New Employee Onboarding: Resources
Our goal here at the USDA is to help our new employees feel welcomed, informed, and part of a great team. We understand that the cultivation of our employees is vital in ensuring the success of our organization.
To help you get better acclimated within your Agency or Program, please take some time to review the following resources.
The electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) is a system developed as a management solution to handle official personnel files and to simplify access to your Official Personnel Folder (OPF).
If you are a new employee - you will not have access to eOPF until after your first paycheck has been issued. If you are an employee transferring into AMS or APHIS, regaining access to eOPF will depend on steps taken by your losing Agency.
You'll find a list of courses that are available to you, that have live links that will take you directly to AgLearn where you can register for the course. You'll also find links to HR services such as the Career Development Center, Career Counseling, Coaching, and Mentoring, along with links to courses in Skillsoft and LinkedIn Learning
APHIS Mentoring Program
The mission of the APHIS Mentoring Program - “Partnering for Success” - is to cultivate meaningful partnerships that promote continued development, knowledge sharing, and personal enrichment to enhance performance, achieve professional goals, and fulfill the APHIS mission.
Learn More About the APHIS Mentoring Program
Transit Subsidy Program
The Transit Incentive Program provides AMS and APHIS employees who use public transportation and/or a registered van pool an agency-paid subsidy to cover part or all of their employees' monthly round trip commuting costs to and from work. Agencies may also offer a pre-tax parking benefit to those employees who drive, and then park their cars in order to take mass transit and/or a van pool as part of their daily commute to and from work.
If you have questions, please contact William D. Miller - william.miller3@usda.gov; or Dan Garcia – dan.garcia@usda.gov
Learn More About the Transit Subsidy Program
Employee Personal Page (EPP)
Providing employees self-service access to their personal information and the ability to view and make changes to their salary and benefit information without having to submit changes requests to their Agency personnel office.
Human Resources Desk Guide
This guide will give supervisors, managers and employees information needed to fulfill their personnel responsibilities.
View the Human Resources Desk Guide
Information Technology Support
Both AMS and APHIS employees can find resources and IT support at this site. If you do not have access to a computer, you can call (APHIS Customers) 877-944-8457 and (AMS Customers) 844-267-2424 to reach a technician. View the catalog of available services.
Learn More About Information Technology Support
Government Vehicles
Throughout your career at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), you may be required to operate a government-owned vehicle (GOV) for official government business. In an effort to better inform its employees and protect them from uninsured liabilities, APHIS requested a legal opinion from the Office of General Counsel concerning an employee’s individual personal liability while operating a GOV. This guidance also covers situations where you may be driving a vehicle leased by the Government, or leased by you as an employee in travel status.
When operating a GOV, Federal employees are shielded from individual liability as long as they are “acting within the scope of their employment” at the time of the alleged negligent act. There is no distinction between an employee who operates a GOV during official travel status or an employee who operates a GOV to and from his place of residence on a daily basis. The only relevant analysis is whether the employee was acting within his/her scope of employment as defined by the laws of the jurisdiction where the accident took place. As these laws and their application vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, it is impossible to provide absolute examples of what actions are deemed to be within the scope of employment and which are not. Therefore, there may be situations where a Federal employee is authorized to use a GOV, but is held personally liable for any alleged negligent act he/she commits. For that reason, you should consider consulting with your private insurance company to determine whether your current policy provides sufficient liability coverage for any accident that occurs while operating a GOV and is ultimately deemed as falling outside of the scope of your employment. If your policy is insufficient or it lacks such coverage, you may want to consider purchasing additional insurance to close this potential gap in liability coverage. The Federal government is prohibited from reimbursing you for such coverage.
Travel Services Center
The Travel Services Center (TSC) resides within the Financial Services Branch of the MRPBS, Financial Management Division. TSC is responsible for developing Agency policies and instructions to ensure compliance with the Federal Travel Regulations. TSC manages the Electronic Travel System (ETS2), electronic relocation system and administration of the travel credit card program for APHIS programs and headquarters branches as well as providing travel support to Agriculture Marketing Service and Foreign Agriculture Service.
A site designed to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters. Its goal is to promote preparedness through public involvement
Welcome to the USDA Disaster Resource Center. Here you will you find information about specific disasters and emergencies, how to prepare, recover, and help build long-term resilience, as well as information about USDA assistance during disaster events.
USDA Operating Status in the National Capital Region.
Telework and Inclement Weather Guidance
Watch for emails from the HR Work life Wellness Branch about opportunities to attend webinars on this topic.
APHIS Weekly News is a weekly newsletter for all APHIS employees with updates on agency-wide training, events and other information. You can find past issues of the APHIS Weekly News by clicking here .
You should begin receiving the newsletter approximately 6 weeks after you start working for APHIS. If you’d like get the APHIS Weekly News in your email inbox before that, please email meghan.k.klingel@usda.gov.
