The Foreign Service Journal, March 2003

cover that gap, Washington granted the embassy a two-month PSC to hire an FP-7 “Personnel Assistant” whose amazing range of duties entailed oversight of all FSN and American issues, to be supervised by the new HR officer. That officer was rated by the administrative counselor and reviewed by the DCM. The chief of mission’s spouse, who had over six years experience as a PIT in embassy personnel sections (two of these as assistant personnel officer) was the only applicant for the temporary job, and was selected. Yet despite the clear cut-out, HR/OE declined to grant a waiver. The grounds? “HR is too sensitive an area.” The position went unfilled. In another small embassy, the PIT economic section office management specialist position opened. The embassy advertised twice to fill the slot, but the one spouse who applied did not have the minimum skills required. The ambassador’s spouse had 20 years of experience working in various positions in embassies, including two years as a secretary. Yet HR/OE advised the post (informally) that the ambassador’s spouse needn’t apply because no waiver would be granted. The position is still unfilled and has no bidders 10 months later. Furthermore, in the normal cut- out procedure for employment of a DCM’s PSC/PIT spouse, the chief of mission must assume all of the DCM’s supervisory responsibilities for the section in which the PIT/PSC spouse works. The standard anti- nepotism waiver states that if the COM is out of the country for a month, the DCM/chargé d’affaire’s spouse is required to resign his/her position. Even leave without pay is not an option in such cases. Let me clarify something: PSC/PIT employees’ expectations do not include being treated like a direct-hire employee. They recognize that they do not have personal careers. They easily accept that they will never be promoted or tenured. They know there are no employment guarantees. What they do ask is to be considered for work in the overseas organization in which they have gained a kind of generalized expertise, can truly con- tribute to the mission goals, and can be paid a decent wage. What About Transparency? I have resisted the temptation to list numerous other cases of special treatment for senior tandem spous- es because I could not verify them personally. (I suspect that you, dear reader, have witnessed a few your- self.) Similarly, I would be happy to cite additional verified examples of HR/OE’s refusals to grant anti- nepotism waivers to PSC/PIT spouses, but the data are hard to come by. I tried to get statistics on the number of spouses of DCMs, principal officers and ambassadors who have applied for a nepotism waiver and the decisions on those applications. The Family Liaison Office, theoretically State’s spousal advocate, demurely declined to look, noting that this is HR/OE’s bailiwick. The folks at HR/OE first waffled, then advised that they weren’t able to provide such infor- mation. Why? “It is not available.” S P E A K I N G O U T 12 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A R C H 2 0 0 3 Instead of increasing spousal employment overseas, State seems to be trying to thwart it — for non-direct-hire spouses, at least. Web access to major advertisers. Go to www.afsa.org . Cl ick on Marketplace tab on the marquee. Bukkehave www.bukkehave.com Charles Smith Corp. Living www.SmithLiving.com Clements International www.clements.com Diplomatic Auto. Sales www.diplosales.com Executive Club Suites www.execlubdc.com Fairfax Retirement Community www.marriottseniorhousing.com Georgetown Suites www.georgetownsuites.com Harry Jannette International www.jannetteintl.com Hirshorn Company, The www.hirshorn.com John Cabot University www.johncabot.edu Laughlin Management www.century21laughlin.com Long & Foster www.simunek.com Oakwood www.oakwood.com ProMax http://users.erols.com/promax/ Priority Club Rewards www.priorityclub.com Remington www.remington-dc.com St Andrew’s-Sewanee School www.standrews.sewanee.edu SDFCU www.sdfcu.org WJDManagement www. wjdpm.com For more information regarding AFSA branded products, mission related programs and membership in the American Foreign Sewrvice Association, see: www.afsa.org M A R K E T P L A C E