We have been reporting for the past few months on disagreements with the federal pay system from a variety of critics. In fact, one area in which there may be agreement, regardless of your view on the federal pay system, is that the existing general schedule does not meet the requirements of today’s federal government.
Some agencies now have special authority to create a unique pay system that is outside of the general schedule. In some of these agencies, unions negotiate the wages. The wages in these agencies are generally higher than in other agencies. Some argue that is because of the specialized nature of the jobs in these agencies while others contend that the people negotiating the wage levels stand to personally gain from an overall increase in wage levels and, without a management structure that stands to lose from granting higher salary levels, the wages for these federal employees go higher. (See Negotiating Federal Salary: How Do Negotiated Pay Levels in Agencies Compare to the Average Federal Salary? and The Federal Salary War)
Some would like to introduce a performance based system so that the best performers would make more than average or non-performing employees. Others would like to have a pay increase for some positions or higher pay in some localities. Others think there should be an increase for all federal employees while others think federal pay is too high and should be frozen at current levels for some time.
Of course, once the door is opened to changing the pay system, anything can happen.
Here is your chance to give your opinion on the federal general schedule pay system. Should the existing GS pay system be changed? Should a larger performance element be introduced into the existing system? Are federal employees paid too much or too little?
At the end of this reader survey, you can comment on any of the questions or submit your person opinion on the topic.
