Conversion of appointments

This executive order allows certain Office of Management and Budget employees serving under Schedule A appointments in paperwork reduction and regulatory review positions to convert to career or career-conditional civil service status by April 1, 1985, if they meet service, performance, and qualification requirements. Employees who are not converted must be separated when their current appointment expires.

50 FR 6151

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Impact dates

Date TBD
Separation of non-converted employees upon expiration of current appointment
Apr 1, 1985
Deadline for OMB Director to complete appointment conversions

Key directives

OMB Director to evaluate and convert eligible Schedule A employees to career/career-conditional status by April 1, 1985
Converted employees must have completed at least one year of full-time continuous service in relevant positions
Director must determine continuing need for position, satisfactory performance, necessary qualifications, and citizenship/qualification standards
Non-converted employees to be separated by expiration of current appointment
Converted employees acquire competitive status; those meeting service requirements become career employees

Who is ordered

OMB Director · Office of Management and Budget

Timeline

Immediate

OMB Director must begin evaluating employees for conversion eligibility

Near term (90d)

Conversion decisions and actions must be completed by April 1, 1985 (48 days from signing)
Non-converted employees separated by appointment expiration dates

Long term

Converted employees acquire competitive status and career tenure protections
Structural shift of political/policy appointees into permanent civil service positions

Risks & tensions

Potential for 'burrowing in' — converting political/policy staff to permanent career status raises concerns about neutral competence vs. partisan capture of civil service
Vague: 'not later than April 1' creates hard deadline but no explicit process timeline for individual employee notifications
Tension between Schedule A flexibility and career service protections; conversion criteria (a)-(d) are standard but Director discretion is broad
Uncertain: no stated requirement for public notice or competitive examination for these conversions, despite acquisition of 'competitive status'