OPM Addresses Agency Hiring Needs

Meanwhile, OPM has encouraged agencies to make greater use of several special hiring authorities to meet new staffing needs due to passage of the recent economic stimulus bill, including rehiring of annuitants. Agencies may use the excepted service hiring authority to fill, on a temporary basis for up to one year, positions at any grade level and in any geographic location. The appointments can be extended without OPM approval in one year increments up to September 30, 2012. OPM also urged agencies to make use of special hiring authorities for veterans, such as the Veterans Recruitment Appointment, the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act, and the 30 percent or more disabled veterans authority. OPM further has reminded agencies that the law allows them to reemploy federal retirees without the standard offset between their annuities and their salaries in order to fill acquisition-related positions where a temporary emergency hiring need makes the reemployment of an individual essential. OPM also has sent agencies a template to use when making requests for waivers of the offset to rehire annuitants as contract specialists, grants management specialists, human resources specialists, and project managers related to activities under the stimulus law.