CRS INSIGHT
DOD Issues Additional Guidance on Federal Hiring
Freeze
March 20, 2017 (IN10671)
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Kathryn A. Francis
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Kathryn A. Francis, Analyst in Government Organization and Management (kfrancis@crs.loc.gov, 7-2351)
On February 2, 2017, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued initial guidance
on implementing the federal hiring
freeze instituted by President Trump—an order that suspends the hiring of civilian employees in the executive branch.
On March 7, 2017, the DOD issued additional guidance (available upon request) that supplements the initial guidance
by
adding new exemptions from the freeze for (1) essential military and base operating services, (2) infrastructure
sustainment, and (3) family readiness programs;
delegating exemption approval authority to lower-level officials for exemptions required by law; and
authorizing processing of all hiring actions (except job offers) for all non-exempt positions.
DOD issued the additional guidance amid (1) reports that implementation of the hiring freeze, based on the initial
guidance, has reduced or canceled services for military members and their families—particularly services at Child
Development Centers (see Table 1); and (2) concerns that positions critical to military readiness are not explicitly
exempt, such as those in the defense acquisition workforce and some civilian positions at shipyards and depots.
The reported service reductions and concerns may stem, in part, from implementation of initial department- and
component-level guidance, particularly (1) the lack of exemptions for critical positions, (2) the interpretation and use of
exemptions, (3) exemption approval processes, and (4) ongoing recruitment issues.
Lack of Exemptions for Positions
DOD's initial guidance does not appear to exempt positions that perform certain family readiness functions, such as base
shopping services (see Table 1). The new family readiness exemption in DOD's additional guidance may address this
issue. The additional guidance does not, however, explicitly address concerns raised over the lack of exemptions for
positions affecting military readiness, such as defense acquisition and shipyard and depot positions not directly involved
in managing inventory or maintaining equipment. The critical infrastructure sustainment and critical military and base
operating services exemptions may partially cover such positions.
Interpretation and Use of Exemptions
