Hi All,
Late February, I accepted a position at company X, a federal contractor for the US Army. Offer is contingent upon me getting a secret clearance. I can start the new job at company X with an interim clearance while waiting for final secret clearance. After I accepted the offer, Company X then sent me a Universal Background form that I filled out and sent back to them. I then received the SF-86 form and filled out and fingerprints were done also. The head of security at Company X then reviewed my SF 86 and said it looked good and then submitted that form and my FP to the govt for approval on 3/14. Company X is telling me that it has been usually taking about 3-5 weeks for an interim, based off information on their recently hired people.
I think I am having anxiety attacks waiting for any information regarding this interim. I do know that my present manager probably knows I will be leaving and is making my life just incredibly impossible with ridiculous deadlines and daily updates and even copies my HR rep on emails to me. What do I do? I want to resign now before I am fired but need to know if interim gets approved. Any advice? Thanks.
Perhaps a meeting with your boss and HR to get to the bottom of it all? By chance did company X call asking for a reference? If you are in a right to work state, they can terminate for no reason. Interims are not given out as easily as they used to be. So you may require a brand new investigation. That can take 12 months. If you have a meeting and they directly ask if you are leaving…up to you how you field that ball. I would lean towards I am always open to new challenges and getting a cleared position depends on the clearance. I would not commit to leaving. Who knows maybe they offer more to stay? At least you could get an answer for the hostility.
Unless your rear end is in a seat at the new job with a fully adjudicated secret clearance(these are taking 510 days on average) I would not quit your job and do the best you can to make your bosses job easier. Here at treasury I have seen people escorted out the door after working with an Interim because the clearance is taking too long and the contract is over with. Nothing in this clearance job world is guaranteed.