IPMA-HR PO-EL cheat sheet

Merit system principles (5 U.S.C. §2301) prohibit appointment or advancement based on political affiliation, marital status, or nepotism; violations are adjudicated by the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Civil service reform eras: Pendleton Act (1883) created merit-based selection; Civil Service Reform Act (1978) split OPM (management), MSPB (adjudication), and FLRA (labor relations).

Line authority: HR staff advise and set policy but supervisors retain authority to select, discipline, and rate performance; HR holds functional (staff) authority only.

Span of control = number of direct reports per supervisor; narrow spans add supervisory layers, wide spans flatten the hierarchy and increase delegation.

Centralized HR suits uniform policy and small agencies; decentralized HR speeds service but risks inconsistent application and compliance drift.

Position management controls total FTE; FTE = total paid hours divided by the agency's defined full-time hours per year (often 2,080).

Public-sector HR is constrained by open-records, due-process, and appropriations law in ways private HR is not; personnel actions must be documented and defensible.

Strategic HR alignment: workforce plan derives from the agency strategic plan, then budget, then position classification and recruitment actions.

Job analysis is the foundation: it produces the job description (duties) and job specification (minimum qualifications); all selection devices must be job-related.

Validity types: criterion-related (predictive/concurrent), content (sample of job tasks), and construct; reliability is necessary but not sufficient for validity.

Rule of three (or five): appointing authority may select from the top-ranked eligible candidates on a certificate; veterans' preference adds points and moves names upward.

Structured interviews with behaviorally anchored rating scales raise inter-rater reliability; unstructured interviews add adverse impact risk and low predictive validity.

Adverse impact rule of thumb (four-fifths rule): selection rate for a protected group below 80% of the highest group's rate is evidence of adverse impact.

Yield ratios and time-to-fill measure recruitment efficiency; cost-per-hire = total recruiting costs divided by number of hires.

Onboarding phases: preboarding (paperwork, credentials), orientation (mission, policies, benefits), and socialization (mentoring, 30-60-90 day goals).

Probationary periods permit simplified separation but do not remove due-process obligations for pre-appointment or constitutional claims.

Pay comparability: the general schedule uses surveys of private and non-federal pay to set annual adjustments; locality pay adjusts for regional labor markets.

Classification factors under point-factor systems: knowledge required, supervision received, guidelines, complexity, scope and effect, contacts, and physical demands.

Equal pay for equal work: within-grade and classification equity reviews compare substantially similar positions; unjustified pay disparities require correction.

Compensatory time in lieu of overtime is limited for non-exempt employees under the FLSA; public agencies may use it only within statutory caps.

Benefits cost drivers: health insurance premiums, pension (defined benefit) contributions, and leave accrual; vesting schedules govern pension entitlement.

Total compensation = base pay + premium pay + benefits + employer retirement contributions; comparisons must use total compensation, not salary alone.

Position classification appeal rights and accretion-of-duties: duties that permanently expand may justify reclassification rather than out-of-cycle pay.

Pay compression occurs when subordinate pay approaches supervisor pay; remedies include market adjustments and range restructuring.

Weingarten rights: a union-represented employee may request representation during an investigatory interview the employee reasonably believes may lead to discipline.

Progressive discipline sequence: verbal warning, written reprimand, suspension, demotion, removal; each step requires documented due process and consistency.

Just cause elements (common arbitral test): notice, reasonable rule, investigation, fair and objective investigation, proof, equal treatment, and appropriate penalty.

Grievance procedure steps typically run supervisor, department head, HR, then binding arbitration; timelines are mandatory and failure to file can waive the right.

Unfair labor practice charges go to the FLRA for federal employees and to state public employment relations boards for state/local employees.

Mandatory subjects of bargaining include wages, hours, and working conditions; permissive subjects (e.g., some mission decisions) are not required to be bargained.

Impasse resolution in public sector: mediation, fact-finding, and in some jurisdictions binding arbitration; strikes are prohibited for most public employees.

Documentation standards: contemporaneous, specific, behavior-based records; conclusory labels and undated notes weaken just-cause defenses.

Title VII protected classes: race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions), and national origin; retaliation is separately actionable.

Disparate treatment requires discriminatory intent; disparate impact requires a neutral policy with adverse effect and no job-related business necessity.

