You know the numbers – initial secret investigations now take an average of 147 days. Top Secret investigations take an average of 210 days. While we often hear from candidates frustrated with the slow process, some unions are now stepping up to say ‘what gives!’
Ken DelaCruz, president of the Metal Trade Council, a bargaining unit for many shipyard workers employed with Electric Boat, told a reporter at the local Connecticut news outlet, The Day, that he regularly hears from individuals waiting on contingent employment offers. The months-long clearance delays are standing between them and a good job.
“This logjam is ridiculous,” said Delacruz, who receives calls regularly from frustrated individuals, who’ve received employment offers, wondering about the status of their background check. – via The Day
The employees at Electric Boat are representative of a common refrain from security clearance applicants – how much longer can this process take? And is there anything we can do about it?
A popular thread at the ClearanceJobsBlog has many clearance applicants leaving the details about the current processing delays. One recent poster writes:
Update: I got my secret clearance. Just found out yesterday. Took 1 year, 1 month, and 2 days total. Here’s my story below that I posted back in August. Hope this info helps someone. Good luck everyone! ?
——————————————————
My experience.Got a job that they eventually wanted me to have Secret clearance for. I started September 2015.
SF-86 was submitted to OPM on October 11 2015
Informed about 5 days later that I was not eligible for Interim Secret.
My significant other got a form in the mail to fill out and send back about me, which was done.
Had my interview with Investigator mid-Feb 2016 – it went well
They contacted one of my doctors I see for anxiety and depression (nothing major) – she filled out the forms with my patient history and sent them back
Haven’t heard anything since. My case is still in Investigation mode – not Adjudication – I know that much.Only troublesome things in my background – I was let go from a few recent jobs due to relatively small mistakes made that they came down hard on me for or stupid stuff like playing computer games at work while it was slow or not letting my boss know I was leaving early. At another job I entered a co-workers login name (not password) when it was asking for one and mine wasn’t working. This was to access an employees only “deals” website. I didn’t think it was a big deal at the time because I paid for the item with my own credit card.
Also, my significant other and I had a bankruptcy about 2.5 years ago for about 25k. It was discharged and we’ve been fine since.
No criminal background – no drug use – no foreign travel within last 10+ years – etc – everything else is good – same with my significant other
Do I still have a chance to get my clearance or do you think I will be denied or stuck in Investigation Limbo until I am let go from my job? Thanks. I know I made some stupid mistakes but I really like the job I am at now and do well at it.
As the above poster noted, even a somewhat ‘complicated’ investigation can end favorably. If you have the year or more to wait. Another issue is the discrepancies in processing times. Some applicants will submit their eQIP at the exact same time as another applicant, with similar background, and potentially face a months-longer wait. For cleared companies, the challenge is making a great hire, and then finding ways to keep them engaged while they face an ambiguous investigation timeline.
Keeping candidates was an easier proposition when the commercial sector wasn’t as strong. But when candidates have a choice between a security clearance career and months of delay or a commercial position that starts today, fewer are willing to be benched. As Delacruz told The Day:
“Right now we’re getting things done,” DelaCruz said of the shipyard’s workload. “As you move forward, our backs are going to be against the wall. There’s a lot of work that’s coming in and it requires more people. You can only work so much overtime.”
