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5 CFR § 351.704 - Rights and prohibitions.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t5/s351.704"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "5 CFR § 351.704 - Rights and prohibitions."
title_number: 5
title_name: "Administrative Personnel"
section_number: "351.704"
section_name: "Rights and prohibitions."
chapter_name: "OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT"
subchapter_number: "B"
subchapter_name: "CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS"
part_number: "351"
part_name: "REDUCTION IN FORCE"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "5 U.S.C. 1302, 3502, 3503; E.O. 14284, 90 FR 17729; 5 CFR 2.2(c). Sec. 351.801 also issued under E.O. 12828, 58 FR 2965."
regulatory_source: "51 FR 319, Jan. 3, 1986, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "351"
---

# 351.704 Rights and prohibitions.

(a)(1) An agency may satisfy an employee's right to assignment under § 351.701 by assignment to a vacant position under § 351.201(b), or by assignment under any applicable administrative assignment provisions of § 351.705, to a position having a representative rate equal to that the employee would be entitled under § 351.701. An agency may also offer an employee assignment under § 351.201(b) to a vacant position in lieu of separation by reduction in force under 5 CFR part 351. Any offer of assignment under § 351.201(b) to a vacant position must meet the requirements set forth under § 351.701.

(2) An agency may, at its discretion, choose to offer a vacant other-than-full-time position to a full-time employee or to offer a vacant full-time position to an other-than-full-time employee in lieu of separation by reduction in force.

(b) Section 351.701 does not:

(1) Authorize or permit an agency to assign an employee to a position having a higher representative rate;

(2) Authorize or permit an agency to displace a full-time employee by an other-than-full-time employee, or to satisfy an other-than-full-time employee's right to assignment by assigning the employee to a vacant full-time position.

(3) Authorize or permit an agency to displace an other-than-full-time employee by a full-time employee, or to satisfy a full-time employee's right to assignment by assigning the employee to a vacant other-than-full-time position.

(4) Authorize or permit an agency to assign a competing employee to a temporary position (*i.e.,* a position under an appointment not to exceed 1 year), except as an offer of assignment in lieu of separation by reduction in force under this part when the employee has no right to a position under § 351.701 or § 351.704(a)(1) of this part. This option does not preclude an agency from, as an alternative, also using a temporary position to reemploy a competing employee following separation by reduction in force under this part.

(5) Authorize or permit an agency to displace an employee or to satisfy a competing employee's right to assignment by assigning the employee to a position with a different type of work schedule (e.g., full-time, part-time, intermittent, or seasonal) than the position from which the employee is released.

[51 FR 319, Jan. 3, 1986, as amended at 56 FR 65417, Dec. 17, 1991; 60 FR 3063, Jan. 13, 1995; 63 FR 63591, Nov. 16, 1998]