Effective Use of Schedule A Excepted Service – Appointing Authority
OASAM-REGIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE
CHICAGO/KANSAS CITY REGION
Using Schedule A Hiring Authority to
Appoint People with
Disabilities
The Schedule A - Hiring Authority
• Schedule A is an Excepted Service
appointment (5 CFR 213.3102) or hiring
authority that allows selecting officials to hire
people with disabilities without going through
the traditional job posting and competitive
process.
• To be eligible for Schedule A, a person must
meet the definition for a disability which is
defined as someone who has a physical or
mental impairment that has a substantial
and long-term adverse effect on his or
her ability to carry out normal day-to-day
activities.
Schedule A
•
•
Schedule A is a hiring Authority for people with mental,
psychiatric and severe physical disabilities. It is
designed to assist Federal agencies with increasing
employment of people with disabilities.
Agencies should use this hiring authority for a number
of Reasons:
1. Improves the Federal Government’s ability to hire
persons with disabilities.
2. Individuals with disabilities are a good source of talent.
3. No vacancy announcement is required.
4. Agencies don’t have to clear a surplus list of
employees.
5. Hiring process is significantly streamlined because it is
designed to remove barriers and increase employment
opportunities for these individuals.
Competitive Process
Hiring through the Competitive Process
• Candidates apply on-line via www.jobs.dol.gov
or www.usajobs.opm.gov.
www.usajobs.opm.gov.
• Submit a resume or application.
• Respond to vacancy specific questions in
DOORS.
• Submit supplemental information including
Schedule A documentation (if applying under
Schedule A).
Competitive Process (Continued)
• Information goes directly to HR
Specialist.
• Applicant must meet basic
qualifications for the position.
• A list of qualified Schedule A
candidates is provided along with the
certificate of eligible candidates for
Merit Promotion.
Non-competitive Process
Hiring through the Non-competitive
Process:
• Candidates submit resume or application
directly to the agency officials.
• Candidates submit Schedule A Certificate from
a State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency,
Department of Veterans Affairs, or a Licensed
Medical Professional;
• Manager submits the application package of
qualified applicants directly to the Human
Resources Office for further consideration.
•HR Specialist ensures that the candidate meets
basic qualifications for the position and reviews
proof of disability.
Certification of Schedule A
Eligibility
• Documentation may be accepted
from the following entities:
Licensed medical professional.
 Federal agency that issues or
provides disability benefits (e.g.,
Social Security Administration,
Department of Veterans Affairs).
 Documentation or letter of
certificate from a State/Private
Vocational Rehabilitation Agency
counselor.

Proof of Disability and
Certification of Job Readiness
• Eligibility for appointments under the
Schedule A authority consists of two
parts:

Proof of Disability: An individual
interested in being hired under the
Schedule A authority must provide proof
that he or she is indeed an individual
with mental retardation, severe physical
disability, or psychiatric disability. This
proof must be provided to the Human
Resources Office before an individual can
be hired.
Sample Schedule
A Letter
Sample Documentation from
Potential Schedule A Candidate
Certification of Job Readiness
• A candidate considered under this authority
must be ready to perform the duties
assigned to the position for which he/she is
receiving consideration. Such certification
is a statement that the candidate is likely to
succeed in the performance of the duties of
the position for which he or she is applying.
For instance, the certification of job
readiness for an individual applying for a
position as an Administrative Assistant or
an Accountant may state that the
“individual is likely to succeed performing
work in an office environment.”
Certification of Job Readiness
(Continued)
• The same entities who may provide
proof of disability may also certify an
individual's job readiness. (i.e.,
licensed medical professional or
vocational rehabilitation counselor).
• An applicant can be appointed in lieu
of job readiness certification to a
temporary position and may be
converted to a time-limited or
permanent appointment once
performance is deemed satisfactory.
Type of Appointment
The employee serves a trial period
of two (2) years. After the trial
period, he/she may be converted to
a permanent (career conditional)
appointment.
Hiring Disabled Veterans
30 Percent or More Disabled
• Authority enables a hiring manager to
appoint an eligible candidate to any
position for which he or she is
qualified, without competition;
• There's no grade-level limitation;
• Initial appointments are time-limited,
lasting more than 60 days;
• Individual can be converted
noncompetitively to a permanent
status at any time during the timelimited appointment.
