The White House will propose a 0.5 percent pay increase for civilian federal employees as part of its 2013 budget proposal, according to two senior administration officials familiar with the plans.
The modest across-the-board pay jump would be the first increase for federal workers since before a two-year freeze began in late 2010. Raises for within-grade step increases and promotions have continued during the freeze.
The proposal, which requires congressional approval, differs from Republican plans supported by lawmakers and presidential candidates that would freeze basic pay rates for one more year. Some of those plans also call for denying within-grade raises. In recent weeks, GOP lawmakers have called for extending the pay freeze as a way to pay for a payroll tax extension.
But, “a permanent pay freeze is not an acceptable policy,” one of the senior administration officials said Friday. “While modest, a 0.5 percent increase reflects the belt-tightening we must do in these difficult times.”
Hey, it’s what a business does. When they’re not turning a profit, the first thing they do is make sure that they can keep all of their workers and raise their wages. Everyone knows that.
My dad works for the fed. He works in DC, and he worked his way up as career personnel.
He finally is at the top tier of his specialty. Compare what he would make if he went to the private sector, and you’ll see why this increase isn’t even close to a lot.He could make twice to three times as much
He plans to keep his retirement, so he’s staying for a few more years before he transfers over to the private sector. He has a lot of pride working for the American people and takes it very seriously.
No, they’re getting laid off, is what they’re doing. They don’t want to quit, because jobs are scarce anyway, just as any other place that’s hiring.
Why are people angry at the federal workers?
It’s not like they are the politicians.
He doesn’t make much nominally (though I would contest even that based on studies I’ve seen), but look at his benefits and retirement package. That’s where the real issue is.
They plan on doing away with it. Even so, it’s not as much as he could make in private sector. He could make 300k plus doing what he’s doing, not including benefits.
He chooses to stay, because he started his retirement fund there through the mil, then the post office, and worked his way up.
He doesn’t make much nominally (though I would contest even that based on studies I’ve seen), but look at his benefits and retirement package. That’s where the real issue is.
The problem is the real unemployment rate is in the teens, regardless of what the media reports. People are out of work, taking part time work where they use to work full time. The deficit is in the trillions of dollars since three years ago. Millions of jobs are lost. And you see no problem with giving government workers a raise. How about waiting until the American people are back to work. Where the real unemployment rate is back to 3%-4%. Then they’ll be money for the raise.
It is comical how much most of you don’t know about Federal employment…what of the core employees that have to show up for work with no promise of pay should there be a shutdown…or the cap on overtime during disasters for FEMA employees. Seems like most of you are taking it out on the 9 to 5er when it’s the big wigs fubaring up the situation and over spending.
A .5% pay raise isn’t even a cost of living increase and still counts as a money saving practice compared to standard practice. That should be kept in mind when discussing this proposal. Also it is a bad management practice to wait for people to start quitting in droves before you consider increases to pay.
Most companies around here are having hiring freezes, and/or laying off employee’s. The poeple I know ((myself included)) are just extremely thankful to HAVE a job. I myself haven’t recieved a ‘raise’ in 3? 4 years? And when I did, it was a 20cent raise. :shrug:
I wonder how many (what percentage) of companies in the private sector are giving their employee’s raises right now.
Don’t you want the best and brightest working for the American people? Take the average salary for a lawyer in the DOJ and compare it to a private practice attorney. We are getting a bargain. i wish that people would appreciate the government employees instead of demonizing them.
Get real. The pay will come after the shutdown, and they didn’t have to work then. More vacation.
And professional people in the private sector work free overtime all the time. Usually they have to work 10 hours a week free before getting overtime, some companies require more. It’s some kind of tricky language “exempt” or “non-exempt”.
What I don’t understand is who isn’t getting a raise under the 2 year freeze. It says that raises within grade are still happening, and promotions (which I take to mean to new grades) are happening. So who is excluded?
The actual wages of the various grades aren’t being increased. Typically they would get a cost of living increase based on inflation from year to year as well as a possible bump in positions where they are struggling to find people for such as an engineering or science job.
Are Federal government employees quitting in droves because of low pay? No. That sure isn’t happening.]
Funny you should ask. I’m a federal worker who has veteran status and about 13 years of total federal time. I applied for a private sector job and was offered about a 50% higher salary. Within about 10 years or so my yearly salary would double what I would make as a federal worker.
The government retirement and leave policy are much better and in the private sector, I’m likely to get laid off or moved around against my will. Tough choice really.
The point is, don’t assume everyone is overpaid in the government. Some people like myself take a big pay cut by staying in the government.
So what you are are saying is that the BENEFITS and job stability are so much better in the government that a higher paying job in the private sector couldn’t get you to leave? Sounds like government workers have it pretty good.
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