(a) Actions covered. This subpart applies to actions taken under 5 U.S.C. 9204.
(b) Employees covered. This subpart covers an employee of an agency as defined and “employee” has the meaning given the term in 5 CFR 920.101.
(c) Definitions. In this subpart—
Civil penalty means a monetary penalty imposed on an employee of a covered agency when it has been determined the employee has violated the Fair Chance Act.
Day means a calendar day.
Director means the Director of OPM or Director's designee.
Suspension means the placing of an employee of a covered agency in a temporary status without duties and pay when it has been determined the employee violated the Fair Chance Act.
(a) First violation. If the Director or Director's designee determines, after OPM provides the procedural rights in § 754.203, that an employee of an agency has violated 5 U.S.C. 9202 and part 920 of this chapter, the Director or Director's designee shall issue to the employee a written warning that includes a description of the violation and the additional penalties that may apply for subsequent violations; and direct the agency to file such warning in the employee's official personnel record file.
(b) Subsequent violations. If the Director or Director's designee determines, after OPM provides the procedural rights in § 754.203, that an employee of an agency has committed a subsequent violation of 5 U.S.C. 9202 and part 920 of this chapter, the Director or Director's designee may take the following action:
(1) For a second violation, order a suspension of the employee for a period of not more than 7 days.
(2) For a third violation, order a suspension of the employee for a period of more than 7 days.
(3) For a fourth violation—
(i) Order a suspension of the employee for a period of more than 7 days; and
(ii) Order the employee's agency to collect a civil penalty against the employee in an amount that is not more than $250, and remit the penalty amount to the U.S. Department of Treasury for deposit in the Treasury.
(4) For a fifth violation—
(i) Order a suspension of the employee for a period of more than 7 days; and
(ii) Order the employee's agency to collect a civil penalty against the employee in an amount that is not more than $500, and remit the penalty amount to the U.S. Department of Treasury for deposit in the Treasury.
(5) For any subsequent violation—
(i) Order a suspension of the employee for a period of more than 7 days; and
(ii) Order the employee's agency to collect a civil penalty against the employee in an amount that is not more than $1,000, and remit the penalty amount to the U.S. Department of Treasury for deposit in the Treasury.
(c) Duration of suspension and penalty amount. The Director or Director's Designee has discretion to determine the duration of a suspension and the amount of a penalty under this section, subject only to the minimum and maximum durations and amounts specified in this section.
(d) Agency responsibilities. An agency shall carry out an order of the Director to suspend an employee, or to collect and remit a civil penalty, pursuant to processing and recordkeeping instructions issued by OPM.
(1) The agency shall carry out the order of the Director to suspend the employee as soon as practicable.
(2) The agency shall carry out the order of the Director to collect and remit a civil penalty as soon as practicable, unless the employee timely appeals the action under § 754.204, in which case the agency shall collect and remit the civil penalty as soon as practicable after the Merit Systems Protection Board issues a final decision sustaining the action.
(e) Administrative law judges. Paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section do not apply if the Director or Director's designee believes that an administrative law judge has violated 5 U.S.C. 9202 and part 920 of this chapter. In any such case the Director or Director's designee shall file a complaint with the Merit Systems Protection Board proposing an action set forth in 5 U.S.C. 9204 and describing with particularity the facts that support the proposed agency action, and the Board will determine whether the action is for good cause under its regulations in 5 CFR part 1201, subpart D.
(a) Notice of proposed action. An employee against whom action is proposed under this subpart is entitled to at least 30 days' advance written notice. The notice must state the specific reason(s) for the proposed action and inform the employee of the right to review the material which is relied on to support the reasons for the proposed action given in the notice before any final decision is made by the Director or Director's designee.
(b) Employee's answer. (1) An employee may answer orally and in writing. The employee's agency must give the employee a reasonable amount of official time to review the material relied on to support OPM's proposed action, to prepare and present an answer orally and in writing, and to secure affidavits, if the employee is in an active duty status. OPM may require the employee to furnish any answer to the proposed action, and affidavits and other documentary evidence in support of the employee's answer, within such time as would be reasonable, but not less than 7 days.
(2) The Director or Director's Designee may designate an Office of Personnel Management official to hear the employee's oral answer, and confer authority on that person to make or recommend a final decision on the proposed adverse action.
(c) Representation. An employee covered by this part is entitled to be represented by an attorney or other representative. An agency may disallow as an employee's representative an individual whose activities as representative would cause a conflict of interest or position, or an employee of the agency whose release from the employee's official position would give rise to unreasonable costs or whose priority work assignments preclude release.
(d) OPM decision. (1) In arriving at a decision, the Director or Director's Designee will consider only the complaint, the applicant's supporting material, the agency's administrative file, the reasons specified in the notice of proposed action, and any oral and written answer by the employee or the employee's representative.
(2) The decision notice must specify in writing the reasons for the decision and advise the employee of any appeal rights.
(e) Administrative Law Judges. This section does not apply if the Director or Director's designee believes that an administrative law judge has violated 5 U.S.C. 9202 and part 920 of this chapter.
(a) An employee against whom an action is taken by OPM under § 754.203 may appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board, under the regulations of the Board, but only to the extent the action concerns suspensions for more than 14 days or combines a suspension and a civil penalty. An appeal must be filed by not later than 30 days after the effective date of the action. The procedures for filing an appeal with the Board are found at 5 CFR part 1201.
(b) If the Board finds that one or more of the charges brought by OPM against the employee is supported by a preponderance of the evidence, regardless of whether all specifications are sustained, it must affirm OPM's action. The Board may neither review whether the adverse action is for such cause as will promote the efficiency of the service, nor mitigate the duration of a suspension or the amount of a civil penalty ordered under this part.
(c) An appeal against OPM is the exclusive avenue of appeal. The employee has no right to file a separate appeal against the employing agency for processing a personnel action as ordered by OPM under § 754.202.
(d) OPM's action under § 754.202 of this part is not subject to an agency's administrative grievance procedure or a negotiated grievance procedure under a collective bargaining agreement between an exclusive bargaining representative and any agency.
The complaint, the applicant's supporting material, the agency's administrative file, the notice of the proposed action, the employee's written reply, if any, summary or transcript of the employee's oral reply, if any, the notice of decision, and any order to the covered agency effecting the action together with any supporting material, must be maintained in the applicable Privacy Act system of records.