5 C.F.R. § 752.102 – Standard for action and penalty determination.

(a) Except for actions taken against supervisors covered under subchapter V of title 5, an agency may take an action under this subpart for such cause as will promote the efficiency of the service as described in 5 U.S.C. 7503(a) and 7513(a). For actions taken under this subpart against supervisors covered under subchapter V of title 5, an agency may take an action based on the standard described in 5 U.S.C. 7543(a).
(b) Subject to 5 U.S.C. 1214(f), if the head of the agency in which a supervisor is employed, an administrative law judge, the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Special Counsel, a judge of the United States, or the Inspector General of the agency in which a supervisor is employed has determined that the supervisor committed a prohibited personnel action, the head of the agency in which the supervisor is employed, consistent with the procedures required under this subpart—
1. (1) For the first prohibited personnel action committed by the supervisor—
  1. (i) Shall propose suspending the supervisor for a period that is not less than 3 days; and
  2. (ii) May propose an additional action determined appropriate by the head of the agency, including a reduction in grade or pay; and
2. (2) For the second prohibited personnel action committed by the supervisor, shall propose removing the supervisor.