In special cases (such as Administrative Law Judges), career appointment may be given to a person at the time he or she is hired from a civil service register.

1. a position at a lower grade when both the old and new positions are under the General Schedule, or
2. to a position with a lower rate of basic pay when both the old and the new positions are under the same type ungraded wage schedule or in a different pay-method category.

Positions in the executive branch of the Federal Government are in the competitive service unless they are specifically excluded from it.

Positions in the legislative and judicial branches are outside of the competitive service unless they are specifically included in it.

A person on a career or career-conditional appointment acquires competitive status upon satisfactory completion of a probationary period.

It may also be granted by statute, Executive Order, or the civil service rules without competitive examination.

A person with competitive status may be promoted, transferred, reassigned, reinstated, or demoted without taking an open competitive examination, subject to the conditions prescribed by the Civil Service rules and regulations. (5 CFR 212.301)

An employee being displaced through RIF is placed on the agency's reemployment list.

An employee displaced by inability to accept assignment to another commuting area may apply to OPM for placement assistance.

For those employees with no fixed work site, the duty station will be determined by the employing agency. For example, the duty station of an investigator who works in the field may be the location of the office from which assignments are normally made. For an inspector, whose duties may require him or her to be on-site at many places; it may be his or her home.

Agencies will also designate the duty stations of employees who work at installations, such as military bases, whose boundaries cross county or state lines.

1. to recruit a competent work force;
2. to insure a stable work force; and
3. to provide equal opportunity for employment.

Included are Federal employees in recognized trade or craft or skilled mechanical crafts, in unskilled, semiskilled or skilled manual labor occupations, and other persons, including foreman or supervisors, in positions where trade, craft, or labor experience or knowledge is the main requirement. (5 U.S.C. chapter 53, subpart IV, and 5 CFR part 532)

In-service placement also includes noncompetitive conversion of employees whose Federal excepted positions are brought into the competitive service under title 5 CFR 316.702, and Department of Defense/Non-appropriated Fund (DOD/NAF) and Coast Guard NAF employees whose positions are brought into the competitive service.

Knowledge is a body of information applied directly to the performance of a function.

Skill is an observable competence to perform a learned psychomotor act.

Ability is competence to perform an observable behavior or a behavior that results in an observable product.

A noncompetitive action includes:

1. all of the types of actions described under in-service placement, above;
2. appointments of non-Federal employees whose public or private enterprise positions are brought into the competitive service under title 5 CFR 316.701; and
3. appointments and conversions to careen and career-conditional employment made under special authorities covered in 5 CFR 315, Subpart F.

• 10-point (disability) preference is the preference to which a disabled veteran is entitled.
• 10-point (compensable disability) preference is the preference to which a disabled veteran is entitled if he or she has a compensable service-connected disability rating of 10-percent or more.
• 10-point (30% compensable disability) preference is the preference to which disabled veteran is entitled if he or she is entitles to a 10-point preference due to a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more.
• 10-point (other) preference is the preference granted to the widow/widower or mother of a deceased veteran or to the spouse or mother of a disabled veteran. It is called "derived preference" because it is derived from the military service of someone else - a veteran who is not using it for preference. When the disabled veteran does use the service for preference, then the spouse or mother is no longer entitled to preference.
• 5-point preference is the preference granted to a preference-eligible veteran who does not meet the criteria for one of the types of 10-point preferences listed above.

1. movement to a position in a new occupational series, or to another position in the same series;
2. assignment to a position that has been redescribed due to the introduction of a new or revised classification or job grading standard;
3. assignment to a position that has been redescribed as a result of a position review; and
4. movement to a different position at the same grade but with a change in salary that is the result of different local prevailing wage rates or a different locality payment.

1. reduction-in-force or
2. compensable injury or disability where recovery takes more than one year from the time the employee began receiving compensation.

Series are designated by a title and number such as:

• the Accounting Series, GS-510;
• the Secretary Series, GS-318; and
• the Microbiology Series, GS-403.

Extra training and/or skills development may be needed to help the employee adjust to the new position.

Waivers are granted by OPM or an agency, as appropriate, on a case-by-case basis, and do not directly affect other positions in the organization.