Quick Hire for Spouses Now Possible

It is now easier for certain spouses of active duty Sailors and Marines to be hired by the federal government.

New Department of Defense hiring authorities took effect this fall, and the Office of Personal Management (OPM) issued final regulatory guidelines in the Federal Register under the title, "Noncompetitive Appointment of Certain Military Spouses."

"This is a super opportunity for certain spouses of active duty military members to serve their country directly, and to begin a great career with worldwide assignment opportunities," said Shirley Scott, director of Human Resources Policy and Program Department at the DON Office of Civilian Human Resources. "Federal jobs come with large benefits, such as tuition reimbursement, leave and holidays, and dependent care to name just a few."

Scott explained that the eligibility for this noncompetitive hiring authority falls into four major categories: (1) a spouse of an U.S. Armed Forces service member serving on active duty (not for training) for more than 180 days, provided the spouse relocates to the member's new permanent duty station; (2) a spouse of a military service member who is retired from active duty with a documented service-connected disability rating of 100 percent; (3) a spouse of a military service member who retired, was released or discharged from active duty and has a disability rating of 100 percent as documented by the Department of Veterans Affairs; or (4) a spouse of a military service member killed while on active duty. In the latter case, the spouse must be the un-married widow/widower of the deceased service member to meet eligibility.

"Of course the intent of these regulations is to make it easier for the federal government to recruit and retain skilled and experienced employees," said Scott, "but also, when service members have a permanent change of station and the family moves, the spouse is typically forced to find a new employer at that new location. Allowing military spouses to at least compete for jobs that would otherwise only be open to current civilians or veterans provides us, the employer, with a greater pool of potential candidates. It is a win-win for us all."