CFR Subpart C

CFR Subpart C
in effect

5 C.F.R. § 536.301 Mandatory pay retention.

(a) Subject to the requirements in § 536.102 and this section, an agency must provide pay retention to an employee who moves between positions under a covered pay system or from a position not under a covered pay system to a position under a covered pay system and whose payable rate of basic pay otherwise would be reduced (after application of any applicable geographic conversion under § 536.303(a)) as a result of— (1) The expiration of the 2-year period of grade retention under subpart B of this part; (2) A reduction in force or reclassification action that places an employee in a lower-graded position when the employee does not meet the eligibility requirements for grade retention under subpart B of this part; (3) A management action that places an employee in a non-special rate position or in a lower-paid special rate position from a special rate position; (4) A management action that places an employee under a different pay schedule; (5) A management action that places an employee in a formal employee development program generally utilized Governmentwide (e.g., Recent Graduates Program); or (6) A reduction or elimination of scheduled rates, special schedules, or special rate schedules, excluding— (i) A statutory reduction in scheduled rates of pay under the General Schedule, including a reduction authorized under 5 U.S.C. 5303(b); or (ii) A statutory reduction in a prevailing rate schedule established under 5 U.S.C. chapter 53, subchapter IV, and 5 CFR part 532. (b) An agency must establish a retained rate when application of a promotion increase rule for General Schedule or prevailing rate employees results in a payable rate of basic pay that exceeds the maximum rate of the highest applicable rate range for the employee's new position. (See the promotion increase rules in 5 U.S.C. 5334(b) and 5 CFR 531.214 for GS employees and in 5 CFR 532.407 for prevailing rate employees—in particular, the special provisions in these promotion increase rules on establishing a retained rate equal to an employee's existing rate when that existing rate exceeds the applicable range maximum.) Once established, such a retained rate is governed by the provisions of this subpart. (c) If an employee's official worksite changes in conjunction with an action that may entitle the employee to pay retention under paragraph (a) of this section, the agency must apply the geographic conversion rule in § 536.303(a) before determining whether an employee's rate of basic pay otherwise would be reduced. (d) An employee is considered “placed” under paragraph (a)(2), (3), (4), and (5) of this section only when the employee remains in a position in the same agency. Optional pay retention under § 536.302 may apply when an employee transfers to a different agency as a result of a reduction in force or reclassification action or is selected by a different agency to fill a position under a formal employee development program, if all other qualifying conditions are met. (e) Eligibility for pay retention under this section ceases under the conditions specified in § 536.308.

5 C.F.R. § 536.302 Optional pay retention.

(a) Subject to the requirements in § 536.102 and this section, an authorized agency official may provide pay retention to an employee not entitled to pay retention under § 536.301, but whose payable rate of basic pay otherwise would be reduced (after application of any applicable geographic conversion under § 536.303(a)) as the result of a management action. This includes a management action to move an employee's position, without a break in service of more than 3 days, from a Department of Defense or Coast Guard nonappropriated fund instrumentality (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 2105(c)) to a position under a covered pay system in the same agency. (b) If an employee's official worksite changes in conjunction with an action that may entitle the employee to pay retention under paragraph (a) of this section, the agency must apply the geographic conversion rule in § 536.303(a) before determining whether an employee's rate of basic pay otherwise would be reduced. (c) Eligibility for pay retention under this section ceases under the conditions specified in § 536.308.

