GovernmentExecutive.com

Eighty-five percent of Defense employees entering the department's new personnel system next month will receive a pay increase when they make the switch.

As of April 30, 11,000 Defense employees are scheduled to be paid, promoted and rated under the National Security Personnel System. Most of those will receive the pay bump as a one-time buy-in to convert from the General Schedule to the broad paybands in the new system.

The pay boost will be based on the length of time accumulated toward employees' next within-grade increase, and will be added to their base salary when they enter the system. Its workings are detailed in a handbook released by the department Monday.

NSPS is the Defense Department's ambitious and controversial program to update its personnel system. The overhaul aims to replace automatic pay increases with raises based on performance and the labor market.

WGI's are one of the automatic pay increases that NSPS will eliminate, making the buy-in the last of such increases that Defense employees moving to the new human resources system will see. From there on out, the Pentagon will require rigorous performance ratings to determine pay increases.

Defense officials have been clear to say that no employee will lose pay in the initial conversion to the system, and now it is clear many employees will gain from the switch, at least at the outset.

"The most important point to remember about conversion is that your position converts into NSPS without a loss of pay," the handbook said.

Employees must have acceptable performance ratings and be in step 9 or lower of their current grade to receive the extra money.

According to the document, employees will convert to the NSPS automatically. The department is providing an online conversion calculator, which a spokeswoman said will be available on the NSPS Web site early next week. That tool will tell employees which payband and career grouping they fall into, which will then reveal the pay ceiling for their position.

The 11,000 employees who will first move to NSPS represent a much scaled-down group. Initially, the department planned to introduce more than 60,000 employees in the first unit, but a successful lawsuit by a coalition of Defense Department unions thwarted the plan.

The 11,000 workers now in the first installment are nonbargaining unit employees. That is because a federal judge ruled that the labor relations portion of the personnel overhaul is illegal. The department has not yet filed an appeal of the decision, but officials have made it clear that one is likely.

COMMENTS

• I was recently offered the position of battalion chief after a two day assessment board and fire chief interview. I am a GS 8 step 7 and will transition to the NSPS system. I am told I get a wapping 5% base pay increase and what appears to be a minimal buy in. Because of NSPS I will have firefighters making more than myself and getting numerous hours of overtime. The fire chief refuses to pay overtime to supervisors. Last year as a fire captain I made an extra $12,000 in overtime. NOT ANY MORE THOUGH. The system has made it so I dont even want to take the promotion but I am afraid of being singled out if I decline. The system is just plain B.S. to say the least. Jerry Daniels Posted November 11, 2008 6:33 PM
• I am sorry I ever left Customs to come to DOD. This NSPS is illegal in my opinion. How can Congress throw out the OPM rules of civil service and tell federal employees "oh well, this is the way it will be." Federal employees should be grandfathered or offered a buyout. I will never see another raise. I am a 7, step 10 and have been over 10 years. I have 25 years in government and was finally coming out of debt. Guess I'll be going back in. As a single mom, I'm tired of working like a horse for less than I'm worth, but haven't been able to find any other position because "I'm too old in the government." DOD Employee Posted July 19, 2007 4:18 PM
• For those who are at the end of the payband, and there already before the locality adjustment, how are we suppose to advance? GovExec.com reader Posted April 19, 2006 9:43 PM