Q. I am a 50-year-old, 25-year U.S. Fish and Wildlife employee hoping to get to full retirement in several years. I have developed Parkinson’s disease, however, and may be unable to successfully fulfill my current role as a biologist. If I take a lesser-grade job available, will my pay stay the same or will it drop? Also, if I go out on disability through this original job, can I get a random nonfederal job at a local business to keep active? A. If you take a lower-graded job, your pay would only remain the same if your current salary fell…
Browsing: downgrade
Q. I took a downgrade when I moved to another state. My high-3 was at a GS-9 Step 6 in 2006. Will my high-3 calculation be based on what I made for three consecutive years at the salary I was getting in 2006, or will it be based on GS-9 Step 6 the year I retire? In other words, will the cost-of-living raises be included in the retirement calculation? A. Your high-3 will be based on your highest three consecutive years of average pay, regardless of when that occurs in your career.
Q. I was involuntarily downgraded from a GS-07 (step 7) to a GS-04-00 in 2002 because of a contracting study to provide the most efficient organization. I challenged this downgrade at the union and Equal Employment Opportunity levels and was told that this was perfectly legitimate. However, I am reading some entitlements literature from the civilian personnel management service displaced employee guide which states that a reasonable offer must be made in writing and should not be lower than two grades or pay bands below my current permanent grade without consideration of grade or pay retention. I have not received…
Q. If my organization decides to downgrade the position I currently hold, what happens to my GS-14 Step 6 status? Will I lose my current pay and be adjusted to the new rate. If so, am I given any choice for reassignment such as during a reduction in force? A. It depends on the reason for the downgrade. To find the answer that fits your situation, go to www.opm.gov/oca/pay/HTML/grade_retention.asp.
Q: I was a GS-12, and when my organization reorganized, I was assigned to a different YA-02 position and not my original position, which was converted to a YC-02 position. I was told this was not a downgrade since I lost no pay or benefits. Now that the National Security Personnel System is ending, I understand that they must return me to my original grade and pay. The YA-02 position they assigned me to was a GS-10 before being converted to NSPS. Will they have to put me in another position that is a GS-12 since the NSPS YA-02 position…