PAY

The Office of Personnel Management oversees a variety of government-wide pay programs for Federal employees. Salary tables and related information are public knowledge in the Federal sector.

Most Federal employees work under the General Schedule salary table. This table is generally revised annually to reflect cost of living increases. In addition, locality pay differentials are assigned in 31 geographic areas, and those areas have defined locality pay tables. The General Schedule salary table for the Rest of the United States defines the locality pay levels for the remaining employees.

All Federal employees, with the exception of General Schedule (GS) temporary employees and GS employees already at step 10 of their pay grade, are eligible for within-grade increases. The General Schedule provides for 10 within-grade steps; the Wage Schedule provides for five within-grade steps.

LEAVE

Employees who are new to the Federal government earn 4 hours of annual leave (vacation) for each 2 week pay period in a duty status, or 104 hours per year. After 3 years of Federal employment, annual leave earnings increase to 6 hours per pay period, or 156 hours per year. After a Federal employee has worked for 15 years, he/she earn 8 hours of annual leave per pay period, or 208 hours per year.

All Federal employees earn 4 hours of sick leave for each 2 week pay period in a duty status. In addition to using sick leave to cover time off when an employee is ill or has a physician’s appointment, sick leave can be used to care for family members in certain situations. The Family Medical Leave Act provides for up to 12 weeks of time off (using accrued leave or leave without pay) per year for medical emergencies. The Family Friendly Leave Act authorizes employees to use sick leave to care for the medical needs of certain family members.

The Department of Energy, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Resources, has developed a Handbook on Leave and Absence as a reference tool to assist HR and payroll staff. Employees and supervisors who utilize this Handbook should contact their Human Resources Specialist for in-depth guidance about specific situations.

Federal law establishes 10 paid holidays for Federal employees.