[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 108 (Monday, June 7, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 30378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14444]
[[Page 30377]]
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Part II
Office of Personnel Management
_______________________________________________________________________
Laboratory Personnel Management Demonstration Projects; Army
Department; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort
Detrick, Frederick, MD; Notice
_______________________________________________________________________
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 108 / Monday, June 7, 1999 /
Notices
[[Page 30378]]
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Laboratory Personnel Management Demonstration Project; Department
of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (MRMC),
Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland
AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.
ACTION: Notice to make a change to the MRMC Federal Register notice,
Part III, Vol. 63, No. 41, published on March 3, 1998, specifically
page 10454, Section V, Conversion, paragraph e, the prorated buyout of
the within-grade increase.
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SUMMARY: 5 U.S.C. 4703 authorizes the Office of Personnel Management
(OPM) to conduct demonstration projects that experiment with new and
different personnel management concepts to determine whether such
changes in personnel policy or procedures would result in improved
Federal personnel management.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995, Pub.
L. 103-337, 108 STAT. 2663, authorizes the Department of Defense (DoD),
with the approval of OPM, to carry out personnel demonstration projects
at DoD Science and Technology (S&T) Reinvention Laboratories. This
notice makes a change to the MRMC Personnel Management Demonstration
Project pursuant to 5 C.F.R. 470.315.
DATES: This notice may be implemented beginning on the date of
publication.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: MRMC: Carol Dick, U. S. Army Medical
Research and Materiel Command, Attn: MCHD-CP 810 Schreider Street,
Suite 120, Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702-5000, phone 301-619-2247.
OPM: Gail W. Redd, U. S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E
Street NW, Room 7458, Washington, DC 20415, phone 202-606-1521.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background
OPM approves S&T Laboratory Personnel Management Demonstration
Projects and published the MRMC final plan in the Federal Register on
Tuesday, March 3, 1998, Vol. 63, No. 41. The MRMC demonstration project
involves simplified job classification, paybanding, a performance-based
compensation system, employee development provisions, and modified
reduction-in-force procedures.
2. Overview
The MRMC published its final project plan on March 3, 1998. The
final plan incorporated changes made as a result of specific comments
received during the public comment period and hearings. Those comments
also brought new and different perspectives to the attention of those
responsible for implementing, overseeing, and evaluating the project.
One comment referred to the negative impact that the receipt of a
lump sum payment instead of an increase to basic rates of pay has on an
employee. The lump sum payment for the prorated within-grade increase
buyout is described in the conversion procedures in the project plan.
Upon closer examination, it was decided that adding the buyout amounts
to base pay instead of paying it in a lump sum is more beneficial to
employees and will contribute to their ``high three'' years for
retirement purposes. A change in the manner of payment from lump sum to
base pay increase, therefore, is appropriate.
Office of Personnel Management.
Janice R. Lachance,
Director.
I. Executive Summary
This project was designed by the Department of the Army with
participation of and review by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the
Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The purpose of the project is to
achieve the best workforce for the Army MRMC mission, adjust the
workforce for change, and improve workforce quality.
The foundations of the project are based on the concepts of linking
performance to pay for all covered positions; simplifying paperwork and
the processing of classification and other personnel actions;
emphasizing partnerships among management, employees, and unions
representing covered employees; and delegating classification and other
authorities to line managers.
II. Introduction
A. Purpose
The purpose of this notice is to amend the way the within-grade
increase buyouts will be paid to employees. Changes are hereby made to
the Federal Register, Part III, Laboratory Personnel Management
Demonstration Project, Department of the Army, U. S. Army Medical
Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland;
Notice, Vol. 63, No. 41, Tuesday, March 3, 1998; page 10454, Section V,
Conversion, replace paragraph e in its entirety as follows:
e. Under the current pay structure, employees progress through
their assigned grade in step increments. Since this system is being
replaced under the demonstration project, employees will be awarded
that portion of the next higher step based upon the portion of the
waiting period they have completed prior to the date of implementation.
The prorated payment will be added to base pay and paid on the first
day of the first pay period on or after the 1-year anniversary of the
date of implementation of the demonstration project. The payment will
be an increase to base pay commensurate with the number of full weeks
accrued toward the next higher step prior to the conversion effective
date. Employees will not be eligible for this base pay increase if
their performance is below Fully Successful at the time of conversion.
There will be no prorated payment for employees who were at step 10 or
receiving a retained rate at the time of conversion into the
demonstration project. The prorated payment may be provided only to the
extent that it does not cause the employee's base pay to exceed the
maximum rate of the employee's band. Rules governing within-grade
increases under the current Army performance plan will continue in
effect until the implementation date.
Those employees added to MRMC by involuntary actions such as
transfer of function, BRAC, etc., after initial implementation, will be
awarded that portion of the next higher step based upon the portion of
the waiting period they have completed at the time they convert into
the demonstration project (but no earlier than one year after the
implementation of the project.) Employees at step 10, or receiving
retained rates, will not be eligible for an increase to base pay since
they are already at or above the top of the step scale. Also, employees
will not be eligible for this base pay increase if their performance is
below Fully Successful at the time of conversion.
All other provisions of the approved MRMC Personnel Management
Demonstration Project will apply. Employee notification will be made by
delivery of copies of the amendment to union officials and MRMC
employees included in the project, and by posting on the Internet.
[FR Doc. 99-14444 Filed 6-3-99; 10:32 am]
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