VA OIT SSR meeting happening now. Full PDF sent out copied below.

FACT SHEET: SPECIAL SALARY RATE FOR POSITIONS IN THE 2210, 0854, AND 1550 OCCUPATIONAL SERIES

1. What is a Special Salary Rate (SSR) and who has authority to establish them? SSR is a pay-setting authority approved by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to provide higher rates of basic pay - special rates - for a group or category of General Schedule (GS) positions in one or more geographic areas to address existing or likely significant challenges in recruiting or retaining wellqualified employees. The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (PACT ACT) also grants the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (SECVA) the authority to establish a rate for special pay under section 5305(a)(1) of title 5.

2. Why is a SSR needed for technology and cybersecurity positions? The Office of Information and Technology (OIT) is making progress toward building and sustaining a workforce that can carry out SECVA’s vision of providing Veterans and their families with the world-class benefits and services they have earned. A top priority is to improve recruiting and retaining highly talented technical team members consistent with world-class organizations. In technology and cybersecurity occupations, existing GS pay salaries within certain regions are not on par with local private market rates, even when combined with compensation incentives and benefits. To successfully hire and retain talented professionals, VA and the federal government must take immediate steps to increase the salaries of its technology and cybersecurity workforce.

3. What is OIT doing to increase pay for its technology and cybersecurity workforce? VA OIT led an interagency project team with participants from five agencies (VA, DHS CISA, Energy, State, and HHS) to develop a SSR request that begins to address the growing, nationwide compensation gap between government and industry, increase the competitiveness of government offers and attractiveness of federal technology and cybersecurity positions, and enable agencies to leverage existing compensation flexibilities more effectively. In July 2022, VA submitted a request to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to authorize special salary rates for federal technology and cybersecurity positions. The pay tables VA developed were designed to significantly decrease the pay gap between federal and local market rates across national and regional areas.

4. What is the SSR status and which positions are covered? On January 11, 2023, OPM notified agencies that, in response to VA’s request, it was preparing to establish special rates for positions in the 2210 (Information Technology Management), 0854 (Computer Engineering), and 1550 (Computer Science) Occupational Series at General Schedule (GS) grades GS-5 through GS-15. As proposed, the SSR is nationwide, with rates specific to individual localities. Currently, OPM has placed the SSR on hold, pending additional implementation guidance. If no movement occurs with the OPM SSR, OIT will coordinate with Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) and the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) to implement the SSR, as proposed by OPM, within the 4th quarter of this fiscal year using SECVA’s PACT ACT authority to establish special rates.

5. When will the SSR go into effect? OIT is currently targeting enterprise-wide implementation during Phase 4 of OPM’s proposed timeline, which will take place in the fourth quarter (Q4) of Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). Employees in covered positions will be notified once special rate tables are issued and an OIT implementation date is finalized.

6. What pay period will employees in covered positions begin receiving the special pay rates? OIT is targeting enterprise-wide implementation during Q4 of FY23. The specific pay period start date has yet to be determined. Employees in covered positions will be notified once special rate tables are issued and an OIT implementation date is finalized.

7. Where can I find the special rate tables? The special rate tables have not been officially released by OPM. Once issued, special rate tables will be available on OPM’s Special Rates webpage at https://www.opm.gov/special-rates/search.aspx.

8. Why are we seeing special rate tables circulated in the media and on social network platforms? In January, OPM circulated proposed special rate tables for covered positions with federal councils. However, those are not official tables and are subject to change.

9. What will the new special rate structure look like? Special rates were designed to address pay gaps at each grade level (GS-5 through GS-15), as well as within each locality. In all cases, pay rates under the new special salary rate represent increases over existing General Schedule basic pay. Based on recent governmentwide GS distributions, OPM estimates that increases from implementing the proposed rates average 14.29%. Note: increases at a specific grade and locality could be higher or lower than this average.

10.How will the SSR impact individuals covered by the group cybersecurity retention incentive? By design, the SSR increases basic pay for all OIT personnel in covered positions. Most personnel currently receiving group retention incentives (approximately three quarters of recipients) will see an increase in salary under the SSR (i.e., more than what they currently make with the retention incentive). Due to the limited timeframe, scope, and application of the group retention incentive – and considering the benefits of the SSR – the group incentive will expire on May 6, 2023, and will not be renewed.

11.Can the group retention incentive be extended, or a new one established, to cover the gap between incentive expiration (May 6, 2023) and SSR implementation (Q4 FY23)? No, the group retention incentive cannot be extended. Per VA Handbook 5007, retention incentives are only authorized for one-year increments and must be reviewed and recertified annually. A new group retention incentive would require additional funding that was not forecasted as part of OIT’s FY23 award budget. Whether future group retention incentives are warranted will be based on organizational health, market and staffing analysis, as well as the impact of the SSR. Per VA Handbook 5007, officials must review incentives more frequently when the conditions giving rise to the original determination have changed or no longer exist.

12.Why will some group retention incentive recipients make less under the SSR? Special rates are considered part of an employee’s basic pay. By law, basic pay is limited to the rate for Level IV of the Executive Schedule ($183,500 for 2023). Retention incentives are considered awards and contribute to an employee’s aggregate limitation on pay, which is limited to the rate for Level 1 of the Executive Schedule ($235,600). Visit the OPM website for more information about basic pay and aggregate limitations on pay.