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Form 2847-a
January 1935

INFORMATION FOR ELIGIBLES—FIELD SERVICE

1. Eligibles should report change in address promptly. Failure to do so may cause loss of appointment. In writing to the district manager, eligibles should give the kind of examination, date when taken, address at the time, and rating attained.

2. Applicants inquiring about assignments, duties, hours of labor, and other conditions of employment, should address the head of the office in which employment is sought.

3. The relative standing of eligibles is determined by the grade attained, except as modified by military preference and by the certification procedure as outlined in the examination announcement. Relative standing is subject to variation by the addition to the register of new eligibles with higher grades, by the entry on the reemployment list of the names of persons separated because of reduction of force, by restoration of eligibles previously not available, by the appointment or declination of those with higher ratings, by the granting of military preference after the register has been established, and by other changes.

4. Eligibles should inform the district manager when unable to accept appointment under the conditions as to salary and locality they have indicated as acceptable. The entrance salary an eligible expresses willingness to accept affects his opportunities of certification. The district manager does not ordinarily certify eligibles for positions paying materially less than they have indicated willingness to accept.

5. The name of an eligible who fails to accept appointment is dropped from the register and will not be restored unless satisfactory reasons are shown and assurance is given that he will accept the next appointment offered in the locality and at the entrance salary he has indicated as acceptable.

6. Upon request of an appointing officer to fill a vacancy, the names of the highest three eligibles on the appropriate register are certified. The appointing officer may select any one of the three, notifying the eligible chosen. The Commission has no authority to interfere in the proper exercise of this discretionary power.

7. The district manager ordinarily has no definite information as to the occurrence of vacancies until requested to make certification, and is therefore unable to predict an eligible's prospects of certification, with certainty.

8. Under the civil-service rules, nothing can advance or retard the certification of an eligible's name out of turn.

9. An eligible may receive not more than three certifications to the same appointing officer as the result of one examination.

10. The term of eligibility is ordinarily 1 year from the date of the establishment of the register, the notice of rating bearing approximately that date. Extension of the term is made only when the needs of the service require it, and then applies to the entire register. Request for extension of eligibility in individual cases beyond the life of the register cannot be granted.

11. Upon request in writing, the eligibility of an individual may be suspended for any period which he may specify within the term of eligibility, but such suspension will not extend the term of eligibility.

12. Probationary appointment causes removal of the eligible's name from the register from which appointed, and from all registers of equal or lower grade. A name, upon request in writing during the term of eligibility, may be restored for the remainder of the term to the register or registers other than that from which appointment was made. Temporary appointment does not affect eligibility for permanent appointment, either favorably or unfavorably.

13. A person who takes an examination, whether he passes or fails, may enter any subsequent examination for which eligible. If, during eligibility, he is again examined for the same position, his new rating, if an eligible one, supersedes the old, whether higher or lower; if ineligible it will not affect the first rating, and his eligibility will continue for the remainder of the usual term.

14. The first 6 months of employment, unless temporary, constitute a period of probation, but the Commission and the department may fix the probationary period at 1 year for any specified position. The name of a probationer separated from the service without delinquency or misconduct may be restored to the eligible register, in the discretion of the Commission, for the remainder of his term of eligibility.

15. For eligibility a rating of 70 is required. Veterans allowed preference on submission of the required documentary proof have 5 points added and need earn a rating of only 65: Provided, That the following have 10 points added and need earn a rating of only 60: (1) Veterans who submit official statements from the proper departments showing the present existence of service-connected disability; (2) veterans over 55 years of age who, because of disability, whether service-connected or not, are entitled by law to pension or compensation; (3) widows of veterans; and (4) wives of veterans mention in (1) or (2) above when the veterans themselves are disqualified for appointment because of disability. Names of 10-point preference eligibles are placed at the head of the register. Veterans are released from age limitations, up to the retirement age, except for a few positions; they are also released from many physical requirements. Military preference as a veteran's widow is canceled upon remarriage of the widow. Women who claim widow preference should therefore notify the Commission of any change in their marital status.

16. Section 9 of the Civil Service Act provides that whenever there are already two or more members of a family in the classified service no other member of such family is eligible for appointment in that service. As ineligibility may result from the appointment of some member or members of an applicant's family, prompt report of any such appointment must be made to the Commission. Eligibles are warned that they should not accept appointment contrary to this provision of law, and that if they do so, any expense in reporting for duty will be incurred at their own risk.

17. An act of Congress provides that preference in appointment shall be given to other than married persons who are living with husband or wife employed by the United States Government or the Government of the District of Columbia.

18.Section 10, Civil Service Act, provide: "That no recommendations of any person who shall apply for office or place under the provisions of this act, which may be given by any Senator or Member of the House of Representatives, except as to the character or residence of the applicant, shall be received or considered by any person concerned in making any examination or appointment under this act"

19. Physical examination and requirements: In view of the benefits granted under employees' compensation and retirement legislation, persons appointed will be given a physical examination by a Federal medical officer before entering on duty.
 
 The following are among the defects which will debar persons from appointment: Bright's disease; malignant tumor(cancer, etc.); diabetes; epilepsy; any abnormal hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis); any tuberculosis (active or arrested for a period of less than one year); insanity or mental illness sufficiently definite to affect usefulness; seriously defective vision of both eyes, incorrectible by glasses; progressinve myopia, progressive or disabling paralysis' uncompensated valvular disease of the heart; loss of both arms, both legs, or arm and leg, except that of applications of persons who have lost limbs or parts of limbs, but who have demonstrated dexterity either with or without the use of artificial substitutes, will be accepted for examination where physical ability is of subordinate importance; hands, arms, feet, legs, or body so injured, crippled, or deformed as to affect usefulness seriously; chronic alcoholism or drug addiction. 

Other physical defects such as fallen or misplaced arch of the foot affecting function; color blindness; hernia(rupture); defective hearing, speech, etc. will also debar from examination when in the judgment of the Commission such defects may impair the individual's efficiency or give rise (by aggravation due to employment or by endangering fellow workers) to a claim under employees' compensation acts.

Applicants who have heart disease must submit certificates from two doctors of medicine. If the defect is not fully compensated, the application will be disapproved. Physical requirements may be waived, under certain conditions, in the case of honorably discharged soldiers, sailors, and marines, who establish disability preference.

 If an appointment should be offered you and you have any doubt as to your physical condition, it may save you unnecessary trouble and expense to have a thorough physical examination made by a doctor of medicine, in which event you should show him the above statement and the statement of physical requirements in the announcement of the examination taken, to guide him in making observations.

 You are cautioned not to resign any position you hold, when offered appointment, unless your physical condition is declared satisfactory by the district manager.

20. Fingerprints of all appointees are taken before entrance on duty.


U.S GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1935