Save Pay FAA to DOD

[onGuard]

$73500 is their base pay without SSR. $73500 (base) X 1.3 (SSR) = $95500. If your base pay without locality is higher than 73500 I’d definitely argue for them to match whatever you’re making

appreciate the help! I will continue to push it before signing that FOL

 

[meanjoe]

appreciate the help! I will continue to push it before signing that FOL

Am I reading this wrong? From opm website:

“Step A: Compare the highest previous rate to the highest applicable rate range (including a locality rate or special rate range) in effect at the time and place where the highest previous rate was earned.”-OPM

Highest previous rate = FAA AT Pay when you were there
Highest applicable rate range = SSR Table at the time you were employed by the FAA

 

[RG1025]

It seems they are treating me as a reinstatement to service and just moving my pay laterally. The pay includes the SSR, which removing it is less than my FAA basic pay. Im confused.

You need to email them back and tell them you are not being reinstated, you are an interagency transfer. I just did the same thing. Chances are whoever you’re dealing with is training. CPAC sucks everywhere

 

[meanjoe]

Y’all, I hope I'm wrong as it means a lot of back pay for me and quite a few others. please show your work if you know it to be incorrect.
TLDR:
1. Reinstatement is entitling him to higher pay instead of step 1 pay. It’s an avenue that qualified them for the position in question. Veoa, vra, reinstatement, internal, local commuting area etc (all the little icons we see on USAJOBS). it allows HR to use HPR to determine their GS step level. Because they are a reinstatement, they are entitled to pay setting rules that wouldn't apply to a VEOA/VRA hire straight out the military. When I transferred to the FAA I was considered a Reinstatement even through I had never worked for the FAA.
2. HPR is based on BASIC pay compared to BASIC pay. Basic pay includes locality and special rates.
3. FAA AT Pay with locality compare to DOD SSR. You fall between 2 step and get the higher one. Justification below.
4. There is also a the reverse of this which explains why you lose SSR and add locality when transferring out of a special rate to another agency. But that's not what we're talking about.

Long version from OPM website:
The highest previous rate is-

• The highest rate of basic pay (this is your FAA pay WITH locality) previously received by an individual while employed in a civilian position in any part of the Federal Government (including service with the government of the District of Columbia for employees first employed by that government before October 1, 1987), without regard to whether that position was under the GS pay system; or
• The highest rate of basic pay in effect when a GS employee held his or her highest GS grade and highest step within that grade.

When HPR is based on a rate under a non-GS pay system: (AKA FAA)

When a GS employee's HPR is based on a non-GS rate(FAA Pay), determine the MPR (highest GS step they'll give you) as follows:

Step A: Compare the highest previous rate(Your old FAA pay with locality) to the highest applicable rate range (including a locality rate or special rate range) (DOD SSR Table) in effect at the time and place where the highest previous rate was earned. The highest applicable rate range is determined as if the employee held the current GS position of record (including the grade in which pay is being set) at that time and place.

Step B: Identify the lowest step rate in that range that was equal to or higher than the highest previous rate (or the step 10 rate if the highest previous rate exceeded the range maximum). Someone mentioned step 00. That only applies to save pay, retained pay or save/retained grade. different animal used for different circumstances like downgrades and overseas transfers.

Step C: Convert the step rate identified in step B to a corresponding rate (same step) on the current highest applicable rate range for the employee's current GS position of record and official worksite. That step rate is the employee's maximum payable rate of basic pay. This is assuming you had a break in service and the gs scale changed since you were employed by the FAA.

Step D: After setting the employee's rate of basic pay in the current highest applicable rate range (not to exceed the MPR identified in step C), determine any underlying rate of basic pay to which the employee is entitled at the determined step rate. TBH I don't know what might be left to add to basic pay.

 

[RG1025]

Y’all, I hope I'm wrong as it means a lot of back pay for me and quite a few others. please show your work if you know it to be incorrect.
TLDR:
1. Reinstatement is entitling him to higher pay instead of step 1 pay. It’s an avenue that qualified them for the position in question. Veoa, vra, reinstatement, internal, local commuting area etc (all the little icons we see on USAJOBS). it allows HR to use HPR to determine their GS step level. Because they are a reinstatement, they are entitled to pay setting rules that wouldn't apply to a VEOA/VRA hire straight out the military. When I transferred to the FAA I was considered a Reinstatement even through I had never worked for the FAA.
2. HPR is based on BASIC pay compared to BASIC pay. Basic pay includes locality and special rates.
3. FAA AT Pay with locality compare to DOD SSR. You fall between 2 step and get the higher one. Justification below.
4. There is also a the reverse of this which explains why you lose SSR and add locality when transferring out of a special rate to another agency. But that's not what we're talking about.

Long version from OPM website:
The highest previous rate is-

• The highest rate of basic pay (this is your FAA pay WITH locality) previously received by an individual while employed in a civilian position in any part of the Federal Government (including service with the government of the District of Columbia for employees first employed by that government before October 1, 1987), without regard to whether that position was under the GS pay system; or
• The highest rate of basic pay in effect when a GS employee held his or her highest GS grade and highest step within that grade.

When HPR is based on a rate under a non-GS pay system: (AKA FAA)

When a GS employee's HPR is based on a non-GS rate(FAA Pay), determine the MPR (highest GS step they'll give you) as follows:

Step A: Compare the highest previous rate(Your old FAA pay with locality) to the highest applicable rate range (including a locality rate or special rate range) (DOD SSR Table) in effect at the time and place where the highest previous rate was earned. The highest applicable rate range is determined as if the employee held the current GS position of record (including the grade in which pay is being set) at that time and place.

Step B: Identify the lowest step rate in that range that was equal to or higher than the highest previous rate (or the step 10 rate if the highest previous rate exceeded the range maximum). Someone mentioned step 00. That only applies to save pay, retained pay or save/retained grade. different animal used for different circumstances like downgrades and overseas transfers.

Step C: Convert the step rate identified in step B to a corresponding rate (same step) on the current highest applicable rate range for the employee's current GS position of record and official worksite. That step rate is the employee's maximum payable rate of basic pay. This is assuming you had a break in service and the gs scale changed since you were employed by the FAA.

Step D: After setting the employee's rate of basic pay in the current highest applicable rate range (not to exceed the MPR identified in step C), determine any underlying rate of basic pay to which the employee is entitled at the determined step rate. TBH I don't know what might be left to add to basic pay.

I started in the DoD in 2017 at a GS10 tower only. Making roughly 60k a year.

I transferred to the FAA in 2018 and spent a few years at a Level 5. With RUS locality. I roughly made 75k a year when I left.

I transferred to the DoD and came back in as a GS 11 step 7.

I now have a GS12 slot and got the 2 step then pay raise increase due to coming back in as the 11-7.

When I left the FAA to come back to the DoD. They matched by base pay with no locality and added the SSR. I got roughly a 15% pay raise just from the bump from locality to SSR.

The DoD should not be matching pay+locality. They should just match base pay and add SSR.

Although, I’m not 100% sure on this, I do believe this is at the discretion of the servicing CPAC (which we all know suck).

Luckily when I came back to the DoD I didn’t have many issues with them matching pay. I did hear of people going to the approaches elsewhere in the DoD, but when brought to CPACS attention to match just base pay, none of the other controllers I know had issues getting them to add the SSR to base pay. Full disclosure, most recently I only know of 3 controllers switching to DoD from FAA so it’s definitely a small group that I know of.