253.42—Appointments from registers.
(a)
Except as provided by paragraph (d) of this section, a “Canal Area Career-Conditional Appointment” shall be given to an eligible selected from a register for other than temporary or term appointment.
(b)
Upon completion by the appointee of 3 years of creditable service, his career-conditional appointment shall be automatically converted to a “Canal Area Career Appointment.” As used in this paragraph, “creditable service” means all substantially continuous service with the Federal Government since initial non-temporary civilian appointment, including any service in the competitive or excepted service, or intervening service in the legislative or judicial branches or in the Armed Forces of the United States. A break in service of 30 days or less shall be considered substantially continuous service. Breaks in service of more than 30 days shall not be considered substantially continuous service unless the head of the agency excepts particular types of cases from this requirement. In making such exceptions, the agency will be guided by the instructions published for the competitive service in the Federal Personnel Manual.
(c)
An eligible given a Canal Area Career-Conditional Appointment shall be required to serve a probationary period of 1 year. Prior Federal service may be counted toward completion of the probationary period as provided in the Federal Personnel Manual. The employing agency shall utilize the probationary period as fully as possible to determine the fitness of the employee and shall terminate his services during such period if he fails to demonstrate fully his qualifications for continued employment. The employee shall automatically acquire a merit status upon satisfactory completion of probation.
(d)
An eligible selected from a register for other than a temporary or term appointment shall be given a Canal Area Career Appointment if:
(1)
He is a Federal employee serving under a career appointment in the competitive service, a permanent appointment in the excepted service, or a Canal Area Career Appointment;
(2)
He is a former Federal employee who once met the service requirement for a career appointment in the competitive service, a permanent appointment in the excepted service, a Canal Zone Career Appointment, or a Canal Area Career Appointment.
(e)
An eligible selected from a register for career appointment shall be required to serve a probationary period, subject to the same conditions as apply to a career-conditional appointment.