FS: SOP 134D5

BUREAU OF GLOBAL TALENT MANAGEMENT

OFFICE OF TALENT ACQUISITION
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (SOP) NOTICE NO. 134D5

This SOP replaces and supersedes SOP 134D4 dated 02/17/2023 and all previous versions of SOP 134D.

SUBJECT: Salary Review Procedures for Foreign Service Entry Level Officer Career Candidates, Specialist Career Candidates, and Consular Professional Candidates.

PURPOSE: To provide a fair, transparent, and consistent methodology to review salary appeals by Foreign Service Entry-Level Officer and Specialist Career Candidates, and Consular Professional candidates.

PROCEDURES:

Salaries in the federal service are not negotiated packages, but are set by schedule, and published standards and qualifications determine a new hire’s place on that schedule. Salaries for entry-level Foreign Service Officer and Specialist career candidates, and Consular Professional candidates are determined by the Office of Talent Acquisition (GTM/TAC), according to the most recent guidelines set forth in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) outlining the process for setting entry-level grade and salary standards: Foreign Service Generalist series SOP 134A; Foreign Service Specialists series SOP 134B; Diplomatic Security Special Agents series SOP 134C; Foreign Service Lateral Entry Pilot Program (LEPP) SOP 134G; Consular Fellows (CA/LNA) series SOP 134E and Consular Adjudicator-Eligible Family Member (CA-AEFM) series SOP 134F. This Standard Operating Procedure is made available to candidates for their awareness and thorough understanding of the Department’s employment procedures.

The IPO office in GTM/TAC issues a Confirmed Offer of Appointment letter to the individual candidate, and extends an entry-level salary offer. The IPO also informs the candidate where to view both the SOP that determines the salary offer and this SOP on salary review procedures. By signing an acceptance of the salary offer, the candidate agrees to this salary determination.

Up until the salary offer is accepted, candidates who have obtained additional experience or education since their initial application or have other new information they want the IPO to consider, may forward documentation to that effect to the FS Onboarding@state.gov for consideration in determining entry-level salary. The IPO will consider qualifying work experience obtained up to the day the IPO sends the Confirmed Offer of Appointment to the candidate. The IPO reviews the additional documentation submitted and either confirms or amends the salary offer to the candidate.

At the time the confirmed or amended salary offer is received by a candidate, if the candidate believes that the starting salary has been set at an incorrect level, the candidate may request a review by the Salary Review Committee (SRC). Any category of candidate may request a review. All requests for review of the entry-level salary offer must be sent to the IPO via the FS Onboarding@state.gov in writing and received by the IPO within 10 calendar days of the issuance of a firm salary offer. Additional time may be granted on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Office’s Chief of Onboarding.

Note: The SRC will not consider new information concerning work experience or education that substantially differs from information provided to the IPO during the initial submission by the candidate.

Salary Matching Considerations:

Executive Order 14035 titled “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce” was signed into law on June 25, 2021. It directed OPM to consider whether to prohibit agencies from seeking or relying on an applicant’s salary history to set pay. On January 30, 2024, OPM issued a final rule titled “Advancing Pay Equity in Governmentwide Pay Systems” which prohibits the use of an applicant’s non-federal salary history to set pay for an applicant receiving their first appointment as a civilian employee in the federal government. To adhere to this rule, salary matching will no longer be considered for Foreign Service candidates who do not have federal salary history.

THE SALARY REVIEW COMMITTEE

Purpose

The purpose of the Salary Review Committee (SRC) is to review the determination of entry-level salary made by the Registrar in response to a salary review request submitted by a candidate in compliance with the above timeline and procedures.

Composition

The SRC is composed of three HR Specialists and is overseen by a Supervisory HR Specialist. The SRC may expand the committee ad hoc to include a subject matter expert for requests received from a Foreign Service Specialist or Consular Professional candidate.

SRC Procedure

The SRC will review the candidate’s resume and any information associated with the review request, then report their findings and recommendation to the Chief of Onboarding who will make the final approval.  In consultation with the GTM/TAC Director, the Chief of Onboarding has the authority to override the SRC’s recommendation. The candidate will then be notified of the final decision.

SRC members must not review cases in which they have direct and personal knowledge of the employee or candidate.