HANDBOOK EL-312 REVISION
New Veterans' Recruitment Appointment Program
Effective February 15, 2007, Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement, is revised to implement the
new, noncompetitive Veterans' Recruitment Appointment
(VRA) program based on the Office of Personnel Management's final rule published in the Federal Register and on
its Web site. The new program:
• Replaces the VRA program found in section 233.36
in Handbook EL-312.
• Obsoletes the memorandum, "Interim Instructions for
Veterans' Recruitment Appointment," Employee
Resource Management, February 5, 2004.
• Adds a new section on considering VRA applicants
eligible for veterans' preference before applicants
who do not have preference.
• Updates Section 233.35, Noncompetitive Appointment of Veteran With 30 Percent or More Disability,
that describes another noncompetitive source of
recruitment.
• Expands the use of these discretionary programs to
the recruitment of applicants for casual and temporary positions as reflected in new section 234.24.
Handbook EL-312, Employment and Placement
* * * * *
2 Recruitment
* * * * *
23 Sources of Recruitment
* * * * *
233 Career Recruitment
* * * * *
233.3 External Recruitment Sources
* * * * *
233.35 Noncompetitive Appointment of Veterans
With 30 Percent or More Disability
[Revise 233.35 to read as follows:]
Veterans with 30 percent or more service-connected disability are a noncompetitive source of recruitment to fill
career and noncareer entry-level positions. This authority
must not be used to fill rural carrier associate or career rural
carrier vacancies, career positions filled through the Maintenance Selection System, or any data conversion operator
position in remote encoding centers. Use of this authority is
discretionary; no one is entitled to a 30 percent or more disabled appointment.
[Add new section 233.351 to read as follows:]
233.351 Use of 30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans
to Fill Career Positions
A veteran who is 30 percent or more disabled and is currently working as a casual or temporary employee may be
considered for noncompetitive conversion to a career
vacancy. This authority must not be used to fill career rural
carrier vacancies, career positions filled through the Maintenance Selection System, or career data conversion operator positions in remote encoding centers. The veteran with
30 percent or more disabled status must have worked in
the temporary appointment for at least 60 days and must
meet the qualification requirements of the position, including any currently required examination. Appointing officials
may, but are not obligated to, administer examinations noncompetitively, if it is determined that applicants are otherwise suitable candidates. An eligible entrance or
noncompetitive rating for the appropriate examination is
acceptable.
When a current casual or temporary employee who is
30 percent or more disabled is not available, a former casual or temporary employee or other person who is 30 percent or more disabled may be given a direct career
appointment.
[Add new section 233.352 to read as follows:]
233.352 Eligibility for 30 Percent or More Disabled
Appointment
The 30 percent authority applies to veterans who either:
a. Retired from active military service with a disability
rating of 30 percent or more, or
b. Were rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) as having a compensable service-connected
disability of 30 percent or more.
Eligibility for 30 percent or more disability must be determined by verifying the disability percentage and entitlement
to veterans' preference prior to giving a job offer.
[Revise 233.36 to read as follows:]
233.36 Noncompetitive Appointment of Veterans'
Recruitment Appointment Eligibles
A Veterans' Recruitment Appointment (VRA) is a noncompetitive source of recruitment to fill career and noncareer
entry-level positions. This authority must not be used to fill
rural carrier associate or career rural carrier vacancies,
career positions filled through the Maintenance Selection
System, or any data conversion operator position in remote
encoding centers. Use of the VRA authority is discretionary; no one is entitled to a VRA appointment.
[Add new section 233.361 to read as follows:]
233.361 Use of VRA Authority to Fill Career Positions
A VRA eligible who is currently working as a casual or temporary employee may be considered for noncompetitive
conversion to a career vacancy. The authority may not be
used to fill career rural carrier vacancies, positions filled
through the Maintenance Selection System, or career data
conversion operator positions in remote encoding centers.
