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Our country’s long and proud history of a civil service that is merit-based and nonpartisan is crucial to the effective operations of the federal government. To uphold that history it helps to know the principles behind it.
That’s why NTEU encourages you to be familiar with the Merit System Principles (MSPs) and Prohibited Personnel Practices (PPPs).
The MSPs are nine tenets that govern the management of the executive branch workforce. PPPs are 13 employment-related actions that are banned in the federal government. Together, the MSPs and PPPs establish how the federal workforce should be managed.
These principles are enforced by the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). It is the role of the MSPB and the MSPB’s Office of the Special Counsel to guard those principles and investigate allegations of violations. NTEU also uses our negotiated grievance procedures to enforce employees’ rights in this area. The MSPs and PPSs were established under the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act, which provides vital workplace protections and transparency in government.
NTEU members with concerns or questions about their rights should visit their union office.
Here are the MSPs and PPPs:
The Merit System Principles
1. Recruit a diverse pool of applicants. Hold fair and open competition. Select the best-qualified applicants.
2. Treat employees and applicants fairly and equitably. Respect employees’ privacy and constitutional rights.
3. Equal pay for equal work. Recognize and reward performance.
4. Hold employees to high standards of integrity. Put the public interest first.
5. Use the workforce efficiently and effectively.
6. Retain employees based on performance. Effectively address poor performance.
7. Provide employees with effective training and development.
8. Protect employees against arbitrary action, favoritism and political coercion and ban using official positions to influence election outcomes.
9. Protect employees against reprisal for whistleblowing.
The Prohibited Personnel Practices
Any employee who has authority to take, direct others to take, recommend, or approve any personnel action, shall not:
1. Discriminate on any protected basis, such as race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or political affiliation.
2. Consider any reference or recommendation about an individual that is not based on their qualifications or performance.
3. Coerce political activity or base a personnel action on political activity or inactivity.
4. Obstruct any person’s right to compete for employment.
5. Influence any person to withdraw from competition.
6. Grant any unauthorized preference to an employee or applicant.
7. Be involved in hiring or promotion decisions involving a relative.
8. Take or influence a personnel action in reprisal for whistleblowing.
9. Take or influence a personnel action in reprisal for filing a grievance, complaint or appeal, testifying or refusing to obey an unlawful order.
10. Discriminate on the basis of conduct that is not job-related.
11. Take or influence a personnel action that violates any veterans’ preference requirement.
12. Take or influence a personnel action that violates a law or ruling implementing merit systems principles.
13. Implement or enforce an improper ban on communications with Congress, an Inspector General or whistleblowing.
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