5 C.F.R. § 351.704

(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.