CPM 2004-12 - July 14, 2004
MEMORANDUM FOR CHIEF HUMAN CAPITAL
OFFICERS
FROM:
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KAY COLES JAMES
Director
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Subject:
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2004 Annual Review of Special Salary Rates
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This memorandum announces the 2004 annual review of special salary rates authorized
under 5 U.S.C. 5305 and 5 CFR part 530, subpart C, and requests agency recommendations
on the adjustment of special rate schedules in January 2005. The Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) authorizes special salary rates for specific occupations, grades,
and locations to alleviate existing or likely significant recruitment or retention
problems. Prior to any across-the-board adjustment authorized for General Schedule
basic rates of pay (but at least annually), OPM must review special salary rate
schedules to determine whether the factors in the special salary rate regulations
require those schedules to continue and, if so, how they should be adjusted.
Each agency with special rate employees must submit certifications to OPM documenting
its recommendations for the adjustment of special rates.
We are providing the following materials to assist you in providing annual
review certifications:
Attachment 1 - 2004 annual review instructions.
Attachment 2 - Special salary rate request and annual review forms (OPM Forms
1397 and 1398).
Attachment 3 - Index of current special rate authorizations
by agency.
Attachment 4 - Special rate agency contacts.
Agencies must submit all annual review materials to OPM by October 15, 2004.
It is important that you submit your certifications on time so we can compile
and review the data and obtain a consensus among affected agencies if there
are substantial differences in agency requests. You may obtain electronic copies
of all the attachments on OPM's Web site at www.opm.gov/oca/compmemo/index.htm.
OPM Forms 1397 and 1398
We have supplied electronic, fillable forms that agencies may use to request
special salary rates and provide annual review certifications. (See Special
Salary Rate Request Form (OPM Form 1397)
and Work Sheet for Special Salary Rate Annual Review (OPM Form 1398)
in Attachment 2.) Additional information on these forms is provided in Attachment
1.
IT Special Rates
In January 2005, we plan to amend the information technology (IT) special rate
tables 999A 999F to delete the former GS-334 Computer Specialist series
designation. The IT special rate tables will continue to cover the GS 854 Computer
Engineer, GS-1550 Computer Scientist, and GS-2210 Information Technology Management
occupational series. The job family position classification standard for administrative
work in the Information Technology Group, GS 2200, issued in May 2001, canceled
the GS-334 Computer Specialist Series. We retained the GS 334 series designation
on the IT special rate tables to give agencies more time to implement the new
classification standard. By January 2005, agencies should have completed their
reclassification actions and classified affected IT positions to the appropriate
series. However, if you will be unable to complete reclassifying your GS-334
positions by January 2005, we ask that you let us know by November 5, 2004.
Please contact us by email at pay-performance-policy@opm.gov.
We ask agency headquarters to bring any problems encountered in implementing
the annual review process to our attention as they arise. You may contact the
Pay and Leave Administration Group by telephone at (202) 606-2858, by fax at
(202) 606-0824, or by email at pay-performance-policy@opm.gov.
cc: Human Resources Directors
Attachments
- 2004 annual review instructions
- Special salary rate request and annual review forms
- Index of current special rate authorizations
by agency
- Special rate agency contacts