The VRA eligible must have worked in the temporary
appointment for at least 60 days and must meet the qualification requirements of the position, including any currently
required examination. Appointing officials may, but are not
obligated to, administer examinations noncompetitively, if it
is determined that applicants are otherwise suitable candidates. An eligible entrance or noncompetitive rating for the
appropriate examination is acceptable.
When a current casual or temporary employee who is a
VRA eligible is not available, a former casual or temporary
employee or other person who is VRA eligible may be given
a direct career appointment. When filling positions
restricted to applicants entitled to veterans' preference,
VRA eligibles must also meet the requirements for veterans' preference.
[Add new section 233.362 to read as follows:]
233.362 Considering VRA Applicants with Veterans'
Preference
VRA eligibles do not necessarily meet the eligibility requirements for veterans' preference. When there is more than
one VRA candidate, applicants eligible for VRA with veterans' preference must be considered in group order, as
follows:
a. Group 1. Veterans eligible for 10-point preference
who have a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more.
b. Group 2. All other veterans eligible for 10-point
preference.
c. Group 3. Veterans eligible for 5-point preference.
d. Group 4. Veterans not eligible for veterans'
preference.
[Add new section 233.363 to read as follows:]
233.363 Eligibility for a Veterans' Recruitment
Appointment
VRA authority applies to veterans who were discharged or
released from active duty service in the Armed Forces. To
be eligible under this authority, an applicant must be one of
the following:
a. A disabled veteran.
b. A veteran who served on active duty in the Armed
Forces during a war, or in a campaign or expedition
for which a campaign badge has been authorized.
c. A veteran who, while serving on active duty in the
Armed Forces, participated in a United States military
operation for which an Armed Forces Service Medal
was awarded. (The Armed Forces Service Medal
was established effective June 1, 1992 under Executive Order 12985 on January 11, 1996.)
d. A recently separated veteran (eligible only during the
3-year period that began on the veteran's date of discharge or release from active duty).
Eligibility for VRA must be verified prior to giving a job offer.
Note: Not all 5-point preference eligible veterans are eligible for a VRA appointment. For example:
a. A veteran served during the Vietnam era (for more
than 180 consecutive days after January 31, 1955,
and before October 15, 1976) but did not (1) receive
a service-connected disability, (2) an Armed Forces
Service medal, or (3) a campaign or expeditionary
medal. This veteran is entitled to a 5-point veterans'
preference, but is not eligible for a VRA appointment.
b. A veteran served during the Gulf War from August 2,
1990, through January 2, 1992. This veteran is eligible for veterans' preference solely on the basis of that
service. However, the veteran's service during that
time period, in and of itself, does not confer VRA eligibility. In addition, the veteran must meet one of the
four VRA eligibility criteria listed above.
* * * * *
234 Noncareer Recruitment
* * * * *
234.2 Specific Rules
* * * * *
[Add new section 234.24 to read as follows:]
234.24 Use of 30 Percent Disabled Veteran and
Veterans' Recruitment Appointment
Authorities to Fill Temporary Positions
Disabled veterans who are 30 percent or more disabled
(see 233.35) and VRA eligibles (see 233.36) may be
recruited to fill temporary or non-career positions, except
rural carrier associate and data conversion operator in
remote encoding centers. For skilled temporary positions,
an eligible rating on the current examination is required
(see 234.4). When filling positions restricted to applicants
entitled to veterans' preference, VRA eligibles must also
meet the requirements for veterans' preference.
* * * * *
We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed
version of Handbook EL-312 and also into the online
update, available on the Postal ServiceTM PolicyNet Web
site:
• Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
• Under "Essential Links" in the left-hand column, click
on References.
• Under "References" in the right-hand column, under
"Policies," click on PolicyNet.
• Click on HBKs.
(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet Web
site is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)
— Selection, Evaluation, and Recognition,
Employee Resource Management, 2-15-07 |
