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A 1% Pay Raise Approved for 2021 – GS Pay Charts Now Available

Posted on by Dennis Damp

Federal civilian employees will receive a pay increase starting January 1, 2021; a 1% increase in basic pay, with no increase in locality pay.

 

The President signed an Executive Order in December.  The 1% pay raise 2021 charts are now available along with all special rates and wage grade salaries.

The pay raise will take effect with the first full pay period of 2021. We published the new pay table on January 1, including the locality pay area definitions outlining the pay rates for all regions nationwide.

The rates of basic pay or salaries of the statutory pay systems are included. The general categories are listed below:

  • The General Schedule
  • The Foreign Service Schedule
  • schedules for the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Senior Executive Service
  • Certain Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Salaries
  • The Executive Schedule

OPM was fast to react to the Presidential Order and released the new tables in late December.

Following are links to the new 2021 locality pay tables:

Click here for: Special Rates Tables

Helpul Job Hunting Information:

Disclaimer: The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

3.1% GS 2020 Pay Raise – Pay Charts Now Available

Posted on by Dennis Damp

Federal civilian employees will see an average 3.1% pay increase starting January 1, 2020; a 2.6% increase in basic pay, with an average 0.5% increase in locality pay.  The pay increases for GS employees ranges from 2.85% to 3.52%.

The President signed an Executive Order on December 20th officially averting a second government shutdown in 2019.  The 3.1% pay raise 2020 charts are now available along with new paid parental leave benefits providing all federal employees with up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave per year.

The pay raise will take effect with the first full pay period of 2020, which begins Jan. 5. We published the new pay table on December 26th including the locality pay area definitions outlining the pay rates for all regions nationwide.

The rates of basic pay or salaries are included for the following list of statutory pay systems:

  • The General Schedule
  • The Foreign Service Schedule
  • schedules for the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Senior Executive Service
  • Certain Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Salaries
  • The Executive Schedule

This was the largest annual increase since 2009 when federal employees received a base rate increase of 2.9%. OPM was fast to react to the Presidential Order and released the new tables the day after Christmas.

Following are links to the new 2020 locality pay tables:

Click here for: Special Rates Tables

Helpul Job Hunting Information:

Disclaimer: The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Occupational Series Proposed Cancelations

Posted on by Dennis Damp

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing to cancel 47 occupational series. Each of the selected series recommended for cancellation have approximately 25 or fewer incumbents Governmentwide. The work can be covered in other existing occupational series. OPM is not proposing to cancel occupational series whose work is so specialized that it is not classifiable to any other series or which have individual occupational qualification requirements. Any series approved for cancellation will be absorbed in the job families ‘01’ or ‘03’ series, e.g., the Correspondence Clerk Series, 309, will be absorbed into the Miscellaneous Clerk and Assistance Series, 303 series.
The 28 white collar and 19 trade series are listed below:

White Collar Occupations

  • 0309 – Correspondence Clerk Series
  • 0313 – Work Unit Supervising Series
  • 0319 – Closed Microphone Reporting Series
  • 0322 – Clerk-Typist Series
  • 0392 – General Telecommunications Series
  • 0394 – Communications Clerical Series
  • 0642 – Nuclear Medicine Technician Series
  • 0698 – Environmental Health Technician Series
  • 0804 – Fire Protection Engineering
  • 0880 – Mining Engineering
  • 0958 – Employee Benefits Law Specialist
  • 1051 – Music Specialist
  • 1054 – Theater Specialist
  • 1056 – Art Specialist
  • 1087 – Editorial Assistance
  • 1107 – Property Disposal Clerical and Technician
  • 1147 – Agricultural Market Reporting
  • 1163 – Insurance Examining
  • 1321 – Metallurgy
  • 1658 – Laundry Operations Services
  • 1725 – Public Health Educator
  • 1730 – Education Research
  • 1815 – Air Safety Investigating
  • 1850 – Agricultural Warehouse Inspection
  • 2110 – Transportation Industry Analysis
  • 2135 – Transportation Loss and Damage Claims Examining
  • 2144 – Cargo Scheduling
  • 2161 – Marine Cargo

