After years of being bypassed at pay raise time, the ceiling for Grade 15 is being raised to $160,300 next year, up from the current maximum of $158,700. Members of the Senior Executive Service will also get an across-the-board 1 percent pay hike.

The pay raise authorized by President Barack Obama — and not blocked by Congress — is effective in January. It will range from 1 percent for workers in the RUS (Rest of the U.S.) locality pay zone to as much as 1.5 percent for Washington-Baltimore based workers and slightly more than that for feds in San Francisco-San Jose.

It will be the first adjustment in years for most of the executives in the GS and SES ranks.

For years the pay ceiling for Grade 15 has been $158,700. Many employees in the 10th, ninth and in some cases seventh step of that grade have been held at the level, even as their subordinates got raises. But the Senior Executives Association said that the new pay order raises the top GS rate to $160,300. That’s the same as the new Level IV of the executive schedule.

In the D.C. area, which probably has the largest GS 15 population in the nation, the $158,00 ceiling hit workers in steps 9 and 10 of that grade. But in other higher salary areas — like California, New York and Texas, it froze pay further down the ladder.

Higher pay isn’t just a matter of bigger salary bucks. A number of things from pensions (annuity benefits) to the value of sick and annual leave also increase in value. Retirement is based on the employees highest-3 year average salary and length-of-service. Even a slight raise can boost the lifetime annuity benefits of an individual when they retire. Workers can also cash in and be paid for unused annual leave when they retire. And they can apply unused sick leave toward their service time for retirement purposes.

And while the jump from $158,700 to $160,300 isn’t much, it’s definitely better than the freeze of the past few years. And it may also be a signal that in future, GS 15s at the top won’t automatically be capped each time rank-and-file workers get a raise.

Nearly Useless Factoid

By Michael O’Connell

On Dec. 19, 1917, Dave Ritchie, a defenseman for the Montreal Wanderers, scored the first goal in National Hockey League history. It was against the visiting Toronto Arenas. Montreal went on to win the game, 10-9.

Source: NHL.com

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