Because of the enormous amount of work that goes on at the White House, and the White House’s limited staff budget, the White House often relies on agency detailees to execute the president’s agenda. However, White House details are very different from standard agency details. For instance, they are always initiated by the White House, and because of the White House’s limited budget, they are always non-reimbursable.
While at the White House, the appointee will remain an employee of their home agency and continue to be paid by that agency. Furthermore, White House details must be extended every six months, and they can only be extended twice before the appointee must either come back to their home agency or be hired full-time by the White House.
Finally, detailees to the White House must already be serving at their home agency. Hiring Schedule C appointees for the sole purpose of detailing them to the White House is not allowed. However, SES appointees are not bound by such rules.
Once the detail paperwork is initiated by The White House, department leads, and the home agency HR, the detailed employee can start his or her new assignment at the beginning of the next pay period.
