HRPAY 18-03, Pay Rate Determinant (PRD) Code T, Below the Minimum Rate

Published: January 16, 2018
Effective: Pay Period 01, 2018

Summary

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017, contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for the Vice President and certain senior political appointees at 2013 levels into calendar year 2018. (See section 738 of Title VII of Division E of the Act.) The Pay Rate Determinant (PRD) Code T, Below the Minimum Rate, will continue to be used to accommodate this legislation through calendar year 2018; although it was originally scheduled to expire January 6, 2018.

Implementations

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance on the 2014 pay freeze for certain senior political officials remains applicable for the pay freeze in 2017. (See OPM guidance Compensation Policy Memoranda (CPM) at CPM 2014-03.) However, the dates in the guidance must be updated to apply the new pay freeze period commencing on the first day of the first pay period that begins in January 2018, and ending on the last day of the last pay period that begins in calendar year 2018 (i.e., January 7, 2018, through January 19, 2019, for those on the standard biweekly payroll cycle). Sections of CPM 2014-03 that deal with the enactment of the pay freeze provision after the beginning of the calendar year are not applicable.

The official 2018 pay rate for EX-IV of $164,200 must be used for coverage under the pay freeze for political appointees in Senior Executive Schedule (SES), Senior Level (SL), and certain other covered positions described in CPM 2017-05. An SES or SL political appointee paid less than $164,200 may receive a pay increase up to this rate, but may not receive an increase above this rate or any subsequent increase except as provided in the pay freeze statutory authority referenced above.

Additional information is available through the following:

• OPM CPM 2017-18
• OPM CPM 2014-03
• OPM CPM 2017-05
• OPM CPM 2018-02
• Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017-18

Resources

Please refer to Bulletin HRPAY 14-03, New Pay Rate Determinant Code T, Below the Minimum Rate, dated February 21, 2014, for more information.

Inquiries

For questions about National Finance Center (NFC) processing, authorized Servicing Personnel Office representatives should contact the NFC Contact Center at 1-855-NFC-4GOV (1-855-632-4468) or via the customer service portal.