PAY ADMINISTRATION FOR PREVAILING RATE EMPLOYEES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-01004R000300040012-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 26, 2001
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: December 17, 1976
• Content Type: MEMO

ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY
17 December 1976
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MEMORANDUM NO.
20-31-40
SUBJECr~ :
Pay Administration for Prevailing Rate Employees
REFERENCES:
(a)
(b)
(c)
Federal Personnel Manual Supplement 532-1
FPM 335-23, Subchapter 4-4
GPO Instruction 640.6
RESCISSION:
OPM 20-31-34, dtd 10 Sep 74
OPM 20-31-21 (Supplement 1) dtd 6 Mar 70
1. GENERAL
a? The Federal Wage System (FWS) is administered by the Civil
Service Commission and is applied in CIA on the basis of administrative
agreements. The Government Printing and Graphic Arts Systems are
based'on procedure and pay practices of the Government Printing Office
and the Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing,
as adapted administratively by CIA. Uniform rules based on the
Federal Personnel Manual (FPM) and Government Printing Office (GPO)
administrative instructions have been established in the Agency for
all prevailing rate categories: Federal Wage System, Interdepartmental
Lithographic Wage Board (a special schedule in FWS), Government Printing
System, and Graphic Arts System.
b. Employees whose positions are classified under the provisions
of the FWS are paid in accordance with the local area regular and
special wage schedules published by the Department of Defense Wage
Fixing Authority. FWS schedules include grade and step structures
which are complemented by standards used for allocation of position
grades and titles.
c. Government Printing and Graphic Arts Systems do not have
the structure found in FWS wage schedules. Grade and step identifi-
cations have been developed for administrative convenience. The
Position Management and Compensation Division/Office of Personnel
establishes Government Printing (GP) and Graphic Arts (GA) pay
schedules in accordance with lead agency pay practices, as they are
applicable.
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2. DEFINITIONS
a. Basic Journeyman, Journeyman, or Member
qualified worker in an apprenticea le tra e recognize
as such by the
b. Printing Plant Workers: Employees engaged in performing
unskilled and semi-skille manual tasks in hand and power equipment
operation and other nonjourneyman tasks in the graphic arts.
C. Apprentices - Trainees: Employees in a program for progressive
development of craft skills leading to recognition as a journeyman
craftsman. Some programs are developed for processes or equipment that
have positions for which the maximum pay rate is a fixed percentage of
journeyman rate -- e.g., 80%, 85%, or 90% of journeyman rate. Apprentices
assigned to this work cannot exceed these rates until assigned to
training in processes and equipment calling for higher skill.
d. Saved Rate: A rate paid without specific time limitation to
employees whose are reclassified to a lower level in a different
wage system, when position downgrading results from a revised evaluation
standard,.or when a revised wage schedule structure places the employee's
position at a lower wage level.
e. Retained Rate: A rate paid for up to two years for employees
who are changed to a lower grade, except when such change is by request
of the employee, for personal cause, or required by personnel reduction,
in which cases pay retention is not authorized. The employee must
have had two years of continuous service in any grade or grades higher
than the grade to which reduced.
10,
f. Maximum Rate: Applies only to GP and GA schedules. Salary
is equal to that of an established rate below the journeyman level,
and there is no time limitation.
g. Representative Rate: (1) the fourth rate in the range for.
a grade under the General Schedule, (2) the prevailing (second) rate
for a position under the Federal Wage System, and (3) for GP and GA
the rate the employee is currently being paid.
7- h. Equivalent Rate: The nearest rate of the applicable wage
schedule grade that is-equivalent to the grade and rate from which
the employee is converted. This is determined by selecting the lowest
grade of the applicable wage schedule in which the representative rate
is equal to or exceeds the representative rate in the grade and schedule
-from which the employee converted.
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i. Promotion: For GP and GA systems (except Apprentice levels)
any action which provides for a higher rate of pay. In the FWS system,
a change to higher grade and adjustment of pay equal to or greater
than a one step increment in the grade from which promoted.
j., Step Increase: In GP and GA only Apprentice rates are
treated as periodic step increases as represented by the five rates
.for various GP trades identified by title as Apprentice levels; and
the five rates in the GA system for GAB-03 and GAE-01.
3. GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES -- FWS
Pay administration for FWS (WG, WL, WS' and WP) employees is applied
in accordance with the provisions of FPM Supplement 532-1.
4. GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES -- GP and GA
a. For some purposes (e.g., promotion, a salary retention,
temporary promotions to supervisory rates) each level in the GA system
may be considered as a separate schedule, except GAB-03 and GAE-01
(see 2j). In this context employees are promoted from level 1 to pro-
ficiency levels 2 through 5, or may be permanently or temporarily
promoted to Chief or Deputy Chief rates associated with the same
schedule and grade number. Those actions are not periodic step increases.
In addition, GA employees may be promoted to higher paying GA levels,
such as a GAA-01 to GAA-03 from which the employee may advance by
additicnal promotion actions through the several "steps" of the higher
"grade."
b. The GP system is constructed as a series of single rate
values for each "grade," in ascending order of pay, except those noted
as Apprentice levels (see 2j). Progression by promotion in the GP
system is synonomous with change to higher pay and/or higher grade.
c. For assignment purposes, only the first two letters of the
GP and GA schedule designations apply for control of apparent mis-
matches between employee schedule and position schedule. For example,
a GPA employee may be properly assigned to a GPB position, or, a GAA
employee may be assigned to a GAB position. Assignment controls are
administered in the appropriate components in coordination with PMCD,
based on skill requirements peculiar to these systems.
d. Except as provided in paragraph 5, appointments or reassign-
ments to GP and GA positions are made at the grade, apprenticeship step,
journeyman, or specialist rating commensurate with the experience
and training of the individual as evaluated by the Office of Personnel
appointing officer for application to the position title. Prior pay.
rates received in non-printing or unrelated trades including Federal
employment are not considered.
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e. Printing Plant Workers will be appointed at the first step
of the grade (where there are several steps) that reflects their
experience in semi-skillcd manual tasks associated with nonjourneyman
work.
f. Apprenticeship programs are generally of. four years duration,
though Reproduction Technician occupations in the Graphic Arts system
can require up to eight years. Advancement through apprentice pay
-levels is based on satisfactory completion of specified training and
experience criteria for each level, as certified by the operating office,
and is a step increase action. Apprentices meeting progression criteria
will be advanced to the next step of their pay schedule at the beginning
of the pay period following:
-(1) completion of 26 calendar weeks in steps 1 and 2, or
- (2) 52 calendar weeks in steps 3, 4 and 5.
g ? Progression from the most senior apprenticeship level to a
jot neymman level of pay requires certification by the operating office
that the-full apprenticeship program has been successfully completed,
and-is:recognized by a "promotion" action to which the certification
is:attac:hed.
k:..`h.: Graphic Arts schedules provide-in addition to apprenticeships
the'following recognition of advanced skills and experience:
(1) Proficiency rates are provided for increased specialized
skill, experience, and aptitude which normally require a minimum of
one year of experience above the journeyman or higher skill level.
Promotion certifications attached to-the Personnel Action are required
'-for these ratings, and ther skills must be maintained to hold proficiency
rates.
(2) Specialist and combination journeyman ratin
s i
l
g
nvo
ve
journeyman craftsman skill and a minimum of at least two years of
specialized or second skill training. Promotion requires an operating
official's certification, attached to the Personnel Action, that such
skill. .has-been demonstrated. Upon promotion to specialist or combina-
tion skill, employees receive the nearest rate for the specialist
title - that -exceeds their current rate. - -
5. APPLICATION OF DESIGNATIONS FOR NONSTANDARD RATES
r a. Saved Rate - Step "S't
(1) -The existing, rate of -pay.._i-s -granted as -a saved rate and
tie e to eeis placed in Step "S" when:
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c;
(a) The wage board osition to which the employee
was assigned is reclassi ec under anot er wage or salary system and
the previous rate of pay exceeds the maximum rate for the new position.
