The Department of the Interior requires that all new employees arrange for direct deposit of their net pay to a financial institution within 30 days of first reporting to work. A Direct Deposit Sign-up Form was provided in your employment packet. One can also be obtained from your human resource office. You may request a waiver of the direct deposit requirement if you believe that unusual circumstances should exclude you from participating in the program. Submit requests for a waiver of this requirement in writing to your human resource office.

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Each GS-1 through GS-15 position has 10 pay steps. You may receive step increases within your grade level although there is no change in your job. Eligibility for these step increases is based on time in grade and satisfactory performance. Step increases are not automatic but require certification from your supervisor that your job performance is meeting an “acceptable” level of competence. Under normal circumstances, the minimum waiting period for advancement to the next higher step (that is, to qualify for a within grade increase) is:

 

 

Some jobs such as crafts, trades, and manual labor positions are excluded from the Classification Act System. These jobs are referred to as hourly jobs. The hourly wage rates for these jobs may be set by BLM, negotiated between BLM and recognized labor organizations, or established under the Federal Wage System (FWS), which is administered by the Office of Personnel Management.

 

 

You can change a variety of discretionary personnel and payroll transactions automatically without going through your personnel office and without completing any paperwork. Employee Express is a 24 hours a day, 7 day a week automated system that will help you make personnel and payroll changes and review your current information. This service is provided by OPM. OPM will send you a letter shortly after your appointment begins (usually within 3 weeks) with your PIN number to access your information in Employee Express. For more information please visit www.employeeexpress.gov.

 

Each pay period you will have electronic access to your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), through Employee Express. In rare cases you may receive your LES by mail. The LES shows your gross pay for the period, the amount of each kind of deduction, your net pay, your current year gross earnings to date, and other important information. The statement also shows the amount of annual and sick leave earned, taken, and available, as well as any other type of leave that you may have used. Each employee is responsible for reviewing the statement to ensure the data is correct. Contact your servicing human resource office for information for accessing your LES electronically or on waiver procedures.