Trades, Craft, and Labor Occupations

  • 3106 – Upholsteringg
  • 3511 – Laboratory Working
  • 3602 – Cement Finishing
  • 3605 – Plastering
  • 3606 – Roofing
  •  3802 – Metal Forging
  • 3808 – Boilermaking
  • 3809 – Mobile Equipment Metal Mechanic
  • 4104 – Sign Painting
  • 4416 – Offset Platemaking
  • 4417 – Offset Press Operating
  • 4616 – Patternmaking
  • 4805 – Medical Equipment Repairing
  • 4850 – Bearing Reconditioning
  • 5313 – Elevator Mechanic
  • 5736 – Braking-Switching and Conducting
  • 5737 – Locomotive Engineering
  • 5738 – Railroad Maintenance Vehicle Operating
  • 7402 – Baking

OPM is seeking comments or questions from agencies on this proposal and suggestions for additional series cancellations. They will review agency comments and supporting evidence to finalize the list of occupational series for cancellation. OPM will notify agencies of the final occupational series for cancellation and provide guidance on the appropriate classification of canceled occupations.

This is an ongoing effort and OPM is statutorily responsible for preparing position classification and job grading standards for agencies to use in placing positions in their proper classes and grades. Review the original proposal online.

Helpul Job Hunting Information:

Disclaimer: The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

IT Specialist (GS-2210) – Featured Occupation 

Posted on by Donna Day

The federal government, including the U.S. Postal Service, employs approximately 2.8 million civilian workers, or about 2 percent of the United States’ workforce. The federal government is this nation’s largest employer. The total employed is actually higher, employment data for certain agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, and others aren’t released to the public for national security reasons.

Excellent federal job opportunities are available for those who know how to tap this lucrative job market. Where else can you find and apply for high-paying jobs that offer employment at thousands of locations stateside and overseas with excellent career advancement opportunities?

This month’s column features Information Technology occupations. We help those seeking federal employment understand the application process and link you to current job vacancies.

IT Specialist (GS-2210)

Currently there are over 650 job announcements from agencies actively recruiting Information Technology Specialists on USAJOBS. The GS-2210 Series includes the following occupations:

  • Information Technology Management
  • Computer Specialist
  • Telecommunications
  • Other Series (Work previously included in other series to the Information Technology Management Series, 2210, when knowledge of IT principles, concepts, and methods is paramount.)

Many of the 650 active job announcements list multiple vacancies at various locations. For example, one of the announcements on the current list is hiring 35 IT Specialists for the Internal Revenue Service, they list 4 cities where they are hiring. When you add up all of the multiple vacancies, you will discover thousands of opportunities in the IT field for you to explore and at locations across the country and overseas.

Currently, the IRS and the U.S. Army Cyber Command have many job announcements with multiple vacancies posted. You will also find current positions available with the CIA, Secrete Service, the Smithsonian Institute, Indian Health Services, U.S. Census Bureau, and many others.

If you are looking for a challenging position in the IT field explore these opportunities. The following link will take you to the GS 2210 Occupational Description that includes links to the current IT Specialist job announcements on USAJOBS.

Visit our jobs board to search for all other occupations by job title.

To find vacancies in your area, locate job announcements of interest and review the required qualifications. If you have the experience, education and/or work experience specified, apply online.

Each month we will feature a different occupation. Visit our website regularly to find information about federal jobs in your area.

The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

NDAA / Bill Impacting Benefits and Department of Defense Pay

Posted on by Donna Day

So many employers are embarking on a new concept for Parents; benefits, grants for daycare and even back pay may all be a part of the 2020 Defense Authorization Bill. The House and Senate recently passed a bipartisan bill funding the government through 2020. We should learn soon, after the House and Senate Bills are reconciled, if parental leave, pay, childcare, and cyber security education are included in the final rule.

