES, reemployment may be to any position in the SES for which the employee is qualified. The employee must be returned at not less than the SES rate of basic pay as determined under 5 CFR part 534, subpart D, at which the employee was being paid immediately before transfer to the international organization, or if pay has been adjusted under § 352.314(c), at not less than the adjusted pay level.
§ 352.312
An employee may apply for reemployment, in writing, either before or after separation from the international organization. If the employee applies before separation, the 30-day period prescribed in § 352.311 begins either with the date of the application or 30 days before the employee's date of separation from the international organization, whichever is later. If the employee applies for reemployment after separation, the application must be received by the employing agency no later than 90 days after separation from the international organization.
§ 352.313
(a) When an agency fails to reemploy an employee within 30 days of receiving the employee's application, it must notify the employee, in writing, of the reasons and of the employee's right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board under the provisions of the Board's regulations. The agency must comply with the provisions of § 1201.21 of this title.
§ 352.314
[FR Doc. E8-26009 Filed 10-30-08; 8:45 am]