# Presentation: 709480

## SPECIAL SALARY RATE STUDYFORINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EMPLOYEES

***Strategic Compensation Conference 2000***
***August 28, 2000***

## Special Salary Rates

***Higher rates of basic pay approved by OPM***
***Needed to address serious staffing problems  (existing or likely)***
***	***
***Targeted by occupation, grade, location***
***Basic pay for most purposes***
***Not used to compute locality rates***

## Special Salary Rates

***May not exceed Executive Schedule V rate (currently $114,500)***
***Minimum rate may not exceed 30% above maximum rate for the grade***
***Reviewed annually for possible adjustment (at the time of January GS increase)***

## Establishing Special Salary Rates

***Generally, agency headquarters submits written***
***request with supporting data.  Agencies must--***
***Show significant handicaps in recruiting and retaining employees (existing or likely)***
***Show noncompetitive pay or certain other circumstances are causing problems***
***Certify that higher rates are needed to accomplish mission***
***Coordinate with other affected agencies***

## Evidence of Staffing Problems

***Vacancies***
***	******-******	******Number, rates, and length***
***Number of offers and hires***
***Quit rates (esp. quits for higher pay)***
***Pay rates for non-Federal employees***
***Nature of labor market***
***Exit interview information***

## Factors Considered by OPM

***Severity of staffing problem***
***Non-Federal pay rates***
***Relationship between staffing problems and pay***
***Costs incurred due to staffing problems***
***Mission impact***
***Use of alternative non-pay and pay solutions***
***Pay equity among occupations***
***Views of affected agencies***

## IT Special Rate Study

***Initiated by OPM in response to agency requests for additional pay flexibility to recruit and retain IT employees***
***CIO Council agreed on need for study***
***OPM coordinating study to expedite data gathering and analysis***

## IT Special Rates Study

***May 2000 - OPM issued memo to agencies asking them to provide data and views related to IT staffing situation***
***Focusing on GS-334s, but asked for data on other IT-related series, as appropriate***
***Recommend close coordination between IT and HR staff to complete report***

## IT Special Rate Study

***Memo requests--***
***Staffing, turnover, vacancy and quit rate data for GS-334s by IT classification specialty titles***
***Ratings of the severity of staffing problems in each IT specialty and geographic area***
***Data on other IT-related series, salary survey information, etc.***

## IT Special Rate Study

***Reports due June 30; extensions provided***
***Reports from all major employing agencies are in--currently analyzing results***
***OPM also analyzing data from CPDF and ***
***	******salary surveys.  ***
***Moving as quickly as possible to address immediate special rate needs***

## GS-334 Population by Agency (March 2000)

## GS-334 by Geographic Area (March 2000)

## GS-334 Population by Grade Level (March 2000)

## GS-334 Distribution by Age (March 2000)

## Preliminary Results

***Received reports from 38 agencies***
***Agency data cover over 90% of the GS-334 workforce***

## Preliminary Results

***Most of the reported data covers GS-334 employees***
***Some agencies also provided data for GS-301, 343, 391, 854, 1550, and other series***
***A number of reports included data on additional IT specialties and “hybrid”  positions***

## Preliminary Results--GS-334 Distribution by Specialty

## Preliminary Results--Ratings by GS-334 Specialty

***Recruitment problems rated slightly more severe than retention problems ***
***No significant difference in average ratings of recruitment and retention problems by specialty***
***No significant difference in average ratings of recruitment and retention problems by work level***

## Average Ratings of GS-334 Recruitment Problems by Geographic Area (1 = most severe)

## Average Ratings of GS-334 Retention Problems by Geographic Area (1 = most severe)

## Issues

***Which IT jobs are experiencing (or likely to experience) significant recruitment and/or retention problems?***

## Issues

***Does the level of problems vary significantly by occupational category, location, or grade level?***
***Which IT subgroups have the most critical need for special rates?***

## Issues

***How should an IT subgroup be defined for purposes of determining special rate eligibility?***

## Issues

***What levels of special rates are needed to address the identified problem areas?***
***What are the estimated aggregate costs?***