Series Code GS-855-0. GS-860-0. GS-861-0. GS-862-0. GS-870-0 GS-871-0. GS-880-0. GS-881-0 GS-890-0_. GS-893-0. GS-894-0. GS-896-0. GS-910-0. GS-935-0. GS-944-0_. GS-970-0_. GS-975-0 GS-985-0_ GS-1220-0 GS-1221-0 GS-1222-0- GS-1312-0. GS-1313-0_ GS-1320-0. GS-1321-0 GS-1330-0 GS-1340-0 GS-1350-0 GS-1360-0 GS-1390-0. GS-1510-0 GS-1520-0. GS-1540-0. GS-1670-0 GS-1671-0_ GS-2015-0. CLASSIFICATION-Continued Series Title Electronic Engineering Series Aeronautical Research, Development, and Design Airways Engineering Series Petroleum Production and Natural-Gas Engineering Agricultural Engineering Series Chemical Engineering Series Welding Engineering Series Industrial Engineering Series Hearing Examiner Series Attorney-Trial Examining Series Attorney-Adviser Series Attorney (Legislative) Series Patent Administration Series Patent Attorney Series Patent Interference Examining Series Physical Science Administration Series Nothing contained in this Act shall affect any position required to be placed in the Scientific and Professional Schedule in the manner provided by this subsection, as in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this Act, the compensation attached to such position, and any incumbent thereof, his appointment thereto, and his right to receive the compensation attached thereto, until appropriate action is taken under authority of this subsection. (b) The Commission shall review, not less often than once every two years beginning with the second full calendar year after the date of enactment of this Act, the positions in the Scientific and Professional Schedule for the purpose of determining the priority of continuing such positions in such schedule and shall include in its report provided for in section 801 of this Act such recommendations as it deems appropriate, accompanied by explanations thereof, with respect. to such positions. (c) The head of each department may, from time to time in his discretion, submit to the Commission recommendations that positions under his department be placed in or excluded from the Scientific and Professional Schedule, accompanied by statements explaining the reasons for such recommendations. The Commission shall (1) consider such recommendations and reasons in the light of the needs and requirements of such department and of the entire Government, (2) advise the head of such department of its approval or disapproval thereof, (3) take such action, in the manner provided by section 801 of this Act, as is necessary to carry out any such recommendations as have its approval, and (4) include a summary statement with respect to such recommendations in its report provided for in section 801 of this Act. (d) The Commission may from time to time, upon its own initiative or otherwise, make such studies as it deems necessary or desirable of positions in any department or departments to determine whether or to what extent additional scientific, professional, technological, or research and development positions should be placed in the Scientific and Professional Schedule. The Com- mission shall include in its report provided for in section 801 of this Act such recommendations and proposals as it deems appropriate, upon the basis of such studies, with respect to the placement of any such additional positions in such schedule. The recommendations and proposals of the Commission under this subsection shall be accomplished by explanations of the reasons therefor. SEC. 402. Any increase in the rate of basic compensation of any employee by reason of the placement of his position in the Scientific and Professional Schedule in the manner provided by this Act shall not be regarded as an "equivalent increase" in compensation within the meaning of section 501 (a) of this Act. TITLE V-STEP INCREASES SEC. 501. (a) Each employee in a position subject to this Act who occupies such position under a career or career-conditional appointment and who has not attained the maximum scheduled rate of compensation for the grade of the Scientific and Professional Schedule in which his position is placed in the manner provided by this Act shall be advanced in compensation successively to the next higher rate within such grade at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion of (1) each fifty-two calendar weeks of service if such position is in grade 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 of such schedule, (2) each seventy-eight calendar weeks of service if such position is in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12 of such schedule, or (3) each one hundred and four calendar weeks of service if such position is in grade 13 of such schedule, subject to the following conditions: (A) that no equivalent increase in compensation from any cause was received during such period, except an increase made as provided in section 502 of this Act; (B) that his current efficiency rating is "satisfactory" or better; (C) that the service and conduct of such employee are certified by the department concerned as being otherwise satisfactory; and (D) that the benefit of successive step-increases as provided in this subsection shall be preserved, under regulations issued by the Commission, for employees whose continuous service is interrupted in the public interest by service in the Armed Forces of the United States or by service in essential