December 1,
2010
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You've been emailing Federal News Radio with your questions about the proposed federal pay freeze. We've put together a list of your most commonly asked questions and the answers to them.
If you have a question that isn't addressed below or isn't answered in our pay freeze story, please email us or post a comment and we'll do our best to get an answer for you.
We will continue to answer your questions in this space, so check back often to see what's new.
For complete coverage from Federal News Radio on the proposed federal pay freezes and pay debate in general, click here.
Questions from December 1, 2010:
Q: Are
congressional salaries included in the proposed federal employee pay freeze?
A: No. But Congress will NOT be getting a pay raise in 2011. Congress's pay
raises are automatic, however
Congress voted this year to nix its automatic raise. It's the second
year in a row that Congress acted to not receive its cost-of-living
increase.
Q: Does the pay freeze
affect cost-of-living adjustments?
A: No. Cost-of-living adjustments are a separate issue from the pay freeze.
COLAs are applied to retirement pay and are based on inflation statistics.
It had already been announced that there will be
no COLA in 2011.
Q: Does the pay freeze
affect civil service retirees?
A: No (see above.)
Q: If Congress does
pass the pay freeze, will health insurance rates still go up?
A: Yes. Federal News Radio Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says this is the
perfect time to take a look at your health insurance and decide if your
current plan gives you the best bang for your buck. Federal employees have
until Dec. 13, 2010 to
make changes to their health plans during open season.
Questions from November 30, 2010:
Q: Is the
pay freeze a done deal?
A: No. The pay freeze is a proposal by President Barack Obama that still
needs to be approved by Congress. So, how likely is it to pass? Federal News
Radio senior correspondent Mike Causey says it's essentially a "done deal."
What we don't know at this point is when, where, or how it will travel
through Congress. (More on this as it becomes available.)
Q: What does the pay freeze
mean for my locality pay?
A: If the pay freeze is passed, locality pay will
remain at 2010 levels while the pay freeze is in effect. So, if a fed's
base pay includes an extra 15 percent for locality pay, they will continue
to get that same 15 percent during the pay freeze.
Q: What does the pay freeze
mean for
step or within grade (WGI) increases? Will they be affected by the pay
freeze?
A: An Office of Management and Budget official tells Federal News Radio,
"employees will still be eligible for step increases."
Q: What does the pay freeze
mean for promotions?
A: The pay freeze would not affect an employee's ability to receive more
money through a promotion.
Q: What does the pay freeze
mean for bonuses?
A: According to an OMB official, "OMB and OPM are evaluating the system of
performance awards and in no case will the total amount of bonuses for 2011
exceed the 2010 level."
Q: Which federal employees
are affected by the pay freeze?
A: The pay freeze would apply to all civilian federal (non-postal)
employees, including those in various alternative pay plans and those
working at the Department of Defense - but not military personnel.