Source: http://www.irs.gov/irm/part6/irm_06-213-001.html
Timestamp: 2015-09-05 05:46:20
Document Index: 670263134

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 213', '§ 3320', 'art 213', '§ 2103', '§ 213', 'art 302', '§ 213', 'art 302', '§ 213']

Internal Revenue Manual - 6.213.1 Employment in the Excepted Service
Chapter 213. Excepted Service
6.213.1.1
6.213.1.2
6.213.1.3
6.213.1.4
6.213.1.5
6.213.1.6
Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program 6.213.1.7
6.213.1.8
Exhibit 6.213.1-1
Exhibit 6.213.1-2
Exhibit 6.213.1-3
Exhibit 6.213.1-4
6.213.1.1 (11-06-2009)Overview
It has been a long standing policy of the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the IRS that the requirements for employment
in the excepted service are normally the same as the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) requirements for employment in the
competitive service; written tests required for competitive appointments are waived for appointments in the excepted service.
Within both the competitive and excepted service, the requirements for positions under the General Schedule are also applicable
to positions under other pay plans, with the exception of positions under the Federal Wage System.
Positions in the excepted service are governed by the following: 5 USC § 213
5 USC § 3320 5 CFR Part 213
6.213.1.2 (11-06-2009)Positions in the Excepted Service
5 USC § 2103 defines excepted service as"...those civil service positions which are not in the competitive service or the
Senior Executive Service."
An excepted position is one that has been removed from the competitive service and, therefore, may be filled without regard
to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) competitive examining procedures.
OPM retains the authority to determine whether the duties and requirements of any particular position justify exception from
the competitive service. OPM will authorize the position to be filled by excepted appointment under Schedule A, B, or C. Unless
otherwise specified in a particular appointing authority, IRS may make Schedule A, B, or C appointments on either a permanent
or non-permanent basis, with any appropriate work schedule (i.e., full-time, part-time, seasonal, on-call, or intermittent).
There are two ways positions are excepted from competitive service. OPM; and Appointment of incumbent.
6.213.1.2.1 (11-06-2009)Trial Period for Excepted Service Appointments Applicants selected under an excepted appointment will be required to serve a 1-year trial period. The trial period provides
managers with the opportunity to measure the abilities and fitness of employees for continued employment in the Service. Time spent on the excepted appointment counts toward the probationary period and/or career tenure upon conversion to a career
or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service.
provide an exemption from probation upon conversion. However, SCEP service will be used towards completion of the probationary
period if it is determined that all three criteria under 5 CFR 315.802(b) are met upon conversion. See IRM 6.315.1.1.2, Career
and Career-Conditional Employment.
6.213.1.2.2 (11-06-2009)Responsibilities
The servicing Human Capital Office (HCO), Employment, Talent and Security Division (ETS), Employment Office (EO) is responsible
for ensuring that the vacancy announcement contains trial period information specific to the position and type of appointment.
Applicants appointed under the Veterans' Recruitment Appointment (VRA) will be required to serve a 2-year trial period. 6.213.1.3 (11-06-2009)Attorneys
OPM does not publish qualification standards for attorney positions; agencies are allowed to set their own qualification requirements.
For attorney qualifications, see IRM 6.338.1, Qualification Requirements.
Attorneys are required to sign the Notification and Acknowledgement Statements confirming that they are employed under excepted
service and that by accepting the excepted appointment they are leaving the competitive service. (Exhibit 6.213.1-1). 6.213.1.4 (11-06-2009)American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
The ARRA was signed into law on February 17, 2009. It is an effort to jump start the economy, create or save millions of jobs
and includes measures to modernize our nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities,
preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. OPM will use ARRA funds
to support government-wide agency efforts to develop and maintain a Federal workforce and leadership structure drawn from
the diversity of this Nation.
OPM authorized Federal agencies the use of Schedule A hiring authority to support the ARRA. This excepted service authority
under 5 CFR § 213.3102(i)(3) may be used by the Service to fill, on a temporary basis, positions needed to carry out provisions
of the ARRA. Appointments under this authority are limited to individuals who will be directly associated with ARRA efforts.