non-Government civilian employment during a period of war or of national emergency declared by the President. (b) The term "satisfactory" as used in this section and section 503 shall have the same meaning as when used in the systems of efficiency rating established pursuant to the Performance Rating Act of 1950. SEC. 502. (a) Within the limits of available appropriations and in accordance with standards promulgated by the Commission, each department is authorized, subject to prior approval by the Commission (except as provided in subsection (b) of this section), to make additional step-increases as a reward for superior accomplishment, but no employee shall be eligible for more than one such additional step-increase within each of the time periods specified in section 501 (a). (b) The Commission is authorized to delegate to any department the authority to make the additional step-increases provided for in this section, without prior approval in individual cases by the Commission. The Commission may withdraw or suspend such authority whenever review of such actions by the Commission indicates that standards promulgated by the Commission have not been observed, and may restore such authority whenever it is satisfied that subsequent actions will be taken in conformance with such standards. (c) Each department shall report to the Commission all actions taken under this section, together with the reasons therefor. The Commission shall submit an annual report to Congress covering the numbers and types of actions taken under this section. SEC. 503. (a) Subject to subsection (b), as a reward for long and faithful service each department shall grant to each employee of such department an additional step-increase (to be known as a longevity step-increase), beyond the maximum schedule rate of the grade of the Scientific and Professional Schedule in which his position is placed, for each three years of continuous service completed by him at such maximum rate or at a rate in excess thereof authorized by this section without change of grade or rate of basic compensation except such change as may be prescribed by any provision of law of general application. (b) (1) No employee, shall be entitled to a longevity step-increase while holding a position in any grade above grade 11 of the Scientific and Professional Schedule. (2) No employee shall receive a longevity step-increase unless his current efficiency rating is "satisfactory" or better and his service and conduct are certified as being otherwise satisfactory by the department. (3) No employee shall receive more than one longevity step-increase for any three years of continuous service. (4) Each longevity step-increase shall be equal to one step-increase of the grade in which the position of the employee is placed. (5) Not more than three successive longevity step-increases may be granted to any officer or employee. (6) The employee shall have had, in the aggregate, not less than ten years of service in the position which he then occupies, or in positions of equivalent or higher class or grade. For the purposes of this paragraph, service by the employee in any position or positions in the General Schedule of the Classification Act of 1949, as amended, or any position within the purview of section 302 (f) of this Act, shall be considered in determining the aggregate years of service of such employee. (c) When an employee, receiving basic compensation at a rate in excess of the maximum scheduled rate for his grade under this Act or any other provision of law, is eligible for his first longevity step-increase beyond the maximum rate of such grade he shall (1) receive total basic compensation which is equal to the basic compensation at the maximum scheduled rate for his grade plus such first longevity step-increase, or (2) continue to receive compensation at such rate in excess of the maximum scheduled rate for his grade, if the compensation at such rate is higher than the total basic compensation specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection. In case any such employee receiving compensation under paragraph (2) of this subsection is eligible for a subsequent successive longevity step-increase, he shall (A) receive the same total basic compensation which he would be entitled to receive after such subsequent longevity step-increase, if his total basic compensation had, at the time he was eligible for his first longevity stepincrease, been determined under paragraph (1) of this subsection, or (B) continue to receive compensation under paragraph (2) of this subsection if such compensation is higher than the total basic compensation specified in paragraph (A) of this subsection. SEC. 504. In computing length of service for the purposes of this title, service in a position immediately preceding the date on which such position is placed in the Scientific and Professional Schedule shall be counted toward (1) one stepincrease under section 501 and one additional step-increase under section 502, or (2) longevity step-increases under section 503, as the case may be. TITLE VI-GENERAL COMPENSATION RULES SEC. 601. (a) Subject to section 602 (a) and subsections (b) and (c) of this section, any new appointment and any reinstatement to a position in the Scientific and Professional Schedule shall be made at the minimum rate of the appropriate