OPM: 1% Pay Raise in 2015 Becoming More Likely

A recent memo from Office of Personnel Management director Katherine Archuleta said that unless President Obama acts before the end of August, federal workers can most likely expect a 1% pay raise in 2015.

President Obama proposed a 1% pay raise for federal employees next year as part of his 2015 budget proposal.

To date, Congress has not prohibited a raise, so the 1% raise would eventually become effective by default. For more on this see, Moving Toward a 1% Raise in 2015.

OPM has confirmed as much in a recent memo to chief human capital officers in which OPM director Katherine Archuleta stated:

The President’s budget for fiscal year 2015 proposes a total pay increase costing 1 percent of basic payroll.  In other words, any across-the-board general increase in GS base rates combined with any locality pay increases (which could vary by locality pay area) would be limited to a 1 percent overall increase in the basic payroll.  As of the date of this memorandum, the President has not exercised his alternative adjustment authorities or indicated whether the increase proposed in the budget would be implemented through an across-the-board increase in GS base rates and/or locality pay increases.  The President would exercise his alternative plan authority for the GS base rate increase under 5 U.S.C. 5303 by August 31, 2014.

About the Author

Ian Smith is one of the co-founders of FedSmith.com. He has over 20 years of combined experience in media and government services, having worked at two government contracting firms and an online news and web development company prior to his current role at FedSmith.