30 percent or More Disabled
Who is eligible?
• Disabled veterans retired from active
military service with a disability
rating of 30 percent or more;
• Disabled veterans rated by the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
as having a compensable serviceconnected disability of 30 percent or
more.
Interviewing
• Interviewing people with
disabilities is the same as
interviewing people without
disabilities.
• State the essential functions of
the job and the competencies
required to perform those
functions.
Interview Questions: What Can
You Ask?
How can employers find out what they
need to know without violating Federal
nondiscrimination laws?
• By remembering one basic rule:
Ask applicants about their abilities,
not their disabilities.
Questions You Can Ask
• GENERAL RULE: Employers can ask
questions about an applicant’s ability to
perform specific job functions…
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What education, skills, and training do you have
related to the relevant job functions?
Can you perform all of the required job functions
and duties?
What certifications and licenses do you have?
Can you satisfy the physical requirements of this
job? (List the requirements.)
How would you perform the specific job
functions? (If employers ask this, they must ask
all applicants.)
Questions You Cannot Ask
• GENERAL RULE: Employers cannot ask
questions about the existence, nature, or
severity of a disability…
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Do you have a disability that might affect your
ability to do the job?
Have you ever been treated for any emotional or
mental health problems?
Have you ever been hospitalized? For what?–How
did you become disabled?
Why do you use a wheelchair?
Are you taking any medications?
How much sick leave did you use on your last
job?
Are you expecting to take any medical or
disability leave in the near future?
Have you ever filed for workers’ compensation?
Accessible Interviews
• Interviewers should be aware of the
accessibility of the interview site
(e.g., accessibility of the building,
interview office, and bathroom; and
arrangements for accessible
parking).
• Sign language interpretation must
be provided if requested.
• Applicants should state any
accommodation needs at the time of
the interview is scheduled.
Accommodations
• CAP – Within the federal government there
is a wonderful program housed with the
Department of Defense. The
Computer/Electronic Accommodations
Program (CAP) provides assistive
technology and services to people with
disabilities throughout the federal
government FREE OF CHARGE!
• CAP will do the needs assessment, buy the
needed technology, train the employee on
how to use it, and follow up with updates.
• Further information can be found at
http://www.tricare.mil/cap/.
Accommodations (Continued)
• JAN – The Job Accommodation Network
(JAN) represents the most comprehensive
resource for job accommodations available,
and is a terrific and easy-to-use resource.
This free consulting service includes
providing individualized worksite
accommodations and related subjects for
employers and people with disabilities.
Additional information can be found at
http://www.jan.wvu.edu.
Role of the Hiring Official
The hiring official should
communicate his/her interest in
using Schedule A to fill a specific
vacancy.
Role of HR Specialist
Human Resource Specialist
• Provides hiring managers and/or
supervisors with a list of qualified
applicants for a specific position;
• Consults with the hiring managers to
decide what type of appointment
(time limited or permanent) is to be
offered under Schedule A;
• Extends official offer of employment.
Interesting
Statistics
New Unemployment Data from
the Current Population Survey
• There are almost 27 million working-age
Americans with disabilities
(To be precise, 26,952,000 civilian, noninstitutionalized
children and adults, 16 years and over, according to
the Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• In January 2010,
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Percent of people with disabilities in the labor force:
21.8%
(21 million are NOT in the labor force)
Percent of people without disabilities in labor force:
70.1%
Unemployment rate for those with disabilities:
15.2% (Not seasonally adjusted)
Unemployment rate for persons with no disability:
9.7% (Seasonally adjusted)
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t06.htm
Decrease in Federal Employment
of People with Disabilities
• Over the past 20 years the total
Federal workforce has increased by
5.2%.
