OMB and OPM Statement Regarding the Recent Federal Civilian Hiring Freeze

Postal employees see (4). Other Exemptions – D

1. Purpose: This memorandum provides additional guidance regarding the freeze on the hiring of federal civilian employees as directed by the President on January 20, 2025, via Presidential Memorandum (PM) entitled “Hiring Freeze.” This guidance clarifies immediate actions to be taken by Heads of executive departments and agencies to implement the PM and provides information on the types of exemptions authorized under this hiring freeze as well as instructions on how departments and agencies can request exemptions from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for critical situations where additional exemptions may be warranted.
2. Coverage. This memorandum applies to all Executive departments and agencies regardless of the sources of their operational and programmatic funding and to all types of Federal civilian appointments, regardless of the length of the appointment, except as provided for below or otherwise provided in law. No vacant positions existing at 11:59 A.M. on January 20, 2025, may be filled and no new positions may be created, except in limited circumstances. For the purposes of this memorandum, a position is not considered vacant if an individual has been given an offer of employment prior to noon on January 20, 2025, has signed an offer letter in acceptance of the position and has a designated start date on or before February 8, 2025. All positions that are not exempt from the hiring freeze must be unlisted from USAJOBS.gov and any other applicable websites no later than January 21. Any recruiters seeking to fill positions on behalf of the government must cease correspondence with candidates no later than January 21.

   Contracting outside the Government to circumvent the intent of the PM shall not be permitted. For example, agencies shall not acquire by contract with a commercial vendor service that are substantially similar to those that would have been provided by a Federal civilian in a vacancy covered by the PM.

3. Mandatory Exemptions. For the following exemptions, hiring of veterans shall be prioritized in accordance with veterans’ preference statutes. The following exemptions to the
   Federal civilian hiring freeze are required:

   a. Military personnel in the armed forces and all Federal uniformed personnel, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, and the Commissioned Officer Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
   b. Positions related to immigration enforcement, national security, or public safety.
   c. The nomination and appointment of officials to positions requiring Presidential appointment or Senate confirmation, the appointment of officials to non-career positions in the Senior Executive Service or to Schedule A or C positions in the Excepted Service, the appointment of officials through temporary organization hiring authority pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3161, or the appointment of any other non-career employees or officials, if approved by agency leadership appointed by the President. Agency heads shall consult with the OPM in determining the scope and extent of positions covered by these mandatory exemptions.

   4. Other exemptions. For the following exemptions, hiring of veterans may be prioritized. In addition, the following exemptions to the Federal civilian hiring freeze are permitted:
   a. Filling of positions under programs where limiting the hiring of personnel would conflict
   with applicable law.
   b. Nomination and appointment of officials to positions requiring Presidential appointment, with or without Senate confirmation.
   c. Appointment of seasonal employees and short-term temporary employees necessary to meet traditionally recurring seasonal workloads, provided that the agency informs its OMB Resource Management Office in writing in advance of its hiring plans.
   d. Hiring by the U.S. Postal Service

   Read full report here.