[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 5, Volume 3]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 5CFR1201.3]

[Page 11-13]
 
                    TITLE 5--ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL
 
               CHAPTER II--MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD
 
PART 1201_PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES--Table of Contents
 
                 Subpart A_Jurisdiction and Definitions
 
Sec.  1201.3  Appellate jurisdiction.

    (a) Generally. The Board has jurisdiction over appeals from agency 
actions when the appeals are authorized by law, rule, or regulation. 
These include appeals from the following actions:
    (1) Reduction in grade or removal for unacceptable performance (5 
CFR part 432; 5 U.S.C. 4303(e));
    (2) Removal, reduction in grade or pay, suspension for more than 14 
days, or furlough for 30 days or less for cause that will promote the 
efficiency of the service. (5 CFR part 752, subparts C and D; 5 U.S.C. 
7511-7514);
    (3) Removal, or suspension for more than 14 days, of a career 
appointee in the Senior Executive Service (5 CFR part 752, subparts E 
and F; 5 U.S.C. 7541-7543);
    (4) Reduction-in-force action affecting a career appointee in the 
Senior Executive Service (5 U.S.C. 3595);
    (5) Reconsideration decision sustaining a negative determination of 
competence for a general schedule employee (5 CFR 531.410; 5 U.S.C. 
5335(c));
    (6) Determinations affecting the rights or interests of an 
individual or of the United States under the Civil Service Retirement 
System or the Federal Employees' Retirement System (5 CFR parts 831, 
839, 842, 844, and 846; 5 U.S.C. 8347(d)(1)-(2) and 8461 (e)(1); and 5 
U.S.C. 8331 note, Federal Erroneous Retirement Coverage Corrections Act)
    (7) Disqualification of an employee or applicant because of a 
suitability determination (5 CFR 731.501);
    (8) Termination of employment during probation or the first year of 
a veterans readjustment appointment when:
    (i) The employee alleges discrimination because of partisan 
political reasons or marital status; or
    (ii) The termination was based on conditions arising before 
appointment and the employee alleges that the action is procedurally 
improper (5 CFR 315.806, 38 U.S.C. 4214(b)(1)(E));
    (9) Termination of appointment during a managerial or supervisory 
probationary period when the employee alleges discrimination because of 
partisan political affiliation or marital status (5 CFR 315.908(b));
    (10) Separation, demotion, or furlough for more than 30 days, when 
the action was effected because of a reduction in force (5 CFR 351.901);
    (11) Furlough of a career appointee in the Senior Executive Service 
(5 CFR 359.805);
    (12) Failure to restore, improper restoration of, or failure to 
return following a leave of absence an employee or former employee of an 
agency in the executive branch (including the U.S. Postal Service and 
the Postal Rate Commission) following partial or full recovery from a 
compensable injury (5 CFR 353.304);
    (13) Employment of another applicant when the person who wishes to 
appeal to the Board is entitled to priority employment consideration 
after a reduction-in-force action, or after partial or full recovery 
from a compensable injury (5 CFR 302.501, 5 CFR 330.209);
    (14) Failure to reinstate a former employee after service under the 
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (5 CFR 352.508);
    (15) Failure to re-employ a former employee after movement between 
executive agencies during an emergency (5 CFR 352.209);
    (16) Failure to re-employ a former employee after detail or transfer 
to an international organization (5 CFR 352.313);
    (17) Failure to re-employ a former employee after service under the 
Indian Self-Determination Act (5 CFR 352.707);
    (18) Failure to re-employ a former employee after service under the 
Taiwan Relations Act (5 CFR 352.807);
    (19) Employment practices administered by the Office of Personnel 
Management to examine and evaluate the