5 C.F.R. § 536.303 Geographic conversion.

(a) Geographic conversion at time of action that may provide initial entitlement to pay retention. If, in conjunction with a pay action that may entitle the employee to pay retention under §§ 536.301 or 536.302, an employee's official worksite is changed to a new location where different pay schedules apply, the agency must convert the employee's rate(s) of basic pay to the applicable pay schedule(s) in the new location before applying the pay retention rules in this subpart or any other simultaneous pay action (other than a general pay adjustment). The agency must identify the highest applicable rate range that would apply to the employee's position of record before the pay action as if that position were stationed at the new official worksite and determine the employee's converted payable rate of basic pay based on the step (or relative position in range for a GM employee) in that range that corresponds to the employee's step (or relative position in range for a GM employee) before the pay action. A reduction in an employee's payable rate of basic pay resulting from this geographic conversion is not a basis for entitlement to pay retention. The pay retention rules in this subpart must be applied as if the employee's payable rate of basic pay after geographic conversion is the employee's existing payable rate of basic pay in effect immediately before the action. (b) Geographic conversion when a retained rate employee's official worksite is changed. When an employee is receiving a retained rate and the employee's official worksite is changed to a new location where different pay schedules apply, the agency must apply the following rules (after applying any simultaneous general pay adjustment under § 536.305) to derive the converted retained rate that will be used as the existing retained rate in determining the employee's pay retention entitlement in the new position of record and at the new official worksite: (1) Identify the maximum rate for the highest applicable rate range that applies to the employee's former position of record based on the former official worksite; (2) Identify the maximum rate for the highest applicable rate range that would apply to the employee's former position of record if the employee were stationed at the official worksite for the new position of record; (3) Divide the maximum rate identified in paragraph (b)(2) of this section by the maximum rate identified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section and round the result to the fourth decimal place; and (4) Multiply the factor resulting from paragraph (b)(3) of this section by the employee's former retained rate and round to the nearest whole dollar (for an annual rate) or the nearest whole cent (for an hourly rate) to derive the employee's converted retained rate at the new official worksite.

