Dear Bureaupat,
I have been out of federal service
for over a year. I realized that the private sector is not for me and that I'm
a true blue public servant. Do I
have reinstatement rights?
Dear True Blue,
Not knowing the
length of your federal service or the terms of your departure, it's difficult
for me to give you a definitive answer. However, I'm sure other readers have
this burning question too, so let me give you the skinny on reinstatement and
who is eligible.
Reinstatement allows you to reenter the federal competitive
service workforce without competing with the public at large. Reinstatement eligibility
also enables you to apply for federal jobs open only to "status" candidates.
Individuals with reinstatement rights can be non-competitively placed in
positions at grades equal to or lower than the grade they previously held. They can also compete along with merit promotion candidates
for positions at higher grades than they previously held as long as they meet
the same requirements as in-service placement candidates. If selected, the
applicant would be reinstated to the federal service.
To be eligible you must have held a career or
career-conditional appointment at some time in the past. If so, there is no
time limit on reinstatement eligibility for those who:
- Have
veterans' preference, or
- Acquired
career tenure by completing 3 years of substantially continuous creditable
service.
If you do not have veterans' preference or did not acquire career tenure, you
may be reinstated within 3 years after the date of your separation.
Reinstatement eligibility may be extended by certain activities that occur
during the 3-year period after separation from your last career or
career-conditional appointment. Examples of these activities are:
- Federal
employment under temporary, term, or similar appointments
- Federal
employment in excepted, non-appropriated fund, or Senior Executive Service
positions
- Federal
employment in the legislative and judicial branches
- Active
military duty terminated under honorable conditions
- Service
with the DC Government prior to January 1, 1980 (and
other service for certain employees converted to the DC's
independent merit system)
- Certain
government employment or full-time training that provided valuable
training and experience for the job to be filled
- Periods
of overseas residence of a dependent who followed a Federal military or
civilian employee to an overseas post of duty
While you have an advantage over those with no federal experience, you're not a shoe-in since reinstatement eligibility does not
guarantee you a job offer. Hiring agencies have the discretion to determine the
sources of applicants they will consider.
If you are seeking a higher grade or a position with
more promotion potential than you previously held, generally you must apply
under a merit promotion announcement and rank among the best-qualified
applicants to be selected. Status applicants include individuals who are
eligible for reinstatement.
To establish your reinstatement eligibility, you must
provide a copy of your most recent SF 50, Notification of Personnel Action,
showing tenure group 1 or 2, along with your application. You may obtain a copy
of your personnel records from your former agency if you recently separated.
Otherwise, send your request to:
FEDERAL RECORDS CENTER
National Archives and Records Administration
111 Winnebago Street
St. Louis, Missouri 63118
(314) 801-9250
One last note, a former employee who did not complete a required probationary
period during previous service under the appointment upon which his/her
eligibility for reinstatement is based is required, in most cases, to serve a
complete one-year probationary period after reinstatement.
Good luck!
Yours in Gov,
Bureaupat
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