One Giant Leap for Military Spouses
Employment guidelines offer new jobs.
Military spouses could be quickly hired for federal jobs without going through the usual competitive process under a personnel rule that takes effect next month.
The new guidelines issued by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) are scheduled to take full effect Sept. 11.
"This family-friendly policy provides employment opportunities from individuals and a measure of economic stability to military families who must deal with a multitude of issues arising from one spouse serving their country," OPM Director John Berry said in an issued statement.
The expectation and hope of these guidelines is to assist military spouses with accessing jobs in the federal civil service to recruit and retain skilled and experienced members of the military.
“Military spouse employment is a key to the quality of life of our military families,” said Kathleen Ott, director of talent acquisition, development and management in the Office of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy. “It’s really hard to keep a job if you have to move from station to station,” Ott said.
Federal employment, she said, offers military spouses a portable career with transferable benefits and worldwide presence.
The guidelines establish eligibility as a spouse of a member of the armed forces serving on active duty who has orders specifying a permanent change of station (not for training), a spouse of a 100 percent disabled service member injured while on active duty, or the unremarried widow or widower of a service member who was killed while performing active duty.
“Anytime preference is given to military spouses is a good thing as long as a fair and organization process of hiring is maintained,” said Deb Kloeppel, president and CEO of the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network. “As president of the only true placement program for military spouses, I’m pleased to see any strong effort and progress made on this front.”
The complete e-docket can be viewed from the Office of Personnel Management here: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-19340.pdf