Defense & Intelligence Policy, Business and Technology

Defense Spells Out Broad Swath of Civilians Exempt From Hiring Freeze

Government Executive: Defense Department components will have broad authority to exempt positions from President Trump’s hiring freeze, according to guidance the Pentagon issued Thursday.

A senior Defense official conceded the hiring moratorium will have an impact on the operations of the department, but said the freeze will provide an opportunity to identify its most critical positions. Going forward, specific exemptions will be spelled out by the secretaries of each service, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff’s office, the inspector general’s office or the deputy chief management officer. Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work, who signed the guidance, created five different categories of potential exemption: positions necessary to meet national security or public safety responsibilities, those determined additionally necessary by the aforementioned officials, exemptions required by law, exemptions that do not require approval and those that require advanced coordination with department leadership.

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