5 CFR §316.701

1. (a)When the Office, or an agency acting under an agreement with the Office, finds that the Federal Government has taken over a public or private enterprise, or an identifiable unit thereof, and that a position has thereby been brought into the competitive service, the agency may retain the incumbent of the position.
2. (b)
   1. (1)When an agency retains an employee under paragraph (a) of this section in a position which it determines to be a continuing one, the agency gives the employee a status quo appointment and shall decide on a timely basis whether it will convert that individual's employment to career or career-conditional under § 315.701 of this chapter.
   2. (2)When an agency decides not to effect conversion under § 315.701 of this chapter, or the employee fails to qualify for conversion, the agency, in its discretion, may retain the employee as a status quo employee.
3. (c)An agency may retain an employee under paragraph (a) of this section in a position that it determines is noncontinuing under a temporary appointment. That appointment may be made for a period not to exceed 1 year and will be subject to the time limits set out in § 316.402.