[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 5, Volume 2, Parts 700 to 1199]
[Revised as of January 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 5CFR900.603]

[Page 488]
 
                    TITLE 5--ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL
 
          CHAPTER I--OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (Continued)
 
PART 900--INTERGOVERNMENTAL PERSONNEL ACT PROGRAMS--Table of Contents
 
   Subpart F--Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration
 
Sec. 900.603  Standards for a merit system of personnel administration.

    The quality of public service can be improved by the development of 
systems of personnel administration consistent with such merit 
principles as--
    (a) Recruiting, selecting, and advancing employees on the basis of 
their relative ability, knowledge, and skills, including open 
consideration of qualified applicants for initial appointment.
    (b) Providing equitable and adequate compensation.
    (c) Training employees, as needed, to assure high quality 
performance.
    (d) Retaining employees on the basis of the adequacy of their 
performance, correcting inadequate performance, and separating employees 
whose inadequate performance cannot be corrected.
    (e) Assuring fair treatment of applicants and employees in all 
aspects of personnel administration without regard to political 
affiliation, race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, age or 
handicap and with proper regard for their privacy and constitutional 
rights as citizens. This ``fair treatment'' principle includes 
compliance with the Federal equal employment opportunity and 
nondiscrimination laws.
    (f) Assuring that employees are protected against coercion for 
partisan political purposes and are prohibited from using their official 
authority for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of 
an election or a nomination for office.