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Federal Law Enforcement Pay and Benefits

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Print version of this report PDF file [685 KB]

A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

Executive Summary

  • Retirement Findings
  • Classification and Basic Pay Findings
  • Premium Pay Findings
  • Recommendation
  • An Integrated Approach to Resolving LEO Retirement and Pay Issues
  1. Introduction
    1. Report Requirement
    2. Scope of Report
    3. Structure of Report
    4. Principles
    5. Past Studies of Law Enforcement Employees
      • Report of the National Commission on Law Enforcement (April 1990, OCG-90-2)
      • OPM Report to Congress: A Plan to Establish a New Pay and Job Evaluation System for Federal Law Enforcement Officers (September 1993)
      • GAO Report: Federal Uniformed Police: Selected Data on Pay, Recruitment, and Retention at 13 Police Forces in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area (June 2003, GAO-03-658)
      • OPM Report to Congress: Report on Federal Employees with Law Enforcement Duties (OPM, June 30, 2003)
  2. Retirement Benefits
    1. Overview
      • Findings
      • Recommendations
    2. The Definition of "Law Enforcement Officer" for Retirement Purposes
    3. Review of Types of Retirement Systems/Benefits
      • Regular Retirement Under CSRS and FERS
      • Law Enforcement Officer Retirement Under CSRS and FERS
      • DC Police Officers and Firefighters Retirement Plan
      • Retirement Provisions for Capitol Police
      • Retirement Provisions for Supreme Court Police
    4. Retirement Benefits Issues
      • Issue: Statutory Definition of "Law Enforcement Officer"
      • Issue: Inconsistent Extension of Enhanced Retirement Benefits to Particular Groups
      • Issue: Disparities in LEO Retirement Coverage as a Result of Litigation
      • Issue: Difficulties Encountered by Agencies
      • Issue: Loss of Experienced Law Enforcement Officers
      • Issue: Cost and Retirement Creditable Basic Pay
      • Issue: Related Staffing and Funding Concerns
    5. Retirement Benefits Recommendations
  3. Classification and Basic Pay
    1. Overview
      • Findings
      • Recommendations
    2. Standard Basic Pay Systems
    3. Nonstandard Basic Pay Systems
      • LEOs Covered by Nonstandard Basic Pay Systems
      • Other Law Enforcement Personnel Covered by Nonstandard Basic Pay Systems
    4. Classification and Basic Pay Issues
      • Issue: Need for a Basic Pay System Tailored for Law Enforcement Employees
      • Issue: Defining Which Law Enforcement Employees Are Covered
      • Issue: Disparities in Pay Flexibilities Among Agencies
      • Issue: Recruitment and Retention of Law Enforcement Employees
      • LEO Quit and Transfer Rates
      • Non-LEO Police Officers Quit and Transfer Rates
      • Non-LEO Border Inspector Quit and Transfer Rates
      • Issue: Pay Competitiveness with Non-Federal Employers
    5. Classification and Basic Pay Recommendations
  4. Premium Pay
    1. Overview
      • Findings
      • Recommendations
    2. Summary of Standard Premium Pay Provisions
      • Overtime Pay
      • Compensatory Time Off
      • Sunday Pay
      • Night Pay Differential
      • Holiday Premium Pay
      • Premium Pay Caps
      • Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime (AUO) Pay
      • Law Enforcement Availability Pay
    3. Summary of Nonstandard Premium Pay Provisions
      • LEOs
      • Other Law Enforcement Employees
    4. Premium Pay Issues
      • Issue: Consistency
      • Issue: Flexibility
      • Issue: Premium Pay Caps
      • Issue: Availability Pay Problems
      • Issue: Retirement Creditability of Premium Pay
      • Premium Pay Recommendations
  5. Conclusions

APPENDICES

 

 

Appendix A:

Comparison of LEO and Non-LEO Annuities

 

A1. CSRS Retirement Benefits

 

A2. FERS Retirement Benefits

 

A3. LEO and Non-LEO Age Distribution

 

 

Appendix B:

Turnover Data from the Central Personnel Data File

 

General Notes

 

B1. Quit Rate Data

B1-1 B1-6
B1-2 B1-7
B1-3 B1-8
B1-4 B1-9
B1-5 B1-10

 

B2. Transfer Rate Data

B2-1 B2-6
B2-2 B2-7
B2-3 B2-8
B2-4 B2-9
B2-5 B2-10
 

 

Appendix C:

Summary of Nonstandard Pay and Benefits By Type of Pay or Benefit

 

 

Appendix D:

Analysis of Proposed Legislation Dealing with Law Enforcement Officer Pay (H.R. 466, H.R. 1676, and S. 985)

 

 

Appendix E:

Overview of Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime Pay and Law Enforcement Availability Pay

 

 

Appendix F:

Comparison of Title 5 Premium Pay and Customs Officer Premium Pay

 

 

Appendix G:

Common Full Performance Level Salaries for Selected Federal Law Enforcement Related Occupations in Selected Locations

 

 

Appendix H:

Analysis of Federal Law Enforcement Officer Pay Competitiveness

 

 

Appendix I:

Occupational Series that Apply to Law Enforcement Officers


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