5 C.F.R. § 536.304 Determining an employee's pay retention entitlement.

(a) General. (1) When an employee becomes entitled to pay retention under § 536.301 or 536.302 or undergoes a change in his or her position of record or pay schedule while receiving a retained rate (when the terminating conditions for pay retention under § 536.308 do not apply), the agency must determine the employee's pay retention entitlement following the rules in this section. (2) Any general pay adjustment (including a retained rate adjustment under § 536.305) that takes effect on the same date as an action described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section must be processed first, before any other pay action and before applying the rules in paragraphs (a)(3), (a)(4), (b), or (c) of this section, as applicable. (3) If the location of an employee's official worksite changes in conjunction with an action that may provide initial entitlement to pay retention, the agency must apply the geographic conversion rule under § 536.303(a) before applying the rules in paragraph (b) of this section. The converted rate of basic pay must be treated as the employee's existing payable rate of basic pay in applying those rules. (4) If the location of an employee's official worksite changes while he or she is receiving a retained rate, the agency must apply the geographic conversion rule under § 536.303(b) before applying the rules in paragraph (c) of this section. The converted retained rate must be treated as the employee's existing retained rate in applying those rules. (5) When an employee's pay retention entitlement is established or redetermined under this section on the same effective date as other pay actions that affect an employee's rate of basic pay, the actions must be processed in the order prescribed under the rules governing the covered pay system of the employee's position of record (e.g., 5 CFR 531.206 for GS positions and 5 CFR 532.413 for Federal Wage System positions). (6) In applying this section, an agency must convert an employee's existing annual rate of pay to an hourly rate of pay if the employee's new position is under a pay system that uses only hourly rates. An agency must convert an employee's existing hourly rate of pay to an annual rate of pay if the employee's new position is under a pay system that uses annual rates of pay. (b) Determining initial pay retention entitlement. When an employee becomes entitled to pay retention under § 536.301 or 536.302, the agency must determine the employee's pay retention entitlement under the following rules (subject to the requirements in paragraph (a) of this section): (1) If an employee's existing payable rate of basic pay is less than or equal to the maximum rate of the highest applicable rate range for the grade of the employee's position of record immediately after the event causing the pay retention entitlement, the employee is entitled to the lowest rate of basic pay in such rate range that equals or exceeds the employee's existing payable rate of basic pay. If an employee's payable rate of basic pay is set at or below the maximum rate of the highest applicable rate range, pay retention under this subpart ceases to apply to the employee. (2) If the employee's existing payable rate of basic pay is greater than the maximum rate of the highest applicable rate range for the grade of the employee's position immediately after the event causing the pay retention entitlement, the employee is entitled to a retained rate equal to the employee's existing payable rate of basic pay, subject to the limitations in paragraph (b)(3) of this section. (3) A newly established retained rate may not exceed— (i) 150 percent of the maximum payable rate of basic pay of the highest applicable rate range for the grade of the employee's position of record; or (ii) The Executive Level IV maximum rate limitation established under § 536.306. (4) In applying this section for an employee who becomes eligible for pay retention while serving on a temporary promotion or temporary reassignment, the agency must use the rate of basic pay the employee would have received if the temporary promotion or temporary reassignment had not occurred. (c) Redetermining pay retention entitlement at time of change in position or pay schedule. When an employee receiving a retained rate undergoes a change in position or pay schedule that results in a new highest applicable rate range (and when the terminating conditions for pay retention under § 536.308(a)(1), (3), (4), and (5) do not apply), the agency must determine the employee's pay retention entitlement under the following rules (subject to the requirements in paragraph (a) of this section): (1) If the employee's grade and pay system are not changing and if the employee's existing retained rate is less than or equal to the maximum rate of the highest applicable rate range for the employee's position of record immediately after the position or schedule change, the employee is entitled to the maximum rate of the highest applicable rate range, and pay retention ceases to apply. (2) If the employee's grade and pay system are not changing and if the employee's existing retained rate is greater than the maximum rate on the highest applicable rate range for the employee's position of record immediately after the position or schedule change, the employee continues to be entitled to the existing retained rate. (3) If the employee's pay system is not changing but the employee is being promoted to a higher-graded position, the agency must apply the applicable promotion rules to determine the employee's payable rate of basic pay (e.g., the rules in 5 CFR 531.214(d)(5) for GS positions and 5 CFR 532.407 for Federal Wage System positions). If the promotion action results in a terminating condition as described in § 536.308 (e.g., the resulting rate is equal to or greater than the existing retained rate), pay retention ceases to apply. Otherwise, the employee's existing retained rate continues. (4) If the employee is moving to a position under a different covered pay system whose grade has a higher comparison rate, the agency must apply the applicable pay administration rules to determine the employee's payable rate of basic pay (e.g., part 531, subpart B, for GS positions and part 532 for Federal Wage System provisions). If the promotion action results in a terminating condition as described in § 536.308 (e.g., the resulting rate is equal to or greater than the existing retained rate), pay retention ceases to apply. Otherwise, the employee's existing retained rate continues. (5) In applying this section to a retained rate employee who receives a temporary promotion or temporary reassignment, the temporary promotion or temporary reassignment is not a basis for permanently terminating an employee's pay retention entitlement. When the temporary promotion or temporary reassignment ends, the employee's pay retention entitlement will be determined as if the employee had not received the temporary promotion or temporary reassignment. (6) Notwithstanding § 536.308(a)(1), an agency must continue a retained rate entitlement for an employee serving under an interim appointment made under 5 CFR 772.102 if the employee's pay was retained under this subpart under the appointment immediately preceding the interim appointment.

