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Title 5, Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-110

§3594 Guaranteed Placement in Other Personnel Systems

Title 5 › PART III — EMPLOYEES › Subpart B — Employment and Retention › CHAPTER 35 — RETENTION PREFERENCE, VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE PAYMENTS, RESTORATION, AND REEMPLOYMENT › SUBCHAPTER V — REMOVAL, REINSTATEMENT, AND GUARANTEED PLACEMENT IN THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE › § 3594

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

If a person was promoted into the Senior Executive Service (SES) from a career civil service job (or a job with the same tenure as OPM says), and they are removed from the SES while still in the SES probation period for reasons other than misconduct, neglect, or wrongdoing, they must be placed into a non-SES civil service job in any agency. The same right applies to someone who finished probation and is removed for less-than-fully-successful performance or removed under paragraph (4) or (5) of section 3595(b); they too must be placed in a non-SES civil service job in any agency. The job must be a continuing position at GS–15 or higher (or an equivalent job). A person placed this way must get the higher of three pay rates: the pay for the new job, the pay they had before joining the SES, or the pay they had just before placement. Their placement cannot force another employee to be fired or lowered in rank. If their pay comes from the prior rates, they get 50 percent of each raise to the top pay for the grade until their pay matches the job’s top rate.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §3594

Government Organization and Employees, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)A career appointee who was appointed from a civil service position held under a career or career-conditional appointment (or an appointment of equivalent tenure, as determined by the Office of Personnel Management) and who, for reasons other than misconduct, neglect of duty, or malfeasance, is removed from the Senior Executive Service during the probationary period under section 3393(d) of this title, shall be entitled to be placed in a civil service position (other than a Senior Executive Service position) in any agency.
(b)A career appointee who has completed the probationary period under section 3393(d) of this title, and who—
(1)is removed from the Senior Executive Service for less than fully successful executive performance as determined under subchapter II of chapter 43 of this title; or
(2)is removed from the Senior Executive Service under paragraph (4) or (5) of section 3595(b) of this title;
shall be entitled to be placed in a civil service position (other than a Senior Executive Service position) in any agency.
(c)(1)For purposes of subsections (a) and (b) of this section—
(A)the position in which any career appointee is placed under such subsections shall be a continuing position at GS–15 of the General Schedule or classified above GS–15 pursuant to section 5108, or an equivalent position, and, in the case of a career appointee referred to in subsection (a) of this section, the career appointee shall be entitled to an appointment of a tenure equivalent to the tenure of the appointment held in the position from which the career appointee was appointed;
(B)any career appointee placed under subsection (a) or (b) of this section shall be entitled to receive basic pay at the highest of—
(i)the rate of basic pay in effect for the position in which placed;
(ii)the rate of basic pay in effect at the time of the placement for the position the career appointee held in the civil service immediately before being appointed to the Senior Executive Service; or
(iii)the rate of basic pay in effect for the career appointee immediately before being placed under subsection (a) or (b) of this section; and
(C)the placement of any career appointee under subsection (a) or (b) of this section may not be made to a position which would cause the separation or reduction in grade of any other employee.
(2)An employee who is receiving basic pay under paragraph (1)(B)(ii) or (iii) of this subsection is entitled to have the basic pay rate of the employee increased by 50 percent of the amount of each increase in the maximum rate of basic pay for the grade of the position in which the employee is placed under subsection (a) or (b) of this section until the rate is equal to the rate in effect under paragraph (1)(B)(i) of this subsection for the position in which the employee is placed.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

GS–15 of the General Schedule, referred to in subsec. (c)(1)(A), is set out under section 5332 of this title.

Amendments

2002—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1321(a)(2)(C)(i), inserted “or” at end. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1321(a)(2)(C)(ii), struck out “or” at end. Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 107–296, § 1321(a)(2)(C)(iii), struck out par. (3) which read as follows: “is removed from the Senior Executive Service for failure to be recertified under section 3393a;”. 1992—Subsec. (c)(1)(A). Pub. L. 102–378 substituted “section 5108,” for “section 5108,,”. 1990—Subsec. (c)(1)(A). Pub. L. 101–509 substituted “at GS–15 of the General Schedule or classified above GS–15 pursuant to section 5108,” for “at GS–15 or above of the General Schedule”. 1989—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 101–194 added par. (3). 1984—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–615 inserted provision relating to career appointees removed from the Senior Executive Service under section 3595(b)(4) or (5) of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2002 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 107–296 effective 60 days after Nov. 25, 2002, see section 4 of Pub. L. 107–296, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 101 of Title 6, Domestic Security.

Effective Date

of 1990 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 101–509 effective on such date as the President shall determine, but not earlier than 90 days, and not later than 180 days, after Nov. 5, 1990, see section 529 [title III, § 305] of Pub. L. 101–509, set out as a note under section 5301 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1989 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 101–194 effective Jan. 1, 1991, see section 506(d) of Pub. L. 101–194, set out as a note under section 3151 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–615 effective following expiration of 90-day period beginning on Nov. 8, 1984, see section 307 of Pub. L. 98–615, set out as a note under section 3393 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective 9 months after Oct. 13, 1978, and congressional review of provisions of sections 401 through 412 of Pub. L. 95–454, see section 415(a)(1), (b), of Pub. L. 95–454, set out as a note under section 3131 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 3594

Title 5, Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110