District of Columbia Administrative Code

1904 MONETARY AWARDS 1904.1 (a) Monetary awards listed in section 1902.1 (a)(1) through (6) of this chapter shall be granted as provided in this section. (b) Acceptance of a monetary award constitutes an agreement that the use by the District government of the idea, method, or de…

1905 NON-MONETARY AWARDS 1905.1 Non-monetary awards listed in section 1902.1 (b) (1) through (4) of this chapter shall be granted as provided in this section. A non-monetary award provides recognition to an employee for his or her contributions to a District government agency, an…

1906 GROUP AWARDS 1906.1 A Group Award is granted to recognize and reward a team of employees (minimum of two (2) employees) who collectively make a significant contribution to the financial or operational success of the District government or successfully complete an approved te…

1907 APPROVAL OF MONETARY AWARDS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 1907.1 Each personnel authority may establish procedures for approval of monetary awards consistent with these regulations, and may approve such awards. 1907.2 (a) Monetary awards to employees subject to the personnel authorit…

1908 RECORDS AND REPORTS 1908.1 The personnel authority or agency head, as appropriate, shall provide each affected employee with copies of signed incentive award approval forms and required supporting material and shall forward copies to the Performance Management Unit of the DC…

1909 REVIEW OF INCENTIVE AWARDS PROGRAMS 1909.1 The personnel authority may provide for the review of the adequacy of incentive award activities, including the sufficiency of documentation, record keeping and reporting, and appropriateness of incentive awards. 1909.2 The personne…

1999 DEFINITIONS For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the meaning ascribed: Agency head - the head of an office, agency or department who reports directly to the head of a personnel authority, or in the case of the Mayor’s personnel authority, to the Mayor o…

GOVERNMENT WORKFORCE The District of Columbia government employs dedicated people who are selected from the best qualified talent, considering the government’s immediate and long-term needs. Employees are organized into one of six services: Career, Educational, Excepted, Executiv…

CAREER SERVICE Excluding jobs properly classified in the Educational, Excepted, Executive, Legal, or Management Supervisory Services, or as otherwise provided by law, all District government jobs are in the Career Service. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 27 DCR 4342 (Octobe…

TALENT ACQUISITION (GENERALLY) When used in the context of this chapter, talent acquisition refers to the District government’s efforts to prepare for future talent needs, attract highly skilled candidates to government service, and select individuals for employment. All personne…

WORKFORCE PLANNING The personnel authority shall implement a workforce planning process that identifies current and potential critical skills and knowledge gaps. Workforce planning data will be used to: Develop and implement knowledge gap reduction strategies; Inform agency struc…

EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS The personnel authority may make noncompetitive emergency appointments for not more than thirty (30) days to provide essential services in situations of natural disaster or catastrophes when normal employment procedures are impracticable. Pursuant to D.C. O…

RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES, MARKETING, AND BRANDING The personnel authority shall develop and implement a recruitment strategy for attracting highly qualified talent. The strategy shall encompass methods that enable agencies to utilize workforce data to make budgeting decisions that …

QUALIFICATION AND EVALUATION STANDARDS The Director of the D.C. Department of Human Resources (DCHR) shall establish standards with respect to education, training, experience, suitability, physical and mental fitness, or other criteria that agencies will then use to establish spe…

COMPETITIVE AND NON-COMPETITIVE ACTIONS All initial appointments, placements, and subsequent assignments and promotions shall be made by open competition, unless otherwise authorized by this chapter. Notwithstanding § 207.1, the following actions do not require open competition: …

CAREER LADDERS A career ladder is a permanent appointment with a sequential series of positions and grades, in the same line of work, with duties that increase in difficulty from the entrance level to the grade level classified as full performance. Career ladders shall be approve…

TEMPORARY AND TERM APPOINTMENTS The personnel authority may make a temporary appointment for a limited period of at least ninety (90) days up to twelve (12) months. A temporary appointment may be extended, provided the aggregate temporary appointment is less than twelve (12) mont…

JOB POSTINGS AND AREAS OF CONSIDERATION Each competitive appointment shall be advertised for not less than three (3) days. The area of consideration for each posting shall be sufficiently broad to ensure the availability of high-quality candidates, considering the nature and leve…

INITIAL SCREENING, RATING, AND RANKING This section applies to the initial selection of an appointee, and to the selection for internal placement of an employee when the internal placement is by open competition. The personnel authority shall evaluate applicants on a 100-point sc…

EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCES Applicants for employment may be eligible to receive advanced standing towards placement when they claim one or more employment preferences: residency preference, veterans’ preference, or foster care youth preference. An applicant who claims and qualifies f…

RESIDENCY PREFERENCE All job postings shall inform District candidates of their eligibility for any applicable residential hiring preference. Such job postings shall also inform candidates of the requirement to remain a District resident for seven (7) years if selected exercising…

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE A veteran who claims and qualifies for a veterans’ preference and meets the qualifications of the position shall be awarded either a five (5)-point or ten (10)-point hiring preference. Points awarded shall vary based on the type of veterans’ preference claime…

FOSTER CARE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCE A person who applies for a competitive appointment or promotion and who, at the time of application, is 18 to 21 years of age and is in foster care, or who is within five (5) years of leaving foster care, may be awarded a 10-point hiring pr…

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS Pursuant to § 211.5, each applicant who meets the minimum requirements for the position and who receives a score of seventy (70) points or more during the initial screening process is eligible for consideration for appointment. The eligible applicants comprise…

