Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience.
Q:
Can any GS lower grade level supervise a GS-12 supervisor? Where, in OPM regulations, does it say non-supervisory personnel can supervise a supervisor?
A:
I don’t know the specific situation well enough to comment specifically. However, there is nothing in OPM regulations that prohibits an agency from temporarily designating someone in a nonsupervisory position as a supervisor. I have also seen rare situations where a lower graded employee is designated as the supervisor of higher graded employees. While not preferred or ordinary, what matters most is the designation of supervisory authority by higher up.
Bill Bransford is managing partner of Shaw, Bransford & Roth, PC.
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