(b) The employee's position is downgraded as a result
of application of a new or revised evaluation standard or a revised
wage schedule structure, and no scheduled rate for the position after
this action equals the employee's previous rate.
(2) A wage grade employee receiving a saved rate in Step "S"
is entitled to wage schedule adjustments equal to one half the amount
of each later prevailing rate increase, applicable to the scheduled
rate for the grade and step to which downgraded, until the saved rate
of pay is terminated.
k_.
(3) An employee is granted a Saved Rate Step "S" by a
"Change to Lower Grade - Step Rate Change." A saved rate is terminated
when the employee is granted an increase in the scheduled rate of pay
which is equal to or higher than the saved rate by reason of the normal
operation of the wage system (periodic pay adjustment, step increase,
promotion, etc.),
b., Retained Rate - Step "R"
(1) An emp y changed to. a._lower_grade for any reason
other than the individual's own request, for personal cause, or as a
result of personnel reduction, where no scheduled rate of the lower
grade equals or exceeds the employee's current rate (for WG, WL, WS
and WP) or where the current rate is between two established rates
(for GP and GA) will be assigned a retained rate of pay for a period
not to exceed two years and be placed in Step "R" of the new grade.
(a) Reduction in Grade Within the Same Wage Schedule
When an employee is reduced from one wage grade
to a lower wage grade within the same wage schedule the employee's
retained rate of pay will be the lesser of:
[1] The employee's existing scheduled rate
immediately prior to the reduction to a lower wage grade, or
[2] The sum of the minimum scheduled rate in the
lower wage grade plus the difference between the employee's existing
scheduled rate before the reduction and the minimum scheduled rate at
a level three wage grades below the wage grade from which the employee
was reduced.
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Difference .94
!, WG-4 Step 1 4.57 p.h.
0
ye,
.
Schedule to a Wage Schedule
When an employee is reduced in grade in conjunction
with change between different types of wage schedule (e.g., GS to WG),
the employees retained rate of pay is either:
the rate
that is equivalent to higher than nearest
l
employee's existing scheduled
grade and rate, or
forrer wage schedule if[thattis higher existing of a in the y
maximum rateeinlthee's
scheduled grade of the new wage schedule.
When the change from one wage schedule to another
wage schedule results in a reduction equivalent to three or more grades
in the ;new wage schedule, the employee's retained rate of pay will be
the lesser of:
s
[2][a] the individual's existing rate of pay
in the :Former wage schedule, or
[b] the sum of the minimum rate of the new
wage schedule grade plus, the difference between closest equivalent
rate of pay in the new wage schedule to the existing rate in the old
schedule, and the minimum rate in the new wage schedule grade which
is three grades lower than the equivalent rate of pay from which the
employee is being reduced.
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Example b(l) (a) [2] : Employee in WG-8 Step 3 is
reduced to WG-4
WG-8 Step 3 5.82 p.h.
WG-S Step 1 4.88 p.h.
? (b) Reduction in Grade Resulting from Changes Between
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Example b(l) (b) [2] [b]: Employee GS-08 Step 1 is
reduced to WG-05
GS-08, Step 1 $5.88 p.h.
Representative Rate for GS-08
is Step 4 6.46 p.h.
Representative WG rate that is
at least equal 6.71 p.h. (WG-10/2)
WG-10 rate closest to current
rate 6.44 p.h. (WG-10/1)
WG-7 Step 1 (minimun rate of
WG grade which is three grades
lower than the nearest equiva- A,
lent WG grade) 5.50 p.h.
Difference:
.94
WG-5 Step 1
4.88 p.h.
Retained Rate $5.82 p.h.
.
retained rate is terminated by expiration of the two year NTE date or
when an cx ase is granted in the employee's scheduled rate of pay
which 4Ti gher than the retained rate by reason of the normal operation
AV of the Wage system (e.g., step increase or promotion).
