HRDG 4752 - Disciplinary or Alternative Actions - Section J

A Prohibited Personnel Practice (PPP) is a violation of law, regulation, or procedure. It is important for all managers, supervisors, and ERS to be knowledgeable of and not engage in a PPP because a disciplinary action may be overturned by a third party review if the employee proves that there was a PPP involved. The following is an explanation and a summary list of PPP's taken from the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978:

Any employee who has authority to take, direct others to take, recommend, or approve any personnel action, shall not, with respect to such authority:

• Discriminate for or against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, marital status, or political affiliation;
• Solicit or consider any recommendation on a person who requests or is being considered for a personnel action unless the material is an evaluation of the person's work performance, ability, aptitude or general qualifications, or character, loyalty, and suitability;
• Use official authority to coerce political actions, to require political contributions, or to retaliate for refusal to do these things;
• Deceive or willfully obstruct any person with respect to such person's right to compete for employment;
• Influence any person to withdraw from competition for any position for the purpose of improving or injuring the prospects of any other person for employment;
• Grant any preference or advantage not authorized by law, rule, or regulation to any employee or applicant for employment;
• Appoint, employ, promote, or advance relatives in their agencies;
• Take or fail to take a personnel action as a reprisal against employees or applicants for employment who lawfully disclose violations of law, rule, or regulation; or mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety;
• Take or fail to take any personnel action against any employee or applicant for employment as a reprisal for the exercise of any appeal right;
• Discriminate for or against an employee or applicant on the basis of conduct which does not adversely affect the performance of the employee or applicant or the performance of others; and/or
• Take or fail to take any other personnel action in violation of a law, rule, or regulation directly related to merit system principles.