Social Security vs. Federal Employees: Cumulative Pay Increases
The author compares the historical pay increases of current federal employees to retirees on Social Security to see which group comes out ahead.
The author compares the historical pay increases of current federal employees to retirees on Social Security to see which group comes out ahead.
The first article on this subject introduced the concept of a new pay system in government. In the second article, the author goes into further detail on what this system might look like.
Recent articles in the media have indicated that federal employees are not represented by unions that negotiate wages. This is not true as there are agencies in which wages are determined through collective bargaining. Here are a few of these agencies and how the salaries in these agencies compare to the rest of the federal workforce.
As we all know, the two-year salary freeze has a loophole. Step increases will still be granted. This suggests another way to achieve savings, a way that will be permanent, and will ultimately save more money.
A decision needs to be made as to whether pay-for-performance should be expanded throughout the Executive Branch or concluded with employees being rolled back into the General Schedule (GS) or a similar pay system. A continuing patchwork of pay systems within the Executive Branch is not a good long-term option.