What is Veterans' Preference?
Since the time of the Civil War, veterans of the Armed Forces have been given
some degree of preference in appointments to Federal jobs. Veteran preference
recognizes the economic loss suffered by citizens who have served their country
in uniform, restores veterans to a favorable competitive position for Government
employment, and acknowledges the larger obligation owed to disabled veterans.
Entitlement to Veterans' Preference
To receive 5-point preference, a veteran must have been discharged or
released from active duty in the Armed Forces under honorable conditions (i.e.,
with an honorable or general discharge). "Armed Forces" means the Army, Navy,
Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard:
• during any war (this means a war declared by Congress, the last of which was
World War II);
• during the period April 28, 1952, through July 1, 1955;
• for more than 180 consecutive days, any part of which occurred after January
31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976;
• during the Gulf War period beginning August 2, 1990, and ending January 2,
1992;
• for more than 180 consecutive days, any part of which occurred during the
period beginning September 11, 2001, and ending on the date prescribed by
Presidential proclamation or by law as the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom;
or
• in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized,
such as El Salvador, Lebanon, Granada, Panama, Southwest Asia, Somalia, and
Haiti.
Medal holders, including the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and
Gulf War veterans who originally enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered on
active duty on or after October 14, 1982, without having previously completed 24
months of continuous active duty, must have served continuously for 24 months or
the full period called or ordered to active duty.
Effective on October 1, 1980, military retirees at or above the rank of major or
equivalent, are not entitled to preference unless they qualify as disabled
veterans.
Ten-point preference is given to:
• those honorably separated veterans who: (1) qualify as disabled veterans
because they have served on active duty in the Armed Forces at any time and have
a present service-connected disability or are receiving compensation, disability
retirement benefits, or pension from the military or the Department of Veterans
Affairs; or (2) are Purple Heart recipients;
Ten-point derived preference is also given to relatives of veterans – please
review details in U.S. OPM's VetGuide for more details on preference for:
• the spouse of a veteran unable to work because of a service-connected
disability;
• the unmarried widow of certain deceased veterans; and
• the mother of a veteran who died in service or who is permanently and totally
disabled.
Documentation Required
When applying for Federal jobs, if you are an eligible veteran you should
indicate the preference on your application, resume, or claim the preference
where indicated in the on-line application system.
If you are claiming 10-point preference, you must complete Form SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference.
Applicants claiming 10-point preference on the basis of a disability must
include documentation from the military service or Department of Veterans
Affairs before 10-point preference will be awarded.
Claims to veteran preference must provide a copy of the papers which discharged
or released the veteran from active duty service, which includes a notation of
either honorable or general discharge. The second page of the
Form SF-15 provides a complete list of acceptable proof.
You should contact the FDIC Human Resources Branch specialist responsible for
the vacancy announcement prior to the closing date if you are experiencing any
delay in providing the documentation relative to veterans’ preference.
Documentation of the right to preference is required in advance of referral to
hiring officials for selection if a veteran was ranked ahead of other eligibles
based on his or her eligibility for veterans' preference. All documentation must
be received by the announcement’s closing date, unless an extension has been
provided by the specialist handling the announcement. Extensions will be given
in writing, by email or fax. Extensions will not exceed 5 business days.
Special note: Veterans who are still in the service may be granted 5
points tentative preference on the basis of information contained in their
applications, but they must produce a DD Form 214 prior to appointment to
document entitlement to preference.
How Veterans’ Preference is Applied
Veterans who are eligible for preference and who meet the minimum
qualification requirements of the position, have 5 or 10 points added to their
passing score in the rating process. For scientific and professional positions
in grades GS-9 or higher, the names of all eligible applicants are listed in
order of ratings. The 5 or 10 point preference is added to the veterans' score.
For all other positions, the names of 10-point preference eligibles who have a
service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are placed ahead of the names
of all other eligibles. Other eligibles are then listed in order of their earned
ratings, augmented by veterans' preference points. Preference eligibles are
listed ahead of nonpreference eligibles with the same score.
The Rule of 3 applies in making selections from a certificate of eligibles.
Hiring officials must select from the top 3 candidates on the certificate and
may not pass over a preference eligible in favor of a lower ranking
non-preference eligible without sound reasons that relate directly to the
veteran's fitness or qualifications for employment. However, hiring officials
may select a lower-ranking preference eligible over a compensably-disabled
veteran within the Rule of 3.
When a job is being filled using categories instead of numeric rating, veterans
entitled to preference will be placed ahead of all others in their category
level. For vacancies that are neither scientific nor professional positions in
grades 9 or higher, names of 10-point preference eligibles who have a
service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are placed ahead of the names
of all other eligibles in the highest category level. If a job is using category
rating instead of assigning points, it will indicate that fact in the vacancy
announcement.
Special Appointing Authorities for Veterans
There are several different appointing authorities that can be used to appoint veterans to a position within the Agency. These authorities permit the noncompetitive appointment of a veteran to a vacant position within the Agency. They include:
For a complete description of special appointing authorities for veterans, please visit
http://www.fedshirevets.gov/hire/hm/shav/index.aspx
