Agency authority. This section may be used by an agency to appoint noncompetitively, for other than temporary or term employment, a United States citizen separated from a career or career-conditional appointment under the Canal Zone Merit System, which was in effect before March 31, 1982, or under the Panama Canal Employment System, which became effective on March 31, 1982. (Appointments of such persons for temporary or term employment are to be made under applicable provisions of part 316 of this chapter.)

Service requirement. An agency may appoint such a former employee under this section only when, immediately prior to separation from a qualifying appointment, the employee served continuously for at least one year under a nontemporary appointment in the Canal Zone Merit System, the Panama Canal Employment System, or a combination of the two systems.

Time limits. (1) There is no time limit on the appointment under this section of an employee who:

Is a preference eligible; or

Has completed at least 3 years of service, which did not include any break in service longer than 30 days, under one or more career-conditional or career appointments in the Canal Zone Merit System and/or the Panama Canal Employment System.

An agency may appoint under this section an employee who does not meet the conditions in (c)(1) of this section provided no more than 3 years have elapsed since:

separation from a qualifying Canal Zone Merit System or Panama Canal Employment System appointment; or

separation from service in Panama in a position excluded from the Canal Zone Merit System or Panama Canal Employment System, when such service immediately followed service under a qualifying appointment in one of those systems.

Tenure on appointment. On appointment under paragraph (a) of this section: (1) A former career employee of the Canal Zone Merit System or Panama Canal Employment System becomes a career employee.

A former Canal Zone Merit System and/or Panama Canal Employment System employee whose service from the date of career-conditional appointment in the Canal Zone Merit System or Panama Canal Employment System through the date of noncompetitive appointment under this section, inclusive, does not include any break in service of more than 30 days and totals at least 3 years becomes a career employee.

All other former Canal Zone Merit System and Panama Canal Employment System employees become career-conditional employees.

Acquisition of competitive status. A person appointed under paragraph (a) of this section automatically acquires a competitive status:

On appointment, if he or she has satisfactorily completed a 1-year probationary period under the Canal Zone Merit System and/or the Panama Canal Employment System.

On satisfactory completion of probation in accordance with § 315.80 (a)(3) if he or she had not completed a 1-year probationary period under the Canal Zone Merit System or Panama Canal Employment System.