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The Senate’s version of the annual DoD authorization bill (S-4543) would continue for an additional year a policy making a two-year probationary period the standard at that department, a period that is set to revert to the government-wide standard of one year for those newly hired after this year.
That was among the previously undisclosed details of the bill contained in a report filed by the Armed Services Committee in preparation for floor voting. The House already has passed its version of the bill (HR-7900) that does not address the probationary period issue.
Last year’s version of the bill ordered that DoD return effective in 2023 to the standard one-year period for new hires, reflecting union arguments that the longer period leaves employees for too long without rights to appeal removal. Federal management groups however support the longer period, which was put in place at DoD in 2016 on grounds that many federal jobs require extensive training and on-the-job learning before a new employee can be assessed.
Other provisions in the Senate bill would:
* authorize certain current and former Department of Defense civilian employees who are, or were, in time-limited appointments to compete for permanent appointments within the Department, under certain conditions;
* create new incentives to help the department recruit experts in science or engineering, and for certain acquisition and technology experts in science and technology laboratories;
* extend through 2028 a noncompetitive appointment authority to certain spouses of military personnel and disabled veterans;
* create a “Department of Defense Cyber and Digital Service Academy” in which college students in cyber and digital service disciplines would receive tuition and living expenses and would have an employment commitment after graduation for an equivalent period; and
* extend several special pay authorities for civilian employees working in overseas areas of military operations.
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