5 C.F.R. § 536.305 Adjusting an employee's retained rate when a pay schedule is adjusted.

(a)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, when the maximum rate of the highest applicable rate range for an employee's position of record is increased while the employee is receiving a retained rate, the employee is entitled to 50 percent of the amount of the increase in that maximum rate, subject to the maximum rate limitation in § 536.306. This 50-percent adjustment rule applies only when the maximum rate increases are attributable to the adjustment of the employee's existing pay schedule or the establishment of a new pay schedule that covers the employee's existing position of record. (2) As provided in 5 CFR 531.206, a retained rate adjustment under paragraph (a)(1) of this section is a general pay adjustment that must be applied before any geographic conversion under § 536.303(b) or any other simultaneous pay action. The retained rate adjustment under paragraph (a)(1) of this section must be determined based on the employee's position of record and official worksite as in effect immediately before the effective date of the adjustment. (3) Consistent with 5 U.S.C. 5363(c), a change in the maximum rate of the highest applicable rate range based on a change in the employee's official worksite is not considered in applying paragraph (a)(1) of this section. The employee's new retained rate must be determined under the geographic conversion rule in § 536.303(b). (4) Paragraph (a)(1) of this section does not apply to an increase in an employee's highest applicable rate range that results from a change in the employee's position of record. Such an increase is not attributable to an adjustment in the pay schedule applicable to the employee's position and thus is not an increase as described in 5 U.S.C. 5363(b)(2)(B). (b) When a pay schedule adjustment causes an employee's retained rate (after any adjustment under this section) to become equal to or lower than the maximum rate of the highest applicable rate range for the grade of the employee's position, the employee is entitled to the maximum rate of the highest applicable rate range, and pay retention ceases to apply.

5 C.F.R. § 536.306 Limitation on retained rates.

(a) A retained rate may not at any time exceed the rate payable for level IV of the Executive Schedule. (b) When an employee's retained rate is limited under this section, an agency may not apply this subpart or the provisions of any other law or regulation to the rate of basic pay the employee would have received but for this limitation.

5 C.F.R. § 536.307 Treatment of a retained rate as basic pay for other purposes.

(a) A retained rate is considered to be an employee's rate of basic pay for the purpose of computing or applying— (1) Retirement deductions, contributions, and benefits under 5 U.S.C. chapters 83 and 84; (2) Life insurance premiums and benefits under 5 U.S.C. chapter 87; (3) Premium pay under 5 U.S.C. chapter 55, subchapter V, and 5 CFR part 532 and part 550, subparts A and I; (4) Severance pay under 5 U.S.C. 5595 and 5 CFR part 550, subpart G; (5) Post differentials under 5 U.S.C. 5925 and danger pay allowances under 5 U.S.C. 5928; (6) Nonforeign area cost-of-living allowances and post differentials under 5 U.S.C. 5941(a) and 5 CFR part 591, subpart B; (7) Lump-sum payments for accumulated and annual leave under 5 CFR part 550, subpart L; (8) General Schedule pay administration provisions (e.g., promotion increases) to the extent provided in 5 CFR part 531, subpart B; (9) Pay administration provisions for prevailing rate employees to the extent provided in 5 CFR part 532; (10) Adverse action provisions in 5 CFR part 752; (11) Other provisions as specified in other statutes or regulations; and (12) Payments and benefits equivalent to those listed in this section under other legal authorities, as determined by the head of the agency or other authorized official responsible for administering such payments or benefits. (b) For the purpose of applying other laws and regulations not listed in paragraph (a) of this section to an employee receiving a retained rate, the employee's rate of basic pay is deemed to be the applicable maximum rate of basic pay for the employee's position of record (e.g., the maximum rate of basic pay for a locality rate range or special rate range, as applicable, for the purpose of computing a percentage-based award under 5 CFR 451.104(g)).