• But the number of Federal employees
with targeted disabilities has actually
decreased almost 15%.
o
o
FY ’97: 28,671 Federal employees with targeted
disabilities
FY ’07: 23,993 Federal employees with targeted
disabilities
•
Source: EEOC Annual Report on the Workforce, 2007
Department of Labor Disability
Employment Rate
At the Department of Labor
• Federal Average for 2008: .88%
• Department of Labor Average for
2008: 1.22%
• But it has decreased from a 2003
high of 1.40%
•
Source: EEOC Annual Report on the Workforce,
2008
Ongoing Efforts
• EEOC’s Leadership for the Employment
of Americans With Disabilities (LEAD)
Initiative:
To significantly increase the population
of individuals with targeted disabilities
employed
by the federal
government.
• Federal Disability Workforce
Consortium (FDWC)
http://www.fdwc.wordpress.com
• ODEP initiatives
Why Employ People with
Disabilities?
Develop a diverse workforce
• Disability adds another dimension to
diversity efforts
• Employees with disabilities come
from all backgrounds and ages, and
have varied skills and perspectives.
ODEP’s Business Case http://www.earnworks.com/BusinessCase
DOL’s Hiring Initiative
• DOL has the opportunity to have
its workforce mirror the diverse
population it serves.
• The following tools and resources will
help hiring managers find talented,
qualified candidates with disabilities,
quickly and easily.
Recruitment Resources
Ways to recruit talented workers with
disabilities:
o
o
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Postings at job service or workforce
employment centers
Contacting college and university
career centers and disability services
offices
Partnerships with disability-related
advocacy organizations
Recruitment Resources
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
• State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies
http://www.rehabnetwork.org/directors_contact.htm
Employment and Training Administration
• One-Stop Career Centers
http://www.servicelocator.org
• U.S. Department of Labor Disability
Program Navigators
http://www.doleta.gov/disability
Recruitment Resources
Disability Service and Advocacy
Organizations
o
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Local disability organizations, e.g.,
Centers for Independent Living
www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/in
dex.html
•Employer Assistance and Resource
Network for local employment service
providers and local job seekers
http://www.earnworks.com
Phone: 1.866.327.6669
Recruitment Resources
Social Security Administration
Employment Resources
• Ticket to Work Employment Networks
http://www.yourtickettowork.com/endir
• Work Incentive Planning and Assistance
Program
http://www.yourtickettowork.com/wipas
Recruitment Resources
Building Your Talent Pipeline
o
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Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) A Prescreened database of students with disabilities for
internships or permanent employment
http://www.wrp.gov
Student Temporary Employment Program
(STEP) Affords students the opportunity to gain
valuable work experience while still in high school.
Students Career Experience Program (SCEP)
Enables students to be noncompetitively converted
to term, career or career-conditional appointments.
Connect with local colleges and universities
through their disability services offices and career
centers.
Veteran Recruitment Resources
• Veteran Hiring Resources
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Hire Vets First
http://hirevetsfirst.dol.gov/
Hiring Resources
http://www.americasheroesatwork.gov/link
s/links2#hiring
EARN Veterans Resources
http://www.earnworks.com/veterans/tools/
HR_resources.asp
Career Onestop
http://www.careeronestop.org/militarytrans
ition/employers.aspx
Veteran Recruitment Resources
(Continued)
Veteran Hiring Programs
•Operation Warfighter – Temporary
assignment or internship program for
severely wounded service members in
treatment or rehabilitation at military
medical centers, salaries paid by program.
http://tinyurl.com/OperationWarfighter
•One Stop Career Centers can connect you
with specialized local Veterans' Employment
Representatives (LVERs) and Disabled
Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) staff to
find qualified veterans.
http://www.careeronestop.org/militarytrans
ition/employers.aspx
Hiring Resources
Schedule A
• The ABC’s of Schedule A
(LEAD)
http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/initi
atives/lead/abcs_of_schedule_
a.cfm
• Office of Personnel
Management
http://www.opm.gov/disability/
Veterans
• Office of Personnel
Management
http://www.opm.gov/veterans/
Additional Resources
Resources on interviewing
candidates with disabilities:
• Job Accommodation Network–“Pre-Offer,
Disability Related Questions: Dos and Don’ts”
http://www.jan.wvu.edu/Erguide/Two.htm
• EEOC guidance–Pre-employment DisabilityRelated Inquiries and Medical Exams
http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/preemp.html
• EEOC Guidance–Job Applicants and the ADA
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/jobapplicant.html
Effective Use of Schedule A
Excepted Service – Appointing
Authority