5 U.S.C. § 7501
Section 7501 · Definitions
Current version, with additions and removals from the November 25, 2015 version.
For the purpose of this subchapter—
(1) "employee" means an individual in the competitive service who is not serving a probationary or trial period under an initial appointment or, except as provided in section 1599e of title 10, 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) "suspension" means the placing of an employee, for disciplinary reasons, in a temporary status without duties and pay.