appreciate the help! I will continue to push it before signing that FOL
Save Pay FAA to DOD
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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
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
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-
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.
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 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.
HurryUpandWait
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Long shot here but do you have any regulations I can site to back this up. I am currently dealing with HR taking my FAA pay w/ Locality and laterally moving it into the SSR table 0811. I just got off the phone with her and she is adamant she is correct. I have an email screenshot from DOD HR about another FAA controller that went DOD and they messed up his pay and then explained the correct way which is Base Pay no Locality, then add SSR. Still isn't good enough, she thinks they did it wrong and that controller will be in debt.
When HPR is based on a rate under a non-GS pay system:
When a GS employee's HPR is based on a non-GS rate, determine the MPR as follows:
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. 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).
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.
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.
HurryUpandWait
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This reads like they take FAA pay W/Locality and move it over to the SSR table or am I that illiterateWhen HPR is based on a rate under a non-GS pay system:
When a GS employee's HPR is based on a non-GS rate, determine the MPR as follows:
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. 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).
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.
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.
AB19
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That's also how I read it but I have four hours of sleep do maybe the second option
HurryUpandWait
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So matching FAA pay with locality into the SSR table is the correct way?
I’m not OPM but that’s how it reads. I just provided the page with the details.
HurryUpandWait
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Slarti Bartfast
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I feel like there's more to it... This page of examples talks about an agency deciding whether or not to use the MPR rule you linked. "the agency decides not to use the maximum payable rate rule" so it's it applicable? Does it just depend on the agency that you're transferring to?
www.opm.gov
From the MPR page linked: "The maximum payable rate rule is a special rule that allows an agency to set pay for a General Schedule (GS) employee at a rate above the rate that would be established using normal rules, based on a higher rate of pay the employee previously received in another federal job"
So what's the normal rules they're referring to? The process that I've been sharing which is what I actually experienced when I transferred to the DoD? (taking basic before locality and adding SSR)
I don't know shit anymore.
I also think it would be crazy to torpedo your basic rate because what if the SSR goes away? We don't have a contract guaranteeing it. I think the marines don't even get the higher 40% rate.
Pay Action Examples Other than Promotions and Grade and Pay Retention
Welcome to opm.gov
From the MPR page linked: "The maximum payable rate rule is a special rule that allows an agency to set pay for a General Schedule (GS) employee at a rate above the rate that would be established using normal rules, based on a higher rate of pay the employee previously received in another federal job"
So what's the normal rules they're referring to? The process that I've been sharing which is what I actually experienced when I transferred to the DoD? (taking basic before locality and adding SSR)
I don't know shit anymore.
I also think it would be crazy to torpedo your basic rate because what if the SSR goes away? We don't have a contract guaranteeing it. I think the marines don't even get the higher 40% rate.
Civilian controllers at USMC facilities are now getting the higher SSR (as of October 2024).
I don’t believe so. The open positions should be budgeted to pay as high as the Step 10 rate. Also, I’ve seen many controllers over the years come in at Step 10. I don’t think the ATC hiring officials care about saving the government money by hiring someone who would come in at a lower step. That also should not be part of the decision making in any hiring action.
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I know Cherry Point was fighting hard for it.
That’s good to hear, appreciate the insight.
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