5 U.S.C. § 7501

1. (1)“employee” means an individual in the competitive service who is not serving a probationary or trial period under an initial appointment or who has completed 1 year of current continuous employment in the same or similar positions under other than a temporary appointment limited to 1 year or less; and
2. (2)“suspension” means the placing of an employee, for disciplinary reasons, in a temporary status without duties and pay.