ASSESSMENTS, EVALUATIONS, AND SELECTION PROCEDURES All selection criteria shall be based on a job analysis of a single position, group of positions, an occupation, or a group of occupations having common characteristics. Selection criteria shall, at a minimum, include: The basic …

INTERVIEW PANELS AND OTHER ASSESSMENT TOOLS Baseline interview questions and other assessment tools, such as writing exercises, must be submitted to the recruitment specialist prior to the evaluation of candidates. When interviews are not used, assessment tools beyond the initial…

SPECIAL EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS Personnel authorities shall establish employment programs designed to attract and utilize persons with minimal qualifications, but potential for employment, and other appropriate target groups to provide career development opportunities. A person appoi…

REINSTATEMENTS Except for a person who has a retreat right to a position in the Career Service as provided in Chapters 9 and 10, a person who has served for at least three (3) years shall receive permanent reinstatement eligibility following the date of his or her separation from…

OFFERS OF EMPLOYMENT All salaries shall be offered and negotiated in accordance with Chapter 11. An offer shall be conditioned on any general or enhanced suitability screening required under Chapter 4. No enhanced suitability screening shall be performed prior to the candidate re…

ORIENTATION AND ONBOARDING The personnel authority shall design an onboarding program that acclimates employees to the culture and values of the District government and to the employee’s respective agency. At minimum, the onboarding program shall include a comprehensive orientati…

PROBATIONARY PERIODS An agency shall utilize the probationary period as fully as possible to determine the employee’s suitability and qualifications as demonstrated by the employee’s knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as his or her conduct. Generally, a person appointed to …

EXTENDING PROBATION Notwithstanding § 224, the personnel authority may identify classes of positions that shall be subject to a probationary period of longer than one (1) year. Factors or conditions that would warrant a probationary period requirement longer than one (1) year for…

COMPLETING PROBATION Satisfactory completion of the probationary period is a prerequisite to continued employment in the Career Service. Upon initial appointment, a probationary employee shall be informed of the performance expectations for his or her position. The performance of…

NEW PROBATIONARY PERIODS Except when the appointment is affected with a break in service of three (3) days or more, or as otherwise specified in this chapter, an employee who once satisfactorily completed a probationary period in the Career Service shall not be required to serve …

SEPARATION OF PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES Whenever a Career Service employee fails to perform his or her duties at a satisfactory level during the probationary period, probation shall be terminated and the employee shall be separated from government service. When an employee is separa…

RETURNING TO DUTY The following “covered” employees are eligible to be returned to duty: Employees whose absences from their positions are necessitated by military service and who have reemployment rights and benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 4312; Employees who are receiving disa…

RETURNING FROM MILITARY DUTY An employee who is covered by § 228.1(a) may resign or may be either separated or furloughed, i.e., placed on leave without pay status, by the District while he or she is on military duty by his or her agency. Regardless of the nature of the administr…

RETURNING FROM A WORKPLACE DISABILITY An agency shall carry employees covered under § 228.1(b) on leave without pay for two (2) years (the “two- (2) year period”) from the date of lessening of disability as determined by the Public Sector Workers’ Compensation Program or, in the …

TRANSFERS A transfer occurs when an employee moves from a position under one personnel authority to another position under a different personnel authority. Transfers shall be coordinated between the respective personnel authorities. An employee may be transferred noncompetitively…

REASSIGNMENTS A reassignment occurs when an employee is permanently moved from one position to another at the same or equivalent grade within an agency or to another agency under the same personnel authority. A personnel authority may reassign an employee to another position when…

DETAILS A detail occurs when an employee is temporarily reassigned to a position at the same or equivalent grade. Details may be made within an agency or to another agency under the same personnel authority. Details are also authorized between personnel authorities provided both …

PROMOTIONS A promotion occurs when an employee is permanently appointed to a position at a higher equivalent grade or to a position with additional promotional potential. Promotions may be made within an agency or to another agency under the same personnel authority. A promotion …

TEMPORARY PROMOTIONS A temporary promotion occurs when an employee is reassigned to a different position at a higher equivalent grade or to a position with additional promotional potential to meet a time-limited employment need. Temporary promotions may be made to positions withi…

DEMOTIONS A demotion occurs when an employee is permanently reappointed from his or her current position to a new position at a lower equivalent grade or to a position with lesser promotional potential. Demotions may be made within an agency or to another agency under the same pe…

RESTRICTIONS ON EMPLOYEE MOVEMENT Employees may be detailed, reassigned, transferred, or promoted, consistent with this chapter, provided the employee has served in his or her current position for at least three (3) months. Three (3) months of service is not required for position…

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS Employees may advance by promotion or appointment no more than one (1) grade interval, except when he or she meets the following time-in-grade requirements: For employees at grade 12 or above, only after he or she has served one (1) year at the next low…

VOLUNTEERS To better support the provision of services to District residents, businesses, and visitors, the District of Columbia government welcomes volunteers to augment governmental programs and services to the greatest extent possible. An agency may establish a volunteer progr…

EMPLOYEES IN THE OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION An individual appointed, or one reappointed, to a position within the Educational Service in the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) shall serve without tenure, except for employees: Organized und…

PROHIBITED PRACTICES No person shall interfere in the competitive process by influencing another person to withdraw from competition for any position, for the purpose of either improving or injuring the prospects of any applicant for appointment or selection. No public official o…

299 DEFINITIONS 299.1 For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply: Area of consideration ─ the area in which applications will be accepted in a specific recruitment action. Break in service ─ the period between separation and reemployment. Career ladder ─ A …