[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 5, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 5CFR5.1]

[Page 11]
 
                    TITLE 5--ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL
 
                CHAPTER I--OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
 
PART 5_REGULATIONS, INVESTIGATION, AND ENFORCEMENT 
(RULE V)--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 5.1  Civil Service regulations.

    The Director, Office of Personnel Management, shall promulgate and 
enforce regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of the Civil 
Service Act and the Veterans' Preference Act, as reenacted in title 5, 
United States Code, the Civil Service Rules, and all other statutes and 
Executive orders imposing responsibilities on the Office. The Director 
is authorized, whenever there are practical difficulties and unnecessary 
hardships in complying with the strict letter of the regulation, to 
grant a variation from the strict letter of the regulation if such a 
variation is within the spirit of the regulations, and the efficiency of 
the Government and the integrity of the competitive service are 
protected and promoted. Whenever a variation is granted the Director 
shall note the official record to show:
    (a) The particular practical difficulty or hardship involved, (b) 
what is permitted in place of what is required by regulations, (c) the 
circumstances which protect or promote the efficiency of the Government 
and the integrity of the competitive service, and (d) a statement 
limiting the application of the variation to the continuation of the 
conditions which gave rise to it. Like variations shall be granted 
whenever like conditions exist. All such decisions and information 
concerning variations noted in the official record shall be published 
promptly in a Federal Personnel Manual Letter or Bulletin and in the 
Director's next annual report.