Civil Rights Enforcement and Compliance (APHIS) information for New Employees
The Office of Civil Rights, Diversity, and Inclusion (OCRDI) is responsible for providing leadership, direction, coordination, evaluation, and support to the Civil Rights efforts of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The OCRDI conducts outreach to minority organizations and institutions, manages the APHIS formal and informal complaints program, supports and implements the efforts of the APHIS-wide Diversity and Inclusion Program, Special Emphasis Programs, and provides national policy and leadership on Tribal Consultation.
Employee Responsibility and Conduct Personnel Bulletin
The purpose of this directive is to set forth the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) policies, procedures, and standards on employee responsibilities and conduct. Although it specifically addresses many ethics and conduct requirements.
Information Technology Improper Use Guidance
In accordance with Departmental Regulation (DR) 3300-001 Telecommunications & Internet Services and Use and Departmental Manual (DM) 3525, Internet Use and Copyright Restrictions, all users of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Information Technology (IT) are expected to utilize official government IT equipment for official use and authorized purposes only.
A common conception of the Federal Government's merit system principles is that they are designed to ensure fair and open recruitment and competition and employment practices free of political influence or other nonmerit factors. Although that is certainly true, a closer reading of those principles suggests a much broader policy objective that relates directly to managing the ongoing performance of the Federal workforce.
New Employee Emergency Contact Sheet (APHIS only)
Provide this information to the APHIS EQS Program Manager at EQSSupport@usda.gov within your first work week.
Political Activity (Hatch Act)
The Hatch Act, a federal law passed in 1939, limits certain political activities of federal employees, as well as some state, D.C., and local government employees who work in connection with federally funded programs. The law’s purposes are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation.
Prohibited personnel practices (PPPs) are employment-related activities that are banned in the federal workforce because they violate the merit system through some form of employment discrimination, retaliation, improper hiring practices, or failure to adhere to laws, rules, or regulations that directly concern the merit system principles.
Security Awareness and Reporting of Foreign Contacts (APHIS)
Presidential Decision Directive/NSC-12 requires that government employees report all contacts with individuals of any nationality, either within or outside the scope of the employee's official activities.
Reprisal Actions Against Employees and Others
The purpose of this directive is to set forth the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) policies, procedures, and standards on employee responsibilities and conduct. Although it specifically addresses many ethics and conduct requirements, it is not intended to cover all possible situations.
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
USERRA protects the job rights of individuals who voluntarily or involuntarily leave employment positions to undertake military service or certain types of service in the National Disaster Medical System. USERRA also prohibits employers from discriminating against past and present members of the uniformed services, and applicants to the uniformed services.
Provides policy, compliance, training and data and record management services on civil rights matters for the Department.
USDA’s Non-discrimination Statement
Civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The EAP is a professional counseling and referral service to help MRP employees with personal and professional problems.
Collaborative Resolution (CR) Program
The CR Program is an early intervention Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program that exists to help employees and managers develop skills to work through and manage differences, and to prevent, resolve, or manage workplace conflicts.
Ethical rules that govern Federal employees. These Standards provide guidance to employees on how to maintain a high level of trust and integrity in administering their official duties as a Government employee. The Office of Ethics is available to assist with any ethics questions you may have. Please email us at Ethics-MRP@usda.gov.
Information to facilitate communication in the performance management process, with the goal of fostering frequent, constructive communication that builds trust, and improves clarity and accountability.
Bargaining Agreement or Union Representation
If your new position is covered under a bargaining agreement or union representation, see the following information:
- APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) unions cover employees below grade GS-13, except supervisors, laboratory employees, geneticists, biologists, microbiologists, employees involved in confidential matters, and certain others determined on a case by case basis.
- The National Association of Agriculture Employees (NAAE) represent PPQ permanently employed professional PPQ officers, SITC Officers and all permanently employed nonprofessional employees of PPQ other than clerical, secretarial, and administrative employees.
- The National Association of Plant Protection and Quarantine Office Support Employees (NAPPQOSE) represent PPQ clerical, secretarial, and administrative in the field, excluding headquarters, the regions.
- The well-being of the employees and efficient and economical operation of the USDA, APHIS, VS, Tick Eradication Program require that orderly and constructive relationships be maintained between the Employer and the Union. The participation of employees in the formulation and implementation of Employer policies and procedures affecting them, contributes to the effective conduct of public business.
This Agreement sets forth the respective roles and responsibilities of the parties and states the policies, procedures, and methods that provide the working relationships between the parties.
Veterinary Services
All employees in the Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) and National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) programs (except for employees of the Animal Health and Veterinary Biologics Program and management officials, supervisors, professional employees, and employees engaged in personnel work in other than a purely clerical capacity) are covered by AFGE 2315.
Veterinary Services (VS) Tick Riders
The well-being of the employees and efficient and economical operation of the USDA, APHIS, VS, Tick Eradication Program require that orderly and constructive relationships be maintained between the Employer and the Union. The participation of employees in the formulation and implementation of Employer policies and procedures affecting them, contributes to the effective conduct of public business.