APPLICATION
OF HIGHEST PREVIOUS RATE FLEXIBILITIES
Issued
10/14/92; Effective 10/01/92
SECTION
1. PURPOSE.
This
Order provides the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) guidance for setting pay when
highest previous rate (HPR) is involved and in agreement
with the flexibilities intended by the Federal Employees
Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (FEPCA).
SECTION
2. APPLICABILITY/SCOPE.
.01
The Order covers the responsibilities of management
officials and Servicing Personnel Offices (SPO) when
using HPR pay setting flexibilities.
SECTION
3. REFERENCES.
.01 Title 5 U.S.C. 5334.
.02 Title 5 CFR 531.203.
.03 The Federal Employees' Pay Comparability Act
of 1990, P.L. 101-509 (FEPCA).
.04
Federal Personnel Manual Supplement 990-2, Book
531, S2-4.b.3, Determining Rate of Basic Pay.
SECTION
4. POLICY.
.01 The requirements on pay setting provisions such
as bonuses, allowances, and promotion rules are found
in their specific governing regulations. Rates of
pay may be set above or below the HPR when conditions
warrant.
.02 The intent of the FEPCA is to provide the manager
with greater flexibility with pay to attract and
retain employees.
.03 The SPO and the manager shall act in partnership
to ensure that employees are paid equitably. Under
the FEPCA, equity means fairness rather than sameness.
.04 The SPO shall advise the manager on pay setting.
The manager shall determine pay setting based upon
this advice.
.05 Pay may be set above or below the HPR when:
a. difficult labor market conditions may make it
necessary to offer higher rates to attract desirable
candidates; and
b.
limited budgets and ceilings and/or a readily available
labor market make it prudent to offer a
lower pay rate.
SECTION
5. RESPONSIBILITIES/PROCEDURES.
.01 The manager shall decide what pay rates to offer
individuals based upon their SPO's advice.
.02 The SPO shall provide services to the manager
including:
a. the exploration of all factors to determine the
most effective and equitable rate including superior
qualifications, recruitment and retention bonuses,
HPR, etc. to offer employees;
b. the making of offers and negotiating with individuals
on issues including grade and pay within the ranges
requested by the manager;
c. the determination of what documentation shall
be made to support the propriety of the individual
determinations and to ensure overall consistency;
(The minimum documentation shall be the SPO's annotation
on the Standard Form (SF)-52, Request for Personnel
Action.) and
d. the determination of what notification shall
be provided to employees to assure their understanding
of the pay setting.
.03
The Attachment to this Order provides additional
guidance on this Order's provisions.
SECTION
6. EFFECT ON OTHER ISSUANCES.
None.
SIGNED,
Director, Office of Administration
Attachment
Office of Primary Interest:
Office of Administration
Personnel Operations Division (OA21)