ARRA supplements employment under the Schedule A hiring authority. Schedule A will be used in accordance with OPM regulations
on the excepted service in 5 CFR Part 302 and the following provisions: Public notice requirements do not apply; there is no need to post these jobs on the OPM USAJOBS website; Targeted recruitment is appropriate;
Selectees must meet the qualification requirements of the position; and Selectees must either be U.S. citizens or otherwise meet the provisions of the appropriations act and immigration law.
Guidelines for using this Schedule A authority are: Appointments for initial employment may not exceed one year. Appointments may be made for shorter periods of time, depending
on the anticipated need for an applicant's services;
Appointments made under this authority may not extend beyond September 30, 2012; There is no limit on the number of appointments that may be made with this authority, so long as the criteria of the authority
When documenting the SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action,"
the first authority is"W9R/Sch.A, 5 CFR § 213.3102(i)(3)"
and the final authority is "ZEA/Pub. L. No. 111-5."
Ranking, Referral, and Selection of Candidates. Veterans’ preference applies in making excepted service appointments.
If there are no qualified preference eligible candidates, all qualified candidates may be referred, and the hiring manager
may select any of them.
Any of the procedures permitted by 5 CFR Part 302 may be used (unranked referral, ranked referral with ratings, or category
rating). The method used, and the reasons for using that method, must be documented. 6.213.1.5 (11-06-2009)Employment of Persons with Disabilities
This program is governed by the following: The Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978
EO 13163, dated July 26, 2000, increasing the Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities to Be Employed in the Federal
EO 13164, dated July 26, 2000, Requiring Federal Agencies to Establish Procedures to Facilitate the Provision of Reasonable
The first formal policy statement on the employment of person with disabilities came in a letter from President Eisenhower
to the heads of agencies in May 1957. Since 1957, additional policy statements and executive orders have been issued and public
laws passed to encourage and promote employment of persons with disabilities. Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in Federal employment and requires the Federal government to engage in
affirmative action for people with disabilities.
On July 26, 2000, Executive Order 13163 was issued to increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities
at all levels and occupations in the Federal Government. The voluntary Standard Form 256, Self-Identification of Handicap,
available on OPM's website at: http://www.opm.gov/forms/html/sf.asp is currently the only method for tracking individuals with disabilities. Treasury has created a template cover notice to be
attached to the SF-256. This Treasury cover notice and SF-256 must be filed in the entrance-on-duty (EOD) packages for new
hires. See Exhibit 6.213.1-2. The completion of the SF-256 by the applicant is voluntary and HCO, ETS, EOs should encourage the applicant to complete the
form for data collection purposes.
Completion of SF-256 is mandatory when appointments are made under: 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), Schedule A
The Management Directive (MD) 715 provides policy guidance and standards for establishing and maintaining effective affirmative
programs of equal employment opportunity under Section 717 of Title VII (PART A) and effective affirmative action programs
under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act (PART B). 6.213.1.5.1 (11-06-2009)Reasonable Accommodation for Applicants
Equal Employment Office and Diversity (EEOD) has responsibility for assisting HCO, ETS, EOs with reasonable accommodation
requests to allow applicants and employees with disabilities to efficiently apply for and perform the duties of their positions.
The legal framework which supports and encourages the employment, retention, and advancement of people with disabilities is
discussed in the OPM publication, People with Disabilities in the Federal Government: An Employment Guide at: http://www.opm.gov/disability. 6.213.1.5.2 (11-06-2009)Roles and Responsibilities
The role of the OPM is to promote the hiring, placement, and advancement of disabled individuals and rehabilitated offenders
throughout the Federal sector. Additionally, OPM furnishes direction, guidance, and technical support to agency heads, directors
of human resources, and personnel officers in their selective placement program activities. OPM maintains a website devoted
to disability issues: www.opm.gov/disability . This website contains two publications that may assist personnel offices in the development of their implementation plans:
Accessing Opportunity: the Plan for Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal Government and its companion piece,
People with Disabilit