grade of such schedule. (b) The appointing authority in his discretion may establish the initial rate of compensation of any person appointed or reinstated to a position which shall have been placed in the Scientific and Professional Schedule and allocated to a grade of such schedule in the manner provided by this Act at any within-grade salary step-rate of such grade which is not higher than the highest rate of compensation previously received by such person in an appointive or elective position in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government. (c) The appointing authority in his discretion may establish the initial rate of compensation of any person appointed or reinstated to a position which shall have been placed in the Scientific and Professional Schedule and allocated to a grade of such schedule in the manner provided by this Act at a within-grade salary step-rate of such grade which is higher than the minimum step-rate of such grade upon his determination, concurred in by the Commission, that such person possesses such superior qualifications or outstanding record of accomplishment that he is qualified to perform the duties of the position to which it is proposed to appoint or transfer him in a manner equal or superior to the performance required of an employee in an identical position, or in a position of equal level of duties, responsibilities, and qualification requirements, who has advanced to such higher step-rate of such grade in the manner provided by section 501 of this Act. SEC. 602 (a) The rate of basic compensation of any employee to whom this Act applies shall be governed by regulations issued by the Commission in conformity with this Act when (1) he is transferred to the Scientific and Professional Schedule from a position to which this Act does not apply; (2) he is transferred from one position to another position in the Scientific and Professional Schedule; (3) he is demoted from a position in one grade to a position in a lower grade in the Scientific and Professional Schedule; (4) his type of appointment is changed; (5) his employment status is otherwise changed; or (6) the position in which he is employed is changed from one grade to another grade in the Scientific and Professional Schedule. (b) No person in a position in a grade of the Scientific and Professional Schedule shall be promoted or transferred to a positon in a higher grade of such schedule without having served (1) at least six months in the next lower grade, if the position from which promoted or transferred is in grade 1, 2, 3, or 4 of such schedule, (2) at least twelve months in the next lower grade, if the positon from which promoted or transferred is in grade 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 of such schedule, and (3) at least eighteen months in the next lower grade, if the position from which promoted or transferred is in grade 11, 12, or 13 of such schedule, except that the Commission may by regulation provide for promotion of two grades within the appropriate period specified in this subsection (A) to a position not higher than grade SPS-10 of such schedule which is in a line of work properly classified at two-grade intervals, (B) to a position in the same line of work when the employee has completed a training period under a training program approved by the Commission for such position, and (C) to a position with respect to which there is no position in the normal line of promotion in the next lower grade. This subsection shall not apply to an employee who is within reach for appointment to a positon in a higher grade of such schedule on a competitive civil service register or list of eligibles. SEC. 603. Any increase in rate of basic compensation resulting from the establishment of a rate of compensation in the manner provided by section 601 or 602 (a) of this Act shall not be regarded as an “equivalent increase" in compensation within the meaning of section 501 (a) of this Act. SEC. 604 (a) For all pay computation purposes affecting employees and positions subject to this Act the basic per annum rates of compensation established by this Act shall be regarded as payment for employment during fifty-two basic administrative workweeks of forty hours. (b) All hours of work officially ordered or approved in excess of forty hours in any administrative workweek, or in excess of eight hours in any one workday, performed by any employee subject to this Act, shall be considered overtime work and compensation for such overtime work, except as otherwise provided for by the Federal Employees' Pay Act of 1945, as amended, shall be at the following rates: (1) For each employee whose basic compensation is at a rate which does not exceed the minimum scheduled rate of compensation for grade SPS-9 in the Scientific and Professional Schedule, the overtime hourly rate of compensation shall be an amount equal to one and one-half times the hourly rate of basic compensation of such employee, and all of such amount shall be considered premium compensation. (2) For each employee whose basic compensation is at a rate which exceeds the minimum scheduled rate of basic compensation provided for in grade SPS-9 of the Scientific and Professional Schedule the overtime hourly rate of compensation shall be an amount equal to one and one-half times the hourly rate of such minimum