UNCLAS STATE 093178

INFORM CONSULS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: APER, AFSN, KFLO, CMGT
SUBJECT: Proper Application of Family Member Hiring
Preference

MONTREAL ALSO FOR ICAO, NAIROBI ALSO FOR UNEP,
PARIS ALSO FOR OECD, ROME ALSO FOR FODAG

FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR THE AMBASSADOR

PLEASE SHARE WITH POST'S MGT OFFICER, HR OFFICER, AND ALL
ELIGIBLE FAMILY MEMBERS

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INTRODUCTION
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Family member employment continues to be an important
work/family issue that affects FS family morale and
therefore our ability to retain talented members of the
Foreign Service. Family issues, including lack of spousal
employment opportunities, are the single most important
reason cited for those resigning from the Foreign Service.

A clear post employment policy and consistent application
of selection preference for qualified family members can
make important contributions both toward meeting post's
staffing needs and supporting FS family morale.

Chiefs of Mission are responsible for implementing a
successful post employment policy that applies to all
agencies at post. I therefore urge you to share this
message with your Management and Human Resources Officers,
as well as your Country Team, and discuss how best to
implement this guidance.

Thank you all for your continued support of family member
employment at your posts.

Sincerely,
Ambassador Ruth A. Davis

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KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER REGARDING EFM HIRING PREFERENCE
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The Department regularly receives anecdotal reports from
posts concerning the confusion or consternation caused by
post efforts to apply the "U.S. Citizen Family Member
Hiring Preference." This message is being sent to convey a
summary of how the EFM Hiring Preference fits into the
overall scheme of the Department's guidance on local
recruitment and hiring at posts abroad. The guidance
herein does not represent any changes to current policy.

The most common misperception is that EFM hiring preference
is absolute. In fact, EFM hiring preference applies only
to EFMs as defined in 3 FAM 8212(b) who are fully qualified
to perform the functions of the position in question. See
below for more.

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CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS
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By law, Family Member Hiring Preference applies only to
U.S. citizen family members.

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LOCATION REQUIREMENTS
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Family Member Hiring Preference applies only to U.S.
citizen family members of U.S. Government Foreign Service,
Civil Service, or uniformed service personnel assigned to a
U.S. Foreign Service post abroad.

Family members of USG personnel assigned abroad to
organizations that are not attached to a FS post, such as a
military base or an international organization, are not
eligible for Family Member Hiring Preference. They may, of
course, be considered for locally-recruited vacancies at
nearby FS posts if they have the legal status to work at
the FS post and they meet the qualifications requirements.

As long as we are on the subject of hiring preferences,
posts must also bear in mind that qualified U.S. military
veterans likewise enjoy a preference under U.S. law.
Overseas practices should reflect this requirement

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RECRUITMENT REQUIREMENTS
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Posts must have an open recruitment process. Whenever a
locally-recruited position at post becomes vacant, whether
the prior incumbent was a Family Member or Locally Employed
(LE) Staff employee, qualified family members must be
permitted to apply and will be considered for the job. The
same applies when a new position is first established.

While some positions are U.S. citizen EFM-only, such as the
CLO Coordinator or Consular Associate, family members
should be considered for all locally-recruited positions so
long as the family member applicant is fully qualified for
the job as advertised.

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QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS
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All applicants for a position must meet all required
qualifications as specified in the vacancy announcement to
be considered for employment. Post vacancy announcements
must accurately reflect the qualifications required for
effective performance of the advertised position.
Qualifications should neither be waived nor embellished to
include or exclude any applicant, or to tailor a job
vacancy announcement to a particular applicant.

An applicant who is not fully qualified for a position as
advertised, whether or not the applicant is a family
member, may not be referred by the HR Office to the
selecting official or to the Post Employment Committee
(PEC) for further consideration. The job vacancy
announcement may, however, include provision for training
level consideration for the job with its own specified
qualifications.

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POST EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE (PEC) REQUIREMENTS
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Any position vacancy for which at least one of the fully-
qualified applicants is a U.S. citizen family member should
be referred to the Post Employment Committee (PEC).

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POST EMPLOYMENT POLICY REQUIREMENTS
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Posts shall establish a published Post Employment Policy to
reflect the requirements already summarized. Experience
has taught us that posts with a published Post Employment
Policy in place are better able to manage problems that may
arise in the recruitment for local positions.

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OTHER ISSUES
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While this guidance refers specifically to State positions
at posts abroad, posts' management should work to establish
an Interagency Post Employment Policy to reflect these
requirements.

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GUIDANCE
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Please refer to HR/OE's State Intranet web page at
http://hrweb.hr.state.gov/OE/HRM/fme.html for previously
issued EFM employment guidance as well as this message.
Included in this material are two earlier messages on
"Eligible Family Member (EFM) Hiring Preference." We now
use the concept of "fully qualified" rather than "best
qualified" as mentioned in those earlier messages.

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INQUIRIES
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If there are additional questions on family member
employment issues, please feel free to contact the Family
Member Employment Coordinator for the bureau; the Office of
Overseas Employment, HR/OE; the Family Liaison Office,
M/DGHR/FLO; or me at DG Direct.

MINIMIZE CONSIDERED.
POWELL