Thread: Return to Federal Service

From strictly an OPM standpoint, there IS no non-entry physical standard. It is the reason that physicals are held to the entry level standards and new hires have a PT standard at some agencies that is NOT age-adjusted.

So a 23 year old applicant and a 36 year old applicant have to meet the same entry level standards. When they go to their Academy, they have the same PT standards. That's why you have no age-adjusted PT standards in the field. You have voluntary programs, but no agency is going to terminate you for not doing X number of pushups at 50 years of age. There is no OPM accepted standard.

And, if you apply for reinstatement, you'll have the same entry level standards that you had when you originally joined the agency. OPM hasn't changed this in the slightest.

Originally Posted by dmclark

From strictly an OPM standpoint, there IS no non-entry physical standard. It is the reason that physicals are held to the entry level standards and new hires have a PT standard at some agencies that is NOT age-adjusted.

So a 23 year old applicant and a 36 year old applicant have to meet the same entry level standards. When they go to their Academy, they have the same PT standards. That's why you have no age-adjusted PT standards in the field. You have voluntary programs, but no agency is going to terminate you for not doing X number of pushups at 50 years of age. There is no OPM accepted standard.

And, if you apply for reinstatement, you'll have the same entry level standards that you had when you originally joined the agency. OPM hasn't changed this in the slightest.

And that goes for laterals as well ?

Post 9/11 a lot of exceptions were made as new agencies and organizations came on line and it was necessary to import experience in a hurry, although even those were often limited by specific waivers. It seems like that has leveled out over time and if there has been any current change that seems mostly toward going back to basic and traditional ways of doing things. Again, I am comfortable with guidance as to what will generally happen, knowing full well someone will be aware of an exception somewhere. Generally, even if a coworker is correctly aware of someone whose experience was different, there is really not very much lateral hiring. Outside a national crisis, an agency that requires experience will seek to post a mid-level vacancy announcement. This allows consideration of persons whose experience qualifies them at the 11, 12, or 13 level. It is still a competitive process requiring the applicant to meet all entry level requirements, including physical, and PT, but would start them at their current grade. Mostly, agencies are posting at the entry levels, 5,7,9, and while they may try to match pay with steps, they cannot bring someone who applied at that level in at higher grades. Here again, all basic requirements apply. I think maybe my best answer here is that to the extent any waivers or special circumstances might be applied then that would most likely be for someone who is seeking to return to the agency they left, if that agency was willing to go for it.

I think the other factor to be considered is how long an applicant has been separated or on board with another agency. Some parts of the process for someone who has been on board with another outfit or gone for less than a year may be more updating. However, few if any are hiring continuously in bunches these days so a lot of the timing will be driven by things like scheduling of training classes. Because of the timing, agencies are generally most comfortable with going straight by the book, running applicants through the full competitive application and process drill - and through the physical requirements of the academy. As you noted earlier, there may be differences among agencies in levels of things like sight and hearing. Some may have no PT standard. That's going to require some shopping.

On the flip side, Feds going to State and local agencies aren't going to find things much different. A friend recently retired from the Feds and was hired to a position in a State agency. There he met POST certification for the first time. Wound up going through a full academy. While the hiring agency dealt with requirements such as medical, he ran and self-defended his tail off to get through training. Probably no biggie to someone who changed within a couple of years; much more challenging to someone who has a career in. Doable though.

If you've moving outside your current agency, those rules will apply, especially in the 1811 series. Unless someone waives your physical as you've just had one. This is why we caution folks to make sure they understand all the requirements before letting go of your current agency. There should be no break in service and everything should not only be 'understood' but in writing.

Originally Posted by dmclark

Unless someone waives your physical as you've just had one.

In my experience, this is sometimes a matter of an agency "waiving" only the actual physical, not the requirements. Hiring agencies, especially smaller ones, may be willing to accept your most recent physical if it is within the past year, but many are still going to look at the results to make sure you meet their standards and that their medical folks do not see any issues that require further exams.