Federal-Postal Coalition said that accounting for inflation, the annual allowance should be raised to about $1,200. Image: eddtoro/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffOPM has told a group of federal employee organizations that it “is in the process of gathering data regarding an increase” in the starting and annual allowances for federal employees required to wear a uniform on the job.
“Your letter provides important and helpful insights that we will consider as we conduct our analysis,” says a response to the Federal-Postal Coalition, which includes nearly three dozen unions and other organizations.
The coalition several months ago asked OPM to boost the allowance—mostly affecting law enforcement personnel but also including some other occupations, such as certain medical personnel—saying the $800 figure has not been updated in 18 years and that shouldering more of the cost is a burden on employees.
The group had said that accounting for inflation, the annual allowance should be raised to about $1,200, that the initial allowance for newly hired employees to roughly double that, and that both then should be indexed to inflation.
“We will also be reaching out to agencies with employees who are required to wear agency-directed uniforms to gather information on how the uniform allowance authority is utilized and to determine future needs. We anticipate completing our analysis and outreach by the fall,” OPM said in its reply.
OPM also noted that a change in the allowance would require going through a rules-making process.
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