Following is the portion of a recent Congressional Research Service report on hiring programs for veterans that focused on such initiatives inside the government.
There are several programs and policies that provide a preference for veterans in obtaining employment in the federal government. These policies and programs can either give veterans an advantage in the competitive hiring process or, in some cases, allow a veteran to be appointed without going through the competitive process.
Points Preference
In the federal hiring process for competitive positions, candidates may be evaluated through a system that assigns point values to relevant experience, skills, and education. Depending on the specifics of their active military service, veterans may receive extra points added to their numerical score.
A five-point preference is available to veterans who served after September 11, 2001. A five point-preference is also available to veterans who served during specified wartimes or in specified campaigns. A ten-point preference is available to veterans who either (1) have a service-connected disability or (2) received a Purple Heart. The ten-point preference is available to these veterans regardless of their period or location of service.
Special Hiring Authorities
There are several hiring programs that allow qualified veterans to be appointed to what would otherwise be competitive federal positions without having to compete with the general public.
Typically, these programs allow an agency to hire a veteran in a shorter period of time than it would take to fill the position through the competitive service process. To be eligible for these special hiring authorities, a veteran must be have been separated from the Armed Forces for less than three years, have served in a qualified combat mission, or be disabled.
Other Initiatives
In 2009, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13518, which aimed to “enhance recruitment of and promote employment opportunities for veterans within the executive branch[.]”The program established a Council on Veterans Employment that included 24 agencies and required each agency to develop an agency-specific plan and designate an office or officer for promoting employment opportunities for veterans within the agency. The order also established a website that offered veteran-specific information on obtaining federal employment as well as contact information for the individual or office in each agency responsible for promoting veterans’ employment within the agency. The VOW Act expanded on this effort by directing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to (1) designate agencies to establish a program to provide employment assistance to separating service members and (2) ensure that those programs are coordinated with the Transition Assistance Program for existing service members.