Many of the foundational platforms represented in this bill focus on key areas to include Department of Defense pay. For example, contractor back-pay as new wage bills would give funding to contractors who were furloughed or had reduced hours during a government shutdown; workers making $965 a week or less would qualify for the back pay. Parental leave and childcare are important issues that need attention; this bill would extend Parental Leave to up to 12 weeks for maternity as well as enable additional flexibility in how it is taken.

Paid parental leave impacts both economic and logistical concerns since it is extremely important for new parents. In addition, it is a positive endeavor for organizations; encouraging new parents to return to their employers instead of seeking additional opportunities with other ‘parental friendly’ companies. The ability to return to work recharged and refreshed increases the employee’s focus and morale in many cases. Finally, it is better for the economy since more women are likely to return to their jobs after utilizing paid maternity leave; this productivity boost can increase business as well as performance while simultaneously satisfying the work/life balance so critically needed for new parents.

Paid parental leave may not impact a company’s bottom line. California, who recently implemented a new parental leave policy, reported that over 90% of organizations witnessed a more positive effect on their profit, turnover and morale. Also, a study completed by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research offered that paid leave reduces costs, increases workplace productivity and improves family incomes. Also, Rutgers University recently found that close to 40% of women who take paid leave from work are less likely to apply for welfare.

Finally, education is another critical element for consideration in this plan, and specifically cyber security education, where non-traditional schooling (online and remote opportunities) is being considered as part of a resource/tool for military personnel training expansion.

References:

The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

USAJOBS Website – Opportunities and More

Posted on by Donna Day

USAJOBS is an official Government site that provides a wealth of information about federal job opportunities. The myriad of resources available help links job seekers and agencies with the ‘right’ matches and opportunities for employment; as part of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), USAJOBS fosters recruitment and retention building of a world class government workforce for the people.

With hundreds of federal agencies and organizations taking advantage of all that USAJOBS has to offer, their hiring processes are better streamlined and efficient when it comes to finding the right applicant for the right job. USAJOBS fosters service and commitment, representing more than two million Americans and foreign nationals who are successfully working and fulfilling essential duties in Civil Service positions.

Since the website offers easy to follow steps, individuals can create a USAJOB profile through the portal, where favorite jobs and searches can be saved along with resumes and critical documentation for applications. Resumes would then be visible to potential employers searching the database, and finally, individuals can apply for any jobs posted by USAJOBS online. There is also an explanation of the federal application process and opportunities listed by industry to include: social sciences, engineering, math and more. Also offered are insights into unique hiring paths that represent diversity to include: veterans, native Americans, those with disabilities and more. Lastly, hiring events with specific dates/times are offered at the bottom of the site for planning purposes. There is even a help center and FAQ which serve as additional resources to include salary information, to help with your job search, among other critical tools, articles and links.

To date, many positions are in high demand, like cybersecurity professionals, nurses, human resource managers and more. There are over 750 jobs available and showcased as critical hiring opportunities right now in cybersecurity and more than 890 nursing positions alone! Go now, to www.USAJOBS.gov and see for yourself. Create a profile and explore opportunities that are available, or just upload your resume and let the site do the work for you. It’s quick, easy, secure, searchable and streamlined so that it is easy to use, organized and helpful; it’s a one stop shop for employment …and a must for federal job seekers.

Reference:

The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Federal Recruitment Initiatives

Posted on by Donna Day

The Federal Government is seeking new and creative ways to recruit and retain technical employees, many resources are being used for this effort. Government faces stiff competition when recruiting for areas such as cyber security, information assurance, engineering, information technology, science and math.

With the variety of critical jobs needing to be filled, highly qualified applicants must be properly assessed. The most important selection factor is the ability to perform the duties of the position without undue influence for favoritism or political beliefs and/or values. A process that is fair, systematic and consistent must be used to perform data collection; applicant qualifications can then be compared to job performance ability. A fair and open process fosters the hiring of the most qualified candidates that are capable of performing the task(s) at hand.

