Federal Human Resources

Federal Pay Setting: An Introduction

CEUs: 1.4
Introductory
Classroom, Virtual

Who Should Attend

This introductory course is open to anyone planning to enter into or already in the human resources profession, including HR professionals, HR assistants, and administrative and management support professionals and assistants. It is also designed to provide awareness to other individuals in organizations who have a need to understand the basic principles and practices of pay setting in the Federal government, including supervisors, managers, and other non-HR professionals. 

Course Overview

You will acquire the knowledge necessary to set and administer pay for General Schedule (GS) employees and Federal Wage System (FWS) employees. There will be a discussion on Alternative Pay Systems (i.e., Demo Pay) with respect to transitioning from Alternative Pay Systems/ Demo Pay to the GS or FWS. You will also learn to research and apply a variety of pay administration rules, including those related to:

  • new appointments
  • reinstatement and reassignments
  • transfers and conversions
  • promotions and changes to lower grade
  • pay changes
  • recruitment
  • relocation
  • retention incentives
  • superior qualifications
  • grade and pay retention
  • severance pay
  • movement between pay systems.

Course Topics

• OPM policies and guidance

• Research and utilize various legal and regulatory resources and reference materials

• Pay Setting Directives

• Federal Pay Systems

      -General Schedule Pay Setting

      -Federal Wage System Pay Setting

      -Transitioning from Alternative Pay Systems/Demo Pay to GS or FWS


• Within Grade Increases

• Setting Pay – New Appointments

• Highest Previous Rate

• Setting Pay for Promotions/CLG

• Pay Incentives

• GS-Advanced Hire Rates

• Grade and Pay Retention

• Special Pay Options

• Severance Pay

• Federal Benefits 

Select a Date and Location
Aug 26 - 27, 2025
9am-4pm ET
Class ID: 10004955
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