This subpart contains the regulations of the Office of Personnel Management which implement the above sections of chapter 34 (as set out in § 340.101).

(a) Definitions. Part-time career employment means regularly scheduled work of from 16 to 32 hours per week performed by an employee of an agency as defined in 5 U.S.C. 3401 (a) through (f), who has an appointment in tenure group I or II and who becomes employed on such part-time basis on or after April 8, 1979.

Tenure group I applies to employees in the competitive service under career appointments who are not serving probation and permanent employees in the excepted service whose appointments carry no restrictions or conditions.

Tenure group II applies to employees in the competitive service serving probation, career-conditional employees, and career employees in obligated positions. It also includes employees in the excepted service serving trial periods, whose tenure is indefinite solely because they occupy obligated positions; or whose tenure is equivalent to career-conditional in the competitive service.

(b) Agency Exceptions. As an exception to the general definition of part-time employment in § 340.202(a) and under the authority provided in 5 U.S.C. 3402(a)(3), an agency may permit an employee who has an appointment in tenure group I or II to perform regularly scheduled work of from 1 to 15 hours per week.

(c) Mixed Tours of Duty. The provisions of this subpart and the term “part-time career employment” do not apply to employees with appointments in tenure groups I or II who work under mixed tours of duty. For this purpose, a mixed tour of duty consists of annually recurring periods of full-time, part-time, or intermittent service as long as the employee does not work part-time more than 6 pay periods per calendar year.

(a) The Office of Personnel Management shall provide, within available resources, consultation and technical advice and assistance to agencies to aid them in expanding career part-time employment opportunities. This assistance shall include but not be limited to:

(1) Help in developing part-time career employment programs;

(2) Information on public and private sector part-time employment practices;

(3) Development of special recruitment and selection techniques for filling part-time positions;

(4) Interpretations of part-time employment law, regulations and policy;

(5) Guidance on job sharing and position restructuring.

(b) Request for information and assistance should be directed to the Associate Director for Staffing Services, Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20415, or the nearest OPM regional office.

(a) Agency reports required under 5 U.S.C. 3407 shall be based on data as of March 31 and September 30 each year and shall be provided to the Office of Personnel Management no later than May 15 and November 15 respectively.

(b) Each agency shall include with such reports a copy of any agencywide part-time career employment program regulations and instructions issued during the 6-month period preceding the report date.

(c) Reports should be sent to the Associate Director for Staffing Services, Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20415.