Recently, the Federal Government has bolstered its hiring process, focusing on common sense and efficiency. Time to hire has been reduced, resumes and cover letters can now be forwarded in lieu of large application packets, and information on websites is current and user friendly. Furthermore, they improved candidate status and /or selection notifications.

Hiring goals are being achieved through the use of a more favorable and simplified hiring process. Further, current employee retention efforts are being targeted to ensure career opportunities, growth, professional development, training and more are offered in the form of programs, coursework, and mentoring.

Finally, feedback mechanisms and opportunities are being provided on a continuous basis to ensure a vehicle for critical information and communication is established between the agency and the applicant. To date, data obtained from potential and/or new hires help shape and define future hiring strategies, assessments, analysis, processes and procedures. With the Federal Government taking both hiring and retention more seriously, much improvement has been made; disconnects are being addressed, gaps are being closed, and processes are being refined resulting in a more sound, holistic approach to hiring and retention of the most highly skilled, desirable applicants and employees.

Reference:

The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Background Investigations and Clearance Processing (New & Improved?)

Posted on by Donna Day

Background and security clearance investigation processing delays have created many problems for agencies. The responsibility for these Investigations may soon be transferred to the Department of Defense from the National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB), who handles them now. The President is expected to issue an executive order to authorize this change in the near future.

With a myriad of agencies, people and elements involved, the consolidation is taking longer than expected. The Defense Information System Agency (DISA) investigations system (NBSIS), has already moved operations to the Defense Security Service (DSS) and reduced its backlog to 541,000 cases. Still a significant backlog by any standard. A final merger of the NBIB and DSS into the new agency (Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA)) will centralize the government-wide security clearance processes including personnel security, vetting and counterintelligence programs.

New technology will automate, collect and execute data required for investigations and will assist with the merger. The new system networks and data collection processes will enhance the sharing of information and collaboration among agencies.

This consolidation is expected to reduce delays significantly. In addition, the development of new processes, policies, and procedures will serve as the foundation for an improved background investigation and security clearance program. There will be over 10,000 federal employees and contract investigators collectively working to decrease waiting periods for security clearances, background investigations and re-investigations.

From a personal perspective and participant of the investigation, re-investigation and clearance processes, efficiency is paramount; the ability to improve upon the security clearance process, not only for new employees, but for required re-investigations will serve as a welcomed
move in the right direction.

Technology, along with knowledgeable and skilled investigators are the key elements that will help to foster efficiencies, streamline processes and procedures, and reduce waiting times for a myriad of individuals and employees.

Many fantastic potential employees who are ‘waiting’ for their background investigations to be completed are lost to other industry competitors and/or state and local government entities. Now, there is finally a much needed, renewed focus on the need to automate, collect and execute data in
preparation for processing clearances and investigations; this is a good thing for the people who work to protect our national security, our future, and our freedom.

References

Career Planning Tools

The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Federal Pay Raise Approved!

Posted on by Donna Day

The 2019 spending bill, H.J. RES.31, approved an increase in salaries for Federal workers. President Trump signed the package which includes funding for the government through September 30 and a 1.9% raise in pay for federal workers. In addition, the pay raise is retroactive to the first pay period of 2019.

In the past, these raises have been caught in a pay freeze and were considered uncertain until recently. Also considered long overdue, this raise brings hope to federal employees. Given their numerous contributions to safeguarding the nation, many feel the raise was justified. This good news is especially exciting for those in six new locality pay areas that President Trump approved in 2018. These include: Alabama, Vermont, Texas, Nebraska, San Antonio, and Virginia.

For a bit of history, after mid-term elections, a bill was passed by the House that included a 2.6% pay raise. This included civilian employees receiving the same compensation as military personnel; it was introduced to the Senate where it was doubtful to pass. Congress then went back to the 1.9% raise to increase the chances for approval.

