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2011 BIWEEKLY CAPS ON PREMIUM PAY

Under 5 U.S.C. 5547(a) and 5 CFR 550.105, General Schedule (GS) employees and other covered employees may receive certain types of premium pay for a biweekly pay period only to the extent that the sum of basic pay and premium pay for the pay period does not exceed the greater of the biweekly rate payable for (1) GS-15, step 10 (including any applicable locality payment or special rate supplement), or (2) the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule. (See NOTE 1.) The biweekly rate is computed by (1) dividing the applicable annual rate by 2,087 hours, (2) rounding the resulting hourly rate to the nearest cent, and (3) multiplying the hourly rate by 80 hours. For example, in Atlanta, GA, the GS-15, step 10, annual locality rate of $154,501 divided by 2,087 hours yields an hourly rate of $74.03 and a biweekly rate of $5,922.40 ($74.03 x 80 hours). Similarly, the Executive Schedule Level V annual rate of $145,700 divided by 2,087 hours yields an hourly rate of $69.81 and a biweekly rate of $5,584.80 ($69.81 x 80 hours).

The table below provides the biweekly premium pay caps for 2011 by locality pay area. These caps become effective as of the first day of the first pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2011.

NOTES

1. In certain emergency or mission critical situations, an agency may apply an annual premium pay cap instead of a biweekly premium pay cap, subject to the conditions provided in law and regulation. (See 5 U.S.C. 5547(b) and 5 CFR 550.106-550.107.) See NOTE 4 regarding the method of computing the annual premium pay cap.

2. See http://www.opm.gov/oca/11tables/locdef.asp for definitions of locality pay areas.

3. Locality rates for GS employees are capped at the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule (EX-IV), which is $155,500 in 2011. (See Note 4 for an explanation of why annual premium pay cap is different than the annual rate shown in applicable salary schedules.) Certain special rate employees may have a higher biweekly premium pay cap at GS-15, step 10, than that shown in the table above.

4. The amount of the annual premium pay cap is computed by multiplying the applicable biweekly rate by the number of biweekly salary payments in the given year. (See 5 CFR 550.106(d).) The annual caps listed in the table above apply to employees with 26 biweekly salary payments in 2011. The caps do not match the annual rates shown on applicable salary schedules. For example, the GS-15, step 10, annual locality rate in Washington, DC, is $155,500 (EX-IV cap), but the corresponding annual premium pay cap based on 26 payments is $154,980.80. Similarly, the EX-V annual rate is $145,700, but the corresponding annual premium pay cap based on 26 payments is $145,204.80. However, some employees may have 27 biweekly salary payments in 2011. For these employees, the applicable annual cap is equal to the applicable biweekly rate multiplied by 27.

5. Effective January 1, 2011, section 1103 of Public Law 111-383 (Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011) extends to calendar year 2011 the authority provided in section 1101(a) of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417, October 14, 2008), as amended by section 1106 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84, October 28, 2009), for the head of an agency to waive the premium pay cap provisions under 5 U.S.C. 5547.

   This waiver authority applies to certain civilian employees who perform work while in an overseas location that (1) is in the area of responsibility of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) or (2) was formerly in the CENTCOM area of responsibility but has been moved to the area of responsibility of the Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). The overseas work must meet one of two additional qualifying conditions: (1) performance of work in direct support of or directly related to a military operation (including a contingency operation as defined in 10 U.S.C. 101(a)(13)), or (2) performance of work in direct support of or directly related to an operation in response to an emergency declared by the President.

   The annual limitation on basic pay and premium pay allowed under the waiver authority is $230,700 in calendar year 2011 (the annual rate of salary payable to the Vice President under 3 U.S.C. 104). Subsection 1101(b) also provides the aggregate limitation on pay under 5 U.S.C. 5307 will not apply to an employee in calendar year 2011 if the employee is granted a waiver under subsection 1101(a) of the normally applicable premium pay limitations.

6. No exemptions have been granted to waive the annual premium pay limitation under section 5547 for any emergency situations, except as provided in note 5, above.

7. When the biweekly (or annual, if applicable) cap on premium pay is reached, employees may still be ordered to perform overtime work without receiving further compensation. (See Comptroller General Opinions: B-178117, May 1, 1973; B-229089, December 28, 1988; and B-240200, December 20, 1990.)

Historical Pages –– BIWEEKLY CAPS ON PREMIUM PAY

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