The order also seeks to expand access to child care for military families. Image: OlhaTsiplyar/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffThe Biden White House has launched the latest in a series of initiatives over many years to enhance military spouses’ prospects for federal jobs, including another expansion of a special noncompetitive hiring authority.
“Many military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors—the vast majority of whom are women—struggle to achieve their desired career goals due to the strains of multiple deployments; frequent moves with little control over their geographic location; caring for wounded, ill, and injured service members or veterans; time apart for training, and more,” says a fact sheet on a new executive order.
Among other provisions, the order: Requires OPM to: produce within six month an analysis of barriers to the hiring and retention of those persons by federal agencies and a strategic plan to address them; and to issue guidance outlining telework and remote work flexibility for military spouses and caregivers “to convey the importance of retention efforts of this resilient community of federal employees.”
Requires agencies to: include spouses eligible under the military spouse noncompetitive appointment authority when soliciting applications from outside of their workforce; to use a common set of standards under the domestic employee telework overseas program, which enables certain federal employees to work remotely from an overseas location; and train managers and HR personnel on best practices to hire and support military souses.
It further encourages agencies to: grant up to five days of administrative leave for military spouses in conjunction with a military relocation (“permanent change of station”); and collaborate to place a military spouse or caregiver in another position following such a move.
The order also seeks to expand access to child care for military families, support during transitions from military to civilian, and more.
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