Temporary Hiring Onboarding Guide | Phase 1: Temporary Pre-Employment

• Effective Date: Your effective date is the first day of your appointment with the Forest Service (FS) and will likely fall on a Sunday as pay-periods start on Sundays and run for 14 days. 
  • Important Note:  If your appointment starts after the second day of the pay period, you will not accrue annual or sick leave for your initial pay period. 
• Entry on Duty Date (EOD): The EOD, also referred to as the reporting date, is your first day on-the-job, and is often a Monday.
• 1039 Appointments are used for seasonal work that requires less than 1,040 hours of duty, excluding overtime and eligible training. Employees may have up to 685 additional hours of training in the first year of their appointment and up to 80 hours each subsequent year. Temporary employees are limited to six months in pay status per year starting on the service year date (SYD), the date of the initial appointment or “anniversary date,” excluding overtime and training. Individuals in a 1039 appointment may potentially be non-competitively rehired for the same position or a position with the same series, grade and basic duties if the break in service is less than three years from the date of separation.
• Not to Exceed (NTE) Appointments are temporary appointments where work is not expected to exceed one year. NTE One Year appointments may be extended for a maximum of one additional year for a total of 24 months.

Drug testing is only required for certain types of positions. Drug Testing Designated Positions (TDP) generally include jobs related to public health and safety, the protection of life and property, law enforcement, or national security. If your position requires drug testing, you must complete and pass a pre-employment drug test prior to receiving an Official Job Offer. If you fail the pre-employment drug test, your tentative job offer will be rescinded, and you will be restricted from employment in any FS position for a minimum of six months.

A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal history check is required for all Federal employees. Fingerprints are required to initiate this process, and soon after you receive the TSN, an HRM Personnel Security official will contact you to explain how to submit your fingerprints. While noting the timeframe in which the fingerprints usually need to be submitted, also realize the fingerprinting process may be delayed due to complications presented by COVID-19. If you have recently completed this process for another FS job, or you already have a current Federal background investigation on record from the military or another Federal agency, this step may not be necessary.

This information is used to determine your suitability for Federal employment and was included in your TSN. It is required for all new hires unless you are a current/recent Federal employee with a current Federal background check, investigation, or clearance record at the required level of your position. Watch a short video reviewing the Suitability process.

All Forest Service employees are required to complete USDA Information Security Awareness (ISA) Training prior to reporting to work. You will be provided a link and instructions in your TSN. The email will include time-sensitive instructions for completing the training and sharing your certificate of completion with human resource officials. Make sure you use the same personal email address you have used throughout your selection and onboarding process and complete the training as soon as its feasible.

A waiver may be required for selectees who exceed the maximum entry age (MEA) for certain public safety jobs such as firefighter and law enforcement positions, that are subject to a maximum entry age requirement. Your human resources case manager will inform you if you must sign an MEA waiver request. 

If a medical evaluation is required for your position, your HRM case manager will inform you of the process for completing medical requirements.

Official transcripts may be required to verify qualifications for some occupations with defined education requirements or to verify eligibility for appointments such as Pathways student intern or recent graduate positions.

The pay for most temporary Federal positions is based on the Government Schedule, or GS, pay rate or "grade." Steps within each pay grade create a structure for periodic, modest pay increases. Pay rates vary based primarily on the responsibilities of the position; however, the geographic location of the position can also affect the rate of pay. Visit the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Salaries and Wages webpage to learn more.

If you are transferring as a current Federal employee from another agency, your human resources case manager will contact your current agency to complete a Standard Form 75 Request for Preliminary Employment Data.