OPM must review and decide upon an agency's request to pass over a candidate, who is a preference eligible, on medical grounds pursuant to § 339.306. OPM may deny an applicant employment by reason of physical or mental unfitness for the position for which he or she has applied. An OPM decision under this section or § 339.306 is separate and distinct from a determination of disability pursuant to statutory provisions for disability retirement under the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees' Retirement System.
OPM may establish and/or approve medical standards for a Governmentwide occupation (i.e., an occupation common to more than one agency) or approve revisions to its established medical standards. An individual agency may establish medical standards for positions that predominate in that agency (i.e., where the agency has 50 percent or more of the positions in a particular occupation). Such standards must be justified on the basis that the duties of the positions are arduous or hazardous, or require a certain level of health status for successful performance when the nature of the positions involves a high degree of responsibility toward the public or sensitive national security concerns. The rationale for establishing the standard must be documented and supported by a study(ies) or evaluation(s) establishing the medical standard is job-related to the occupation(s). Medical standards established by agencies must be approved by OPM prior to implementation. Standards established by OPM or an agency must be:
(a) Established by written directive and uniformly applied, and
(b) Directly related to the actual performance and requirements necessary for the performance of the duties of the position.
(a) An agency may establish physical requirements for individual positions without OPM approval when such requirements are considered essential for performance of the duties of a specific position. Physical requirements must be clearly supported by the actual duties of the position, documented in the position description, and supported by a study(ies) or evaluation(s) establishing physical requirement(s) is job-related to the occupation(s).
(b) An applicant or employee may not be disqualified arbitrarily on the basis of physical requirements or other criteria that do not relate specifically to performance of the duties of a specific position.
(a) An agency must waive a medical standard or physical requirement established under this part when an applicant or employee, unable to meet that standard or requirement, presents sufficient evidence that the applicant or employee, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential duties of the position without endangering the health and safety of the applicant or employee or others. Additional information obtained by the agency may be considered in determining whether a waiver is appropriate. An agency may establish timeframes, in writing, for submission of initial or additional information for consideration, with allowance for reasonable extensions.
(b) Agencies may, but are not required to, establish medical review boards to help the agency provide a case-by-case, fact-based, individualized assessment whenever an individual is found to not meet agency medical standards or physical requirements. An agency may also use a medical review board as a forum for a higher level of review within the agency when medical questions or issues arise. If established, the Board is expected to recommend administrative actions that are consistent with applicable law, as well as applicable and current medical practice standards of care, through the combined expertise of its members.
(c) The use and composition of a medical review board will be determined by the agency. Upon request, an agency will provide to OPM information regarding the composition and use of medical review boards. OPM may issue guidance from time to time as to best practices with respect to the composition and use of such boards.
Agencies may establish periodic medical examinations, medical surveillance, or immunization programs by written policies or directives to safeguard the health of employees whose work may expose them or others to significant health or safety risks due to occupational or environmental exposure or demands. This may include the requirement to undergo vaccination with products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (e.g., for national security reasons or in order to fulfill the duties of a position designated as national security sensitive). The need for a medical evaluation program must be clearly supported by the nature of the work. The specific positions covered must be identified and the applicants or employees notified in writing of the reasons for including the positions in the program.
An employee or applicant may not be disqualified for any position solely on the basis of medical history. For positions subject to medical standards and/or physical requirements, and for positions under medical evaluation programs, a history of a particular medical condition may result in medical disqualification only if the condition at issue is itself disqualifying, recurrence of the condition is based on reasonable medical judgment, and the duties of the position are such that a recurrence of the condition would pose a significant risk of substantial harm to the health and safety of the applicant or employee or others that cannot be eliminated or reduced by reasonable accommodation or any other agency efforts to mitigate risk.