This multi-billion dollar spending package was also the final step in the requirement to avoid a 2nd government shutdown. Securing this average 1.9% pay raise takes federal workers safely through the rest of the year; the entire spending package also ensures final funding for all of the government through the rest of fiscal year 2019 or September 30th.

According to the National Treasury Employees Union President, “this bipartisan compromise funding package is a refreshing turnabout that gives their agencies stable funding and their paycheck a modest bump.” Some also feel that federal salaries were falling short of those in the private sector; in order to ensure a more qualified, skilled, prepared, and high performing workforce, the raise was welcomed. Recruitment of federal workers is also expected to be improved over the next year and beyond, with this new, approved pay increase.

Lastly, the bill is a much needed, a positive move forward, as it also impacts GS-15 employees who serve on the Executive Schedule. Caps that were in place are no longer, and GS-15’s are also able to receive the 1.9%  increase. Below are a few links to additional references providing additional details on the history, establishment, and implementation of this new increase.

References

Career Planning Tools

The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages

Performance Management in Federal Agencies

Posted on by Donna Day

With the Federal Government as the largest employer within the U.S., there are over 2 million full time employees across a myriad of agencies and offices, worldwide. Given this, the Human Resources departments have their hands full with negotiating and managing such a large and diverse workforce. Challenges are plentiful, and more importantly is the need for a successful performance management system.

Only the most effective performance plan process can streamline communication, shape management and leadership attributes, represent strategic goals and objectives, and address personnel, compensation, and human resource needs. Many of these challenges include retirements, administrative changes, hiring, policies, compliance and accountability factors, and more; The extra stress of aligning organizational goals and objectives with employee skill sets is another critical task that must be performed in order for the process to be holistic and successful.

Retirement opportunities for federal employees have exploded over recent years; currently, more than 31% of the workforce is eligible. Given this, succession planning across organizations is critical in order to meet future demands. Federal employees sometimes possess low or moderate morale and engagement based on their job satisfaction.

Changes are underway to optimize performance management within Agencies across the enterprise and most recently President Trump signed an Executive Order focusing on streamlining personnel actions. OMB-17-22 is guidance directing agencies to develop employee performance plans in accordance with any short or long term reviews of the workforce. This guidance is aimed to create opportunities for employees to better understand expectations, work on areas of weakness, and improve their overall job performance.

Many organizations are currently making adjustments to their performance management workflows that are part of OMB-17-22’s target initiatives. Implementation is steadfast yet flexibility is key; with a myriad of areas involved, communication is a critical component for success.

Leadership Development, for example, is one area where organizations can capitalize on by supporting personalized training, enhancing skill development (to include soft skills), and establishing a workforce succession planning foundation. Involvement, communication and notification to the workforce is critical so that expectations are set and interest is assured.

Goal alignment is another area that can be addressed where employees are motivated to engage with a thorough understanding of organizational goals and objectives and how they are contributing to the big picture. Finally, performance management software can capture metrics, archive data and create additional efficiency across organizations when analyzing, developing and managing criteria. By making improvements such as these, organizations can make better decisions, strategically align performance management, increase flexibility and posture themselves for meeting their needs, as well as those of their employees.

In closing, Human Resource departments across the federal government are working diligently to ensure the ‘right’ performance process is in place. With the need for a more modernized, diverse and technologically advanced workforce, so too is the need for sustainable and accountable performance measurement systems.

Strategic organizational goals and objectives serve as the foundation for this new initiative; employees will understand expectations better, and align themselves to the mission, easier. Flexibility, as well as compliance and accountability are critical for these processes to be implemented and managed successfully. Finally, open communication with leadership, human resource personnel and the employees will ensure a robust and holistic approach to managing performance successfully.

Reference: Agency Challenges Through Performance Management

Career Planning Tools

The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages