This Directive was canceled February 3, 2004.

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

June 28, 1996

Chapter 3: Assignment and Utilization of Employees
Section 3: Detail of Employees

Par.

1. Purpose

2. References

3. Policy

4. Definition of a Detail

5. Approval Authority and Documentation

6. Use of Details

7. Restrictions

8. Responsibilities

1. PURPOSE. To set forth provisions for detailing Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) employees to non-Senior Executive Service positions.

2. REFERENCES.

   Title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 3341.

3. POLICY. Details within the FHWA will be used primarily for meeting temporary needs in the FHWA work program and will be confined to the shortest period of time possible.

4. DEFINITION OF A DETAIL. Detail is an official personnel action by which an employee is temporarily assigned, for a specified period of time, to duties and responsibilities other than those of his or herpermanent position. The employee receives the salary attached to his or her permanent position while on detail.

5. APPROVAL AUTHORITY AND DOCUMENTATION. Unit Managers are authorized to approve details within their respective delegations of authority. A Standard Form SF-52, Request for Personnel Action, recording the detail, or terminating it, will be prepared by the losing office in consultation with the gaining office and will be processed by the servicing personnel office. See attached Summary Chart for time limits, approval and documentation requirements.

6. USE OF DETAILS. The duties may be at a higher or lower grade or the same grade performed in a different organization unit. Employee clearances must be compatible with the security requirements of detail positions. If an employee is not authorized to perform the full scope of duties of the position, there should be a written statement documenting which duties may or may not be performed. Details to a supervisory or managerial position exceeding 30 days must be processed as a temporary promotion. The following are examples of when details may be appropriate:

   1. to address emergency work situations,

   2. to offset temporary staffing or workload imbalances, and under these conditions, as an option to minimize overtime,

   3. to fill positions needing to be staffed pending reduction-in-force assignment determinations, the classifications of positions pending a reorganization, or during a commercial activity study,

   4. to permit employee developmental assignments not involving an official position change, and

   5. to permit personnel exchanges under Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignments.

7. RESTRICTIONS.

   1. The following restrictions on use of details apply:

      1) details to higher graded positions or positions with more promotion potential must be made under competitive procedures if they go beyond 120 days,

      2) details in excess of 120 days to unclassified duties must be documented with an SF-52, position description, and an OF-8, and

      3) details exceeding 120 days must be extended in increments of no more than 120 days.

8. RESPONSIBILITIES.

   1. Supervisors. Supervisors are responsible for coordinating the detail between the gaining and losing organization and for preparing the proper documentation, including providing a description of duties, developing critical job elements and performance standards, and arranging training to develop supervisory competencies for employees detailed for more than 6 months to a supervisory position.

   2. Employees. Employees may be directed to perform work other than that ordinarily performed and different from those duties set forth in their official position descriptions. Employees are expected to cooperate by accepting and carrying out such temporary assignments. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.

      SUMMARY CHART

Time periods are expressed in calendar days.

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