Fedweek

Many federal employees who still have not received the pay raise nor the retroactive pay say they are looking expectantly to the next pay distribution—being made later this week or early next—for at least the former, if not both.

Due to the scattered nature of how federal pay is distributed, involving both individual agency payroll offices and the four major payroll providers that individual agencies use, there has been no accounting of how many employees are still waiting — now 10 weeks since the raise, retroactive to January 6, was signed into law and five weeks since an order setting the new pay rates was issued. There does not seem to be a pattern either by employing agency or by payroll provider.

Many employees received the raise—which varies from 1.66 to 2.27 percent by locality—in their ongoing salaries starting with the pay distribution received about two weeks ago, and some also received back pay. Many others say that they have been told that the upcoming distribution will reflect the raise—some were promised the back pay as well, others not—while some say their agencies have left them wondering and hoping for the best.

Even for many of those whose current pay already reflects the raise—or will starting with the coming distribution—the back pay portion has been delayed. That is especially true of employees who had a change in salary rate since the start of the year unrelated to the raise, or who received premium pay, overtime, awards or incentive payments linked to their pay rates.