Special Salary Rate

VA’s IT shop defends raises under Special Salary Rate amid planned budget cuts

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ IT shop is preparing for budget cuts across some of biggest priorities next year — but not for its growing workforce.

Hiring/Retention

Agencies should promote existing workplace flexibilities in federal AI hiring, OPM says

Artificial Intelligence

(Spokane VA Medical Center Photo)

veterans affairs spokane washington, Mann-Grandstaff

Special salary rate gives VHA ‘more robust,’ longer-term tools to hire and keep HR staff

Pay

VHA grants 15% pay raise to HR personnel using Special Salary Rate

Pay

AP/Charles Dharapak

VA’s IT shop boosts retention through higher pay, more flexible schedules

Hiring/Retention

VA plans facial recognition pilot for health care employees to reduce log-in burden

IT Modernization

Proposal to reform pay for blue-collar feds gets committee approval, but concerns remain

Pay

OMB tells agencies to target the use of special salary rate

Pay

Cyber rotation program aims to boost skills, retention of federal employees

Cybersecurity

Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, testifies before the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades)

VA tapping into special pay authorities to make in-demand hires

Pay

FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2013, file photo, just cut stacks of $100 bills make their way down the line at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Everyone knows the tech industry is big, but it can be challenging to get your head around just how big it is. At least until you look at it from a different angle and realize that Apple makes more money in a day than 2500 average U.S. households can expect to see in a year. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

Agencies have a chance to propose new special salary rates, but budget uncertainty can cause hesitation

Pay

VA counts on 17% average pay raise to compete with industry for tech workers

The VA is offering a perk that’s unmatched across the federal civilian government. Its Office of Information and Technology last month implemented a historic…

Pay

Pentagon approves higher cyber pay for NSA, other defense intelligence agencies

The new supplemental pay rates are expected to help the NSA and other defense intelligence components compete with the private sector.

Pay

Exclusive

VA CIO: ‘Historic’ pay raise coming for IT workforce, as Special Salary Rate goes into effect in July

Pay

The Department of Veterans Affairs will implement a long-awaited pay raise for its IT and cybersecurity workforce later this month, to bring employees’ salaries closer to what they could earn in the private sector.