New Recruitment Programs

The Division of Personnel introduces two new recruitment initiatives: the U.S. Army's Partnership for Your Success (PaYS) Program and the Retirees' Reentering Program (RRP).

The PaYS Program ensures that qualified soldiers are given an interview and potential employment opportunities upon leaving the Army. It fosters partnerships between the Army and businesses, aiming to attract high-quality individuals to serve in the all-volunteer Army. The PaYS Program partners gain access to skilled employees with professional work ethics and the integrity associated with an Army background.

The Retirees' Reentering Program addresses workforce shortages in the Government of the Virgin Islands by bringing retired professionals back into service. During membership in the RRP, retirees can receive their annuities from the Government Employee Retirement System (GERS) while contributing their skills to the Virgin Islands workforce.

The Partnership for Your Success Program

The Government of the Virgin Islands, through the Division of Personnel, has forged a partnership with the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and their PaYS Program. This initiative serves as a valuable resource for our servicemen and women as they transition back to civilian life, reaffirming our steadfast support and commitment to our soldiers during their shift from military to civilian roles.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Originating in 2000 as an enlistment incentive for Regular Army enlisted Soldiers, the PaYS Program has evolved into a comprehensive support system for service members transitioning into civilian life. The PaYS Partners guarantee Soldiers an interview and possible employment after the Army. This unique program is part of the Army's effort to partner with America's business community and reconnect America with its Army.

ELIGIBILITY

The PaYS Program presents a significant benefit for individuals enlisted in the US Army, US Army Reserve, US Army National Guard, or those participating in ROTC PaYS Cadet programs by providing a pathway to future career opportunities upon completion of service.

Qualified PaYS participants who meet the job vacancy eligibility criteria will undergo interviews with the Hiring Agency with the Government of the Virgin Islands.
It is crucial to emphasize that while the PaYS Program facilitates these connections, it does not guarantee employment; instead, it places the responsibility on each soldier to diligently prepare for their interviews.
If there are no immediate employment opportunities available at the time of separation, eligible candidates will have the opportunity to interview when positions become available.

HOW TO APPLY

If you are a service men or women transitioning to civilian life, please visit the PaYS Program website or contact your transition counselor for further instructions.

Retirees' Reentering Program

The Retirees’ Reentering Program was developed to address the workforce shortfalls in the Government of the Virgin Islands as well as bring back into service the needed professional skills of retired employees. While making sure that these retired employees are able to receive their annuities from the Government Employee Retirement System (GERS) as they fulfill their employment responsibilities as part of the Government of the Virgin Islands workforce.

This program is governed by ACT No. 8560, as amended by ACT No. 8690; Title 3 V.I.C. Chapter 27, Section 706; Chapter 28A, Section 755; and Chapter 25, Section 492a, (Click her to view: Rules and Regulations for Retirees Rentering Government Service) which establishes guidelines for retirees seeking to reenter government service while maintaining their annuity. The Division of Personnel is responsible for creating these regulations to ensure a consistent hiring process within all government agencies. These rules supersede any prior regulations and are applicable to all government sectors.

The Retirees Reentering Program (RRP) is a strategic initiative to harness the expertise and experience of retired government employees to fill critical workforce gaps in public service. Governed by a comprehensive legislative framework, this program offers a pathway for retirees to return to government service in hard-to-fill positions without forfeiting their annuities, thus presenting a win-win scenario for both the government and the retirees.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicants for this program MUST be a retired member of the Government Employment Retirement System (GERS).
The retiree MUST be qualified and competent for the duties of the position they are to be employed in.
They must have been retired for a minimum of nine months, from the effective date of retirement.
Applicants MUST only apply to vacant hard-to-fill positions.
Reentry into government service is ONLY through an appointment.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT

Employment under this program is temporary, with participation limited to thirty-six consecutive months with mandatory completion. Multiple terms in this program are prohibited.

Government Employment Retirement System

Retirees MUST provide written notification to GERS of their reemployment.
Retirees MUST pay retirement contributions their employment in this program to the retirement system via withholding.
The participant retirement annuity is maintained during the membership period but canceled upon completion of employment in the RRP program.
Contributions paid to GERS are not refundable after the end of program completion.
A retiree’s annuity will remain the same after the termination or completion of the RRP.

Leave

Retirees earn (4) hours annual and (4) hours sick leave during reemployment.
A retiree is not entitled to a lump sum payment of accumulated annual leave at the completion or termination of employment through this program.

Unions

For unionized positions, retirees MUST comply with the position’s applicable union and/or collective bargaining agreement.