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qualifications of applicants for appointment in the competitive service 
(5 CFR 300.104); and
    (20) Reduction-in-force action affecting a career or career 
candidate appointee in the Foreign Service (Pub. L. 103-236, Sec.  
181(a)(2), to be codified at 22 U.S.C. 4010a).
    (b)(1) Appeals under the Uniformed Services Employment and 
Reemployment Rights Act and the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act. 
Appeals filed under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment 
Rights Act (Public Law 103-353), as amended, and the Veterans Employment 
Opportunities Act (Public Law 105-339) are governed by part 1208 of this 
title. The provisions of subparts A, B, C, and F of part 1201 apply to 
appeals governed by part 1208 unless other specific provisions are made 
in that part. The provisions of subpart H of this part regarding awards 
of attorney fees apply to appeals governed by part 1208 of this title.
    (2) Appeals involving an allegation that the action was based on 
appellant's ``whistleblowing.'' Appeals of actions appealable to the 
Board under any law, rule, or regulation, in which the appellant alleges 
that the action was taken because of the appellant's ``whistleblowing'' 
[a violation of the prohibited personnel practice described in 5 U.S.C. 
2302(b)(8)), are governed by part 1209 of this title. The provisions of 
subparts B, C, E, F, and G of part 1201 apply to appeals and stay 
requests governed by part 1209 unless other specific provisions are made 
in that part. The provisions of subpart H of this part regarding awards 
of attorney fees and consequential damages under 5 U.S.C. 1221(g) apply 
to appeals governed by part 1209 of this chapter.
    (c) Limitations on appellate jurisdiction, collective bargaining 
agreements, and election of procedures:
    (1) For an employee covered by a collective bargaining agreement 
under 5 U.S.C. 7121, the negotiated grievance procedures contained in 
the agreement are the exclusive procedures for resolving any action that 
could otherwise be appealed to the Board, with the following exceptions:
    (i) An appealable action involving discrimination under 5 U.S.C. 
2302(b)(1), reduction in grade or removal under 5 U.S.C. 4303, or 
adverse action under 5 U.S.C. 7512, may be raised under the Board's 
appellate procedures, or under the negotiated grievance procedures, but 
not under both;
    (ii) An appealable action involving a prohibited personnel practice 
other than discrimination under 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(1) may be raised under 
not more than one of the following procedures:
    (A) The Board's appellate procedures;
    (B) The negotiated grievance procedures; or
    (C) The procedures for seeking corrective action from the Special 
Counsel under subchapters II and III of chapter 12 of title 5 of the 
United States Code.
    (iii) Except for actions involving discrimination under 5 U.S.C. 
2302(b)(1) or any other prohibited personnel practice, any appealable 
action that is excluded from the application of the negotiated grievance 
procedures may be raised only under the Board's appellate procedures.
    (2) Choice of procedure. When an employee has an option of pursuing 
an action under the Board's appeal procedures or under negotiated 
grievance procedures, the Board considers the choice between those 
procedures to have been made when the employee timely files an appeal 
with the Board or timely files a written grievance, whichever event 
occurs first. When an employee has the choice of pursuing an appealable 
action involving a prohibited personnel practice other than 
discrimination under 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(1) in accordance with paragraph 
(c)(1)(ii) of this section, the Board considers the choice among those 
procedures to have been made when the employee timely files an appeal 
with the Board, timely files a written grievance under the negotiated 
grievance procedure, or seeks corrective action from the Special Counsel 
by making an allegation under 5 U.S.C. 1214(a)(1), whichever event 
occurs first.
    (3) Review of discrimination grievances. If an employee chooses the 
negotiated grievance procedure under paragraph (c)(2) of this section 
and alleges discrimination as described at 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(1), then the 
employee, after having obtained a final decision under the negotiated 
grievance procedure, may

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ask the Board to review that final decision. The request must be filed 
with the Clerk of the Board in accordance with Sec.  1201.154.

[54 FR 53504, Dec. 29, 1989, as amended at 56 FR 41748, Aug. 23, 1991; 
59 FR 65235, Dec. 19, 1994; 61 FR 1, Jan. 2, 1996; 62 FR 17044, 17045, 
Apr. 9, 1997; 62 FR 66814, Dec. 22, 1997; 65 FR 5409, Feb. 4, 2000; 66 
FR 30635, June 7, 2001; 70 FR 30608, May 27, 2005]