ADA: qualified individual with a disability entitled to reasonable accommodation absent undue hardship; interactive process is required and documented.

ADEA protects workers 40 and older; disparate impact claims under ADEA require showing that age was the factor making a difference.

Affirmative action plans require availability analysis, utilization comparison, and good-faith goals (not quotas) with documented action steps.

Harassment standard: unwelcome conduct based on protected status that is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile work environment; employer liability turns on notice and response.

Retaliation prevention: protect complainants and witnesses, document the legitimate nondiscriminatory reason, and preserve evidence under a litigation hold.

EEO complaint timelines (federal sector): contact an EEO counselor within 45 days of the discriminatory action, file a formal complaint within 15 days of notice of the right to file.

Training needs assessment levels: organizational (strategy, resources), task (job analysis, KSAs), and person (who needs what); results drive objectives.

Kirkpatrick four levels: reaction, learning, behavior, results; evaluation design should include pre/post measures and a control or comparison group where feasible.

SMART performance elements: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound; each element needs a written performance standard.

Rating errors: halo (one trait colors all), leniency/severity, central tendency, recency, and similar-to-me bias; calibrate with anchored examples.

Performance improvement plan (PIP): written deficiencies, specific standards, support offered, review dates, and consequences; must be documented before adverse action.

Individual development plan links employee goals to organizational competencies and includes training, stretch assignments, and mentoring.

Return on investment for training = (benefits minus costs) divided by costs; level 4 results need business metrics, not satisfaction scores.

Supervisory probation and mandatory training (ethics, EEO, safety) are compliance items; completion tracking belongs in the LMS record.

OSHA general duty clause: employer must furnish a workplace free of recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm where a feasible abatement exists.

Recordkeeping: work-related injuries and illnesses meeting criteria are logged on the OSHA 300 log; fatalities reported within 8 hours, in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, or eye loss within 24 hours.

Workers' compensation is no-fault; benefits cover medical costs and wage replacement, and retaliation for filing a claim is prohibited.

Hazard control hierarchy: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, then PPE as the last line of defense.

FMLA (where applicable) provides 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for qualifying reasons; employer may require medical certification.

Substance abuse programs: reasonable suspicion testing, employee assistance referral, and last-chance agreements must be applied consistently.

Workplace violence prevention: threat assessment team, reporting channels, and site risk assessment; public-facing agencies face elevated risk.

Wellness program design must comply with ADA and GINA voluntariness and confidentiality rules when health risk assessments or incentives are used.

Core HRIS modules: personnel records, position control, time and attendance, payroll, benefits enrollment, and learning management; integration reduces duplicate entry.

Data governance: role-based access, audit trails, retention schedules, and PII minimization; public records law may require disclosure of certain HR data.

Key metrics: turnover rate = separations divided by average headcount; vacancy rate = vacant positions divided by authorized positions.

Cost-per-hire, time-to-fill, offer acceptance rate, and first-year attrition measure recruitment effectiveness; define the calculation before benchmarking.

Dashboard design: leading indicators (applicant flow, training completion) predict; lagging indicators (turnover, injury rates) confirm outcomes.

System security: multifactor authentication, encryption at rest and in transit, and vendor risk review for cloud SaaS HR systems.

Data quality controls: edit checks, mandatory fields, and periodic reconciliation between HRIS, payroll, and the financial system.

Automation and AI screening tools require adverse impact testing and human review; selection rules must remain job-related and documented.

Hatch Act: most federal employees may not engage in partisan political activity while on duty, in the workplace, or using government resources; further restrictions apply to certain agencies.

Ethics rules restrict gifts from prohibited sources, outside employment, and misuse of public office for private gain; recusal is required when impartiality is questioned.

Whistleblower protections prohibit retaliation for disclosing waste, fraud, abuse, or illegality; channels include inspectors general and the Office of Special Counsel.

Procurement integrity: separation of duties among requisition, approval, and payment; conflicts of interest must be disclosed and documented.

Records retention: personnel records follow published schedules; destroying records under litigation hold or open records request is a violation.

Internal controls framework (COSO): control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, and monitoring.

Audit readiness: reconciliations, approvals, and exception logs; findings recur when corrective action plans lack owners and deadlines.

Confidentiality limits: medical and personnel data are shared on a need-to-know basis; unauthorized access is both a privacy and an ethics violation.