Well, Bolton did not take the UN position until the Recess appointment.
I don't believe it is constitutional. Whether it is standard practice, I don't know.
The only such abuse I can remember is Clinton appointing his crony to DoJ.
Well, I found in the OMB manual that there are set provisions for health care for various acting position where the full position would require senate approval.
Here for example is a page from the manual that includes what benefits an acting postmaster is entitled to.
On the FBI web site you can see various FBI directors served as acting directors. Here is one example from 1919.
http://www.fbi.gov/libref/directors/allen.htm
Here is another example from 1973.
http://www.fbi.gov/libref/directors/ruckelshaus.htm
I suspect that this is normal practice because someone has to be in charge until a permanant person is in charge.