PROGRAM TERMS FOR NURSES, TEACHERS, AND POLICE OFFICERS

Participants in this program are limited to one single period of two calendar years, consecutively from their effective rehire date without affecting their retired status; multiple terms are not allowed.
Completing a full two-year membership of the RRP is not mandatory.
If a member leaves government service before completing the full two-year membership, they cannot reenter the RRP to complete the remainder of the term.
During the two-year RRP membership period, reentering retirees do not contribute to the retirement system.
At the end of the two-year RRP period, if the retiree remains employed, their service retirement annuity is cancelled, they cease to be an RRP member, and resume contributing to the retirement system.
Upon subsequent retirement, the retiree receives a retirement annuity consisting of the previous annuity amount plus additional annuity earned during reemployment.
If the retiree serves at least three years during reemployment, their retirement annuity is recalculated based on the retirement system provisions in effect at the latest retirement date and considering the entire service period.
The recalculated retirement annuity cannot be less than the originally granted annuity amount.

INSURANCE COVERAGE

Reentering retirees are required to show proof of credible health insurance coverage. Enrolling in the government health insurance plan under this program will be implemented as follows:
All reentering retirees 65 years of age and over must maintain their then existing health insurance coverage with the respective carrier. The insurance premiums of these rehires must continue to be withheld from their annuity check.
All reentering retirees under 65 years of age must be enrolled in the then current Government Health Insurance Benefits for active GVI employees. The insurance premiums of these rehires must be withheld from their active government employment salary.

EMPLOYMENT TIME LIMITATIONS

If there is a compelling reason, such as reasonable delays or events which are not foreseeable by any party, such as acts of God this includes both natural and man-made events like fires, floods, storms, war, and labor disputes. The Director of Personnel may extend any of the time limits provided in this document by not more than 60 days.

ENFORCEMENT

In the first 365 days of implementation of the RRP, a biennial audit of the program shall occur. Thereafter, an annual audit shall occur. The Division of Personnel for central government agencies or the respective agency head for all other entities shall be responsible for conducting any audit under this program to ensure compliance with these Regulations. Any individual(s) found to be in violation of these rules may be subject to disciplinary action. The Division of Personnel will establish a standard operating procedure for conducting such audits.

The hiring agency must adhere to standard GVI hiring practices and procedures, including creating job requisitions, posting vacancies, and conducting interviews.
Before starting the Notice of Personnel Action (NOPA) process, the human resources officer must submit a rehire request to the Hiring Agency Head (HAH), providing reasons for reemployment, evidence of the position's difficulty to fill, and details of recruitment efforts.
The HR Officer can ONLY proceed with the hiring process after written approval from the HAH. They entity must finalize the referred list, close the job requisition, and obtain a new employee number through the Division of Personnel.
Retiree’s employment must follow the NOPA process or the regular agency method, excluding recipients of competitively bid professional services contracts.
Within 30 days of rehiring, the hiring agency must notify the Division of Personnel of each rehire under this program, including the Chief of the Group Health Insurance Office in the correspondence.

Agencies requesting to rehire retiree nurses, teachers, or police officers for positions within their respective fields are not required to prove that these positions are hard to fill. They are automatically deemed hard to fill, except for substitute teacher positions, which require proof of difficulty in filling.

These agencies are not required to establish a record of recruitment efforts during the posting period of vacancies for these positions.

They are also not obligated to develop a detailed recruitment or succession plan to fill the respective vacancies on a permanent basis.

General Exceptions

The exceptions numbered 706-61 to 706-63 are specifically designed for retirees reentering service within the Judicial and Legislative Branches of the Government. Any situation not explicitly addressed by these exceptions will be managed according to the general terms of the regulations. It's important to interpret these exceptions in combination with the overall regulations to ensure full compliance and understanding.

Eligibility Exceptions for Judiciary and Legislature

Retirees can rejoin the government service within the Judicial and Legislative Branches either by appointment or contract, adhering to general regulations and specific exceptions. For these branches, job vacancies do not need a three-month posting period, allowing eligible retirees to be rehired as soon as positions are advertised.

Hiring Exceptions for Judiciary and Legislature

For retirees reentering government service under this exception, the employment process does not have to follow the Notice of Personnel Action (NOPA) or the hiring agency's regular employment methods, except for professional services contracts via competitive bidding. Additionally, these employing entities are not obligated to document recruitment efforts or create detailed recruitment/succession plans for filling vacancies on a permanent basis.

Retired individuals interested in applying for hard-to-fill job openings are encouraged to visit our website, dopusvi.org. Once there, navigate to the "Career Seekers" page and select "Vacancies" or visit governmentjobs.com/careers/dopusvi. Look for positions labeled as "continuous" postings.

Retirees should complete the online application, check the supplemental question that refers to the legislation and attach a copy of their retirement NOPA as per eligibility criteria per applicable legislation.
Once deemed qualified by the Director of the Division of Personnel, the retiree’s name will be sent on a referred list to the agency.
Agency will conduct and document the interview/selection process and complete the re-entering retiree form and attach justification for approval by the Director of Personnel.

Please Note:

Positions classified as hard-to-fill are those that fail to attract candidates within the standard 10-day posting period. These vacancies are then marked for inclusion in our continuous recruitment program on the website.

Once a position is listed in the continuous recruitment program (for a duration of 6 months), it is officially recognized as hard-to-fill, allowing retirees to apply for these vacancies.

New Recruitment Programs

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