COURSE CONTENTS

LESSON 1: The Federal Wage System, New Appointments, Reinstatements and Transfers and Conversions

• THE FEDERAL WAGE SYSTEM
  • The FWS Structure
  • Wage Rates
  • Regular Wage Rates
  • Wage Areas and Lead Agencies
  • Wage Surveys
  • Wage Schedules
  • Special Schedules
  • Special Wage Rates
• NEW APPOINTMENTS
  • Minimum Step
  • Higher Than the Minimum Step
  • Increased Minimum Rates
• REINSTATEMENTS
  • Prior Separation Voluntary
  • Minimum Step
  • Highest Previous Rate (HPR)
  • Highest Previous Rate Requirements
  • Computing the HPR
  • Prior Separation Involuntary
  • Reemployment Priority List (RPL)
  • Agency Directives on Reemployment From the Reemployment Priority List
  • Highest Previous Rate (HPR)
  • Mandatory Restoration
  • Governmentwide Minimum Requirement for Mandatory Restoration
• TRANSFERS AND CONVERSIONS WITH NO CHANGE IN GRADE
  • No Change in Pay
  • Local Directives on Transfers Between Federal Agencies
  • Highest Previous Rate (HPR)
  • Change Between Wage Areas

LESSON 2: Reassignments and Promotions

• REPRESENTATIVE RATES
• REASSIGNMENTS
  • No Change in Pay
  • Highest Previous Rate (HPR)
  • Changes Between
  • Wage Areas
  • Changes Between Regular and Special Wage Rates
• PROMOTIONS
  • Governmentwide FWS Mandatory Promotion Rule
  • Highest Previous Rate (HPR)
  • Changes Between Wage Areas
  • Changes Between Regular and Special Wage Rates
  • Regular Rate to Special Rate
  • Special Rate to Regular Rate

LESSON 3: Changes to Lower Grade, Grade and Pay Retention

• CHANGES TO LOWER GRADE
  • Representative Rates
  • Voluntary Changes to Lower Grade
  • Local Directives for Voluntary CLGs
  • Pay Retention
  • Highest Previous Rate (HPR)
  • After-Temporary-Promotion Requirement
  • Involuntary Changes to Lower Grade
  • Employee at Fault (Personal Cause)
  • Highest Previous Rate (HPR)
  • Agency Directives for Personal Cause Actions
  • Employee Not at Fault
  • Grade and Pay Retention Requirements
  • Highest Previous Rate (HPR)
  • Supervisory or Managerial Probationary Period
• GRADE AND PAY RETENTION
  • Grade Retention
  • Grade Retention Mandatory
  • Grade Retention Optional
  • Entitlement
  • Pay Increases
  • Termination of Grade Retention
  • Pay Retention
  • Pay Retention Mandatory
  • Pay Retention Optional
  • Entitlement
  • Change in Wage Areas
  • Pay Increases
  • Termination of Pay Retention
  • Subsequent Changes and Further Entitlements

LESSON 4: Pay Changes and Severance Pay

• WITHIN-GRADE INCREASES
  • Basic Requirements
  • Waiting Periods
  • When a Waiting Period Begins
  • Waiting Periods for Full-Time or Part-Time Work Schedules
  • Waiting Periods for Intermittent Work Schedules
  • Creditable Service
  • Nonpay Status
  • Determining Waiting Period Completion Dates
  • Equivalent Increases
  • Increases Not Considered Equivalent Increases
  • Several Increases
  • Date of Last Equivalent Increase
  • Satisfactory Performance
  • Simultaneous Pay Actions
• CHANGES IN WAGE SCHEDULE
  • Wage Schedule Increases
  • Wage Schedule Decreases
• SEVERANCE PAY
  • Eligibility Requirements
  • Be a Part-time or Full-time Employee
  • Be Removed From Federal Service by Involuntary Separation
  • Have Completed At Least 12 Months of Continuous Service
  • Not Be Entitled to an Immediate Annuity
  • Not Be Receiving Injury Compensation
  • Not Have Declined a Reasonable Offer
  • Severance Pay Fund
  • 52-Week Limitation

LESSON 5: Changes Between Pay Systems

• MOVEMENT FROM THE GS TO THE FWS PAY SYSTEM
  • Identifying the Action Taking Place
  • Representative Rates
  • Annual and Hourly Rates
  • sing Representative Rates
  • Setting Pay on Changes From GS to FWS
  • Reassignments
  • Promotions
  • Changes to Lower Grade
• SETTING PAY FOR FORMER USPS EMPLOYEES
  • FWS Highest
  • Previous Rate
  • Basic Pay
  • HPR Requirements
• GLOSSARY
• APPENDIX
  • Table for Determining Completion of Waiting Periods for Pay and Leave Purposes