5 C.F.R. § 536.308 Loss of eligibility for or termination of pay retention.

(a) Eligibility for pay retention ceases if any of the following conditions occurs at any time after the employee has received written notification that the employee's pay will be reduced, and entitlement to pay retention terminates if any of the following conditions occurs after the commencement of pay retention: (1) The employee has a break in service of 1 workday or more; (2) The employee is entitled to a rate of basic pay under a covered pay system which is equal to or greater than the employee's retained rate (after applying any applicable geographic conversion under paragraph (b) of this section), except that entitlement to a retained rate will not be terminated based on entitlement to an equal or higher rate of basic pay during a temporary promotion or temporary reassignment but will be held in abeyance during that temporary period. (3) The employee declines a reasonable offer (as determined under § 536.104) of a position in which the employee's rate of basic pay would be equal to or greater than the employee's retained rate (after applying any applicable geographic conversion under paragraph (b) of this section); (4) The employee is reduced in grade for personal cause or at the employee's request (based on the actual grade of the employee's position rather than the employee's retained grade and, when a movement to a different covered pay system is involved, a comparison of comparison rates under § 536.105); or (5) The employee moves to a position not under a covered pay system. (b) When the rate comparison required by paragraph (a)(2) or (3) of this section involves a new or offered position that is located in a different geographic area where different pay schedules would apply to the employee's existing position of record, the agency must convert the employee's existing retained rate using the geographic conversion rules in § 536.303(b) before making the rate comparison. The converted retained rate must be compared to the payable rate of basic pay for the new or offered position in determining whether the rate of basic pay for an offered position is equal to or higher than the employee's retained rate. (c) Termination of pay retention benefits takes effect— (1) At the end of the day before separation from service if termination is the result of a break in service; (2) At the end of the day before the employee becomes entitled to an equal or greater rate as described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section; (3) At the end of the day before placement or movement if the termination is the result of the employee's placement in or movement to another position; or (4) At the end of the last day of the pay period in which the employee declines a reasonable offer. (d) If an employee's eligibility for pay retention ceases or entitlement to pay retention terminates under this section, the employee's rate of basic pay must be set using the pay-setting rules applicable to the employee's position of record (e.g., 5 CFR part 531, subpart B, for GS positions). However, when an employee's retained rate is terminated under paragraph (a)(2) or (3) of this section and the employee's grade is unchanged, the employee's payable rate of basic pay may not be set below the maximum rate of the highest applicable rate range.

5 C.F.R. § 536.309 Converting retained rates on May 1, 2005.

(a) Consistent with section 301(d)(2) of Public Law 108-411, an agency must convert an employee's retained rate or similar rate, as described in paragraph (b) of this section, to a retained rate under this subpart on May 1, 2005. The new retained rate must equal the retained rate in effect on April 30, 2005, as adjusted to include any applicable locality payment under 5 U.S.C. 5304 or similar provision of law. (b) This section applies to an employee under a covered pay system who, on April 30, 2005, was receiving— (1) A retained rate under 5 U.S.C. 5363; (2) A rate paid under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 5334(b) or 5 U.S.C. 5362 which was greater than the maximum rate of basic pay payable for the grade of the employee's position of record; or (3) A continued rate of pay under 5 CFR part 531, subpart C or G (as contained in the January 1, 2005, edition of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, parts 1 to 699) which was greater than the maximum rate of basic pay payable for the grade of the employee's position. (c) The conversion rules in this section must be applied before any simultaneous pay action that takes effect on May 1, 2005.

5 C.F.R. § 536.310 Exceptions for certain employees in nonforeign areas.

(a) Notwithstanding §§ 536.304(b)(3) and 536.306(a), an employee who is receiving a retained rate in excess of Executive Schedule level IV on January 1, 2012, consistent with the Non-Foreign Retirement Equity Assurance Act of 2009 (subtitle B of title XIX of Pub. L. 111-84), may continue to receive a retained rate higher than Executive Schedule level IV until— (1) The retained rate becomes equal to or falls below Executive Schedule level IV; or (2) The employee ceases to be entitled to pay retention under § 536.308. (b) Notwithstanding 5 U.S.C. 5361(1) and § 536.102(b)(2), an employee who is employed on a temporary or term basis is not barred from receiving a retained rate if such employee— (1) Is receiving a special rate above Executive Schedule level IV on January 1, 2012, and is covered by paragraph (a) of this section; or (2) Is receiving a special rate incorporating an additional adjustment under section 1915(b)(1) of the Non-Foreign Retirement Equity Assurance Act (subtitle B of title XIX of Pub. L. 111-84) at the time the employee's special rate schedule is reduced or terminated.

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