(2) An employee whose pay is retained under paragraph 5b(l)(a)
above shall receive any increase granted in the scheduled rate and grade
from which he or she was demoted. An employee whose pay is retained
under paragraph 5b(l)(b) above shall receive any increase granted in
the scheduled rate and grade that was determined to be the individual's
"equival.ent grade and nearest rate." In either case the increase is
based on the wage schedule to which the employee's position is subject
and is granted at the time of the increase in that wage schedule.
(3) An employee is given a Retained Rate Step "R" by a
Change to Lower Grade action carrying an NTE date of two years
A
C. Maximum Rate - Step "M'
(1) Based on regular assignments to operate equipment and
perform duties for which journeyman credit cannot be authorized, GP
or GA positions can carry a maximum rate of compensation, less than
that of a journeyman. Employees assigned to such positions will be
placed in Step "M' of their grades.
(2) A GP or GA employee receiving a maximum rate is not
entitled to within grade increases. Employees in this category are
entitled to general increases applicable to the appropriate schedule
and skill level. The amount of the increase is added to the individual's
maximum rate and the total becomes a new maximum rate.
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(3) A GP or GA employee is given .a Maximum Rate Step "I'T'
by a "Pay Adjustment" action which may be combined with a "Reassignment"
action. A maximum rate may be terminated by reassignment when performance
is no longer at the maximum rate in which case a "Pay Adjustment" is
processed to reduce the rate. A maximum rate may also be terminated
by promotion.
d. Pay Rate when Saved Pay is Not Applicable
When pay saving is not applicable because of the provisions
of paragraph 5a or 5b, an employee's rate may be fixed at any step
rate of the grade to which changed and for which the employee is fully
qualified, provided such rate is not in excess of the individual's last
earned rate. The selection of the step rate shall be at the discretion
of the operating official concerned and with the approval of the Director
of Personnel.
6. TEMPORARY PROMOTIONS
a. Temporary promotions are used in the GA system and can be
used in the other prevailing rate systems to meet a situation requiring
the temporary services of a prevailing rate employee in a higher rated
position. The higher rated positions usually involve supervisory tours
of limited duration. The employee may be required to return to a
lower rated position with an appropriate pay rate for the skill require-
ments of the lower rated position.
Example:
Supervisory rates for Deputy Chief (rates A-E) and
Chief (rates F-J) are paid while a GA employee serves
in a supervisory capacity, and are granted by
"Temporary Promotion" action. When a GA employee is
no longer serving in a supervisory capacity the rate
of pay is adjusted to the appropriate nonsupervisory
level (rates 1-5) in the employee's grade by "Change
to Lower Grade." The Remarks section should reflect
the comment, "termination of temporary promotion."
b. An employee selected for a temporary promotion must be informed,
in advance of the promotion, of the circumstances that make it a temporary
promotion. The employee must be advised that return to a position at
the then current rate for the appropriate skill may be required, if upon
completion of the assignment in the higher rated position there is no
position available at the higher rating. There must be written docu-
mentation signed by the employee which acknowledges understanding of
the conditions of the temporary promotion and accepts the reduction to
nonsupervisory rank upon completion of the temporary assignment. This
ter, 7NISTRATT1/ - ?\xT Win, .~T 1,7T. 0?,'L
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will not bar recognition of newly acquired skills or assignment to other
positions which may be available at rates equal to or below the tempo-
rary rate. This agreement must accompany the Personnel Action and be
reviewed by OP/SAS.
c. The employee may be temporarily promoted for the expected
duration of the need for services in the higher rated position, not to
exceed 'two years. An employee may request, or management may extend
the requirement for additional periods of a year or less, on approval
by the Director of Personnel. On completion of an assignment, the
employee will be returned to a position of the previous rating at the
then current pay rate, or another higher rated position if available.
Downgrade actions resulting from termination of temporary promotions
do not qualify for salary retention.
d. Temporary promotions end upon expiration of the approved period,
of an extension thereof, or reassignment of the employee to a position
of lower rating. A Personnel Action must be submitted in either of
these instances and reflect the proposed effective date. Approval by
the Director of Personnel is required when an employee is reassigned
to a position of lower rating.
OPM 20-76
STATINTL
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