scheduled rate of basic compensation, and all of such amount shall be considered premium compensation. (c) Each employee to whom this Act applies who is assigned to duty on a holiday designated by Federal statute or Executive order shall be compensated for such duty, excluding any period when such employee is in a leave status, in lieu of the regular basic compensation of such employee for such day, at the rate of two times such regular rate of basic compensation. Holiday compensation authorized for an employee under this section shall not reduce the amount of any overtime compensation to which such employee may be entitled under subsection (b) or any other law for work performed during the administrative workweek in which such holiday occurs, but such holiday compensation shall not be considered to be a part of the basic compensation of such employee for the purpose of computing such overtime compensation. This subsection shall not apply to any employee in a position in grade SPS-12, SPS-13, or SPS-14 of the Scientific and Professional Schedule. (d) Whenever for the purposes of pay computation under this Act it is necessary to convert a basic annual rate of compensation to a basic biweekly or hourly rate of compensation, the annual rate of compensation shall be divided by twenty-six to derive a biweekly rate and the biweekly rate shall be divided by eighty to derive an hourly rate. (e) All rates of compensation under this Act shall be computed to the nearest cent, counting one-half cent and over as a whole cent. (f) The head of any department may, at the request of any employee, grant such employee compensatory time off from his scheduled tour of duty, in lieu of payment, for an equal amount of time spent in irregular or overtime work or holiday work and may, at his own discretion, provide that any employee whose rate of basic compensation is in excess of the minimum scheduled rate of basic compensation provided for grade SPS-9 in the Scientific and Professional Schedule shall be compensated for such time with an equal amount of compensatory time off from his scheduled tour of duty in lieu of such compensation. TITLE VII-STANDARDS; ASSIGNMENT OF POSITIONS TO GRADES SEC. 701. The Commission shall review the duties, responsibilities, and qualification requirements of positions placed in the Scientific and Professional Schedule in the manner provided by this Act and shall prepare and issue appropriate standards with respect to any such positions for which existing standards have not been issued or are deemed inadequate. Any such position which the Commission shall determine, on the basis of such review, is not in the appropriate grade of the Scientific and Professional Schedule shall be allocated by the Commission to the appropriate grade of such schedule. Any employee whose position is reduced in grade by reason of the operation of this section shall be entitled to continue to receive his rate of compensation in effect immediately prior to such reduction in grade as though the Act of June 18, 1956 (Public Law 594, Eightyfourth Congress), and any laws amendatory thereto, apply to him and to such position. In preparing the standards and determining the appropriate grade of any positions or classes of positions within the purview of this section, consideration shall be given to a comparison of the duties, responsibilities, and work requirements of such positions or classes of positions and other positions or classes of positions in the Scientific and Professional Schedule. With respect to such positions or classes of positions, the Commission shall give full recognition to the principle of equal pay for substantially equal work, and to substantial differences in the difficulty and importance of the work to be performed, in the degree of responsibility and skill to be exercised, in the scope and variety of the tasks involved, and in the education, training, experience, professional standing, and other qualifications. SEC. 702. Notwithstanding any law, order, rule, or regulation, any scholastic degree or any minimum formal educational requirements prescribed by the Commission for the determination of the qualifications of any applicant or employee for appointment, promotion, transfer, or reinstatement to, or retention in, any position subject to this Act shall not apply to any such applicant or employee who demonstrates that he is fully qualified, on the basis of practical experience, self-instruction, or other method of training, to perform the duties and responsibilities of such position in a satisfactory manner. SEC. 703. Any employee, either individually or together with one or more other employees with a similar grievance, may appeal at any time, in person or through his representative specifically designated for that purpose, to the Commission to review any action placing his position in the Scientific and Professional Schedule or the assignment of such position to a grade or per annum salary rate in such schedule, or both, in order to determine whether or not such action has been taken or assignment has been made in accordance with this Act. The Commission shall act upon such appeal at the earliest practicable time, and its decision thereon shall be certified forthwith to the department or departments concerned which shall take action in accordance with such certificate. |