Republican legislators have recently introduced bills that target federal employee pay, benefits, hiring, and remote work flexibility If passed, these GOP-backed measures would impose pay freezes, reduce locality pay, and codify controversial employment categories like Schedule F Supporters say the proposals aim to cut costs and improve efficiency, while federal employee groups argue they are unfair and would harm recruitment.
Pay Freezes and Locality Pay Cuts
In October 2024 Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced the Federal Employee Return to Work Act in the Senate. The bill would eliminate locality pay for any federal employee who teleworks even one day per week instead paying only base General Schedule rates regardless of location.
Cassidy argued the bill would “ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently.” A companion bill was later introduced in the House by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA).
Locality pay adjustments account for regional cost-of-living differences. In 2023 rates ranged from 15.37% (San Francisco) to 14.16% (Dallas). Federal employee groups oppose reducing locality pay, which has bipartisan support in Congress.
In December 2024, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced a bill freezing federal employee pay at 2023 levels for FY2025. Pay would be frozen for one year across the board, including the General Schedule, Foreign Service, and Veterans Health Administration.
Blackburn’s bill also calls for capping total workforce size through FY2027, limiting new hires over three years after the freeze ends.
Schedule F
Senator Blackburn’s package of DOGE Act bills also includes a measure to codify Schedule F, a new employment category created by President Trump in 2020.
Schedule F made it easier to fire employees in policy-making, policy-determining, and public-facing roles by stripping civil service protections. A federal judge struck down most of Trump’s Schedule F executive order in 2021, but it remains a GOP priority.
Blackburn’s bill would fully authorize Schedule F, covering approximately 40,000 federal employees by some estimates. Employees in national security agencies would be exempt.
Federal unions strongly oppose Schedule F, arguing it puts veteran expertise at risk for political purposes. The Senior Executives Association said Schedule F could “do long-standing damage to the professionalism of the career federal workforce.”
Hiring Limits
Blackburn’s DOGE Act bills also aim to limit federal hiring, aligning with Trump’s pledge to reduce the workforce. One bill would immediately freeze all new hiring for one year (with exemptions for security agencies). Hiring would then be capped for 3 additional years.
Another DOGE bill calls for cutting discretionary spending by 5% across most agencies, likely resulting in hiring freezes to meet the mandate.
Critics argue restricting hiring will harm efforts to recruit cybersecurity, IT, and other essential talent as federal retirements escalate. For example, the Office of Personnel Management predicts over 30% of the IT workforce will be eligible to retire by 2025.
Reduced Remote Work
Both Senator Cassidy and Senator Blackburn’s bills target federal employee remote work access.
Cassidy’s legislation reducing telework locality pay is based on an argument that taxpayer-funded salaries shouldn’t be location adjusted if employees work from home. Blackburn’s bill package would require agencies to submit a report to Congress on expanded pandemic telework/remote work and create a plan to return more employees to physical offices.
Federal employee groups contend that hybrid and remote policies actually improve recruitment and retention, particularly for high-demand technology roles. Surveys show most feds want to keep expanded flexibilities post-pandemic.
Recent Republican proposals take aim at federal employee pay levels, hiring, and remote work flexibilities in the name of efficiency and cost savings. However, advocates argue the measures would negatively impact recruitment, retention, and technical expertise across government. With Democrats controlling the House, the bills face an uphill battle to become law in 2025. Their introduction reflects ongoing partisan debates around the size, scope, and policies governing the federal workforce.
‘Should Be Chilling’: Melanie Stansbury Calls Out GOP Over Intimidation Of Federal Employees
FAQ
What is the bill for federal workers to return to work?
What is the federal pay cap increase for 2024?
5305 for most GS workers is capped at $191,900 in 2024, which is the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule (EX-IV). When the premium pay cap for two weeks (or one year, if applicable) is reached, workers may still be asked to do extra hours without getting paid extra.
What is the Federal employee pay Act?
In 1945, S 807, the Federal Employees Pay Act, changed the basic pay rates of all Federal employees except those in the mechanical forces. This was the first change since 1930. Before the upper brackets, the War Overtime Pay Act of 1943 paid at the rate of time and one-twelfth for all work over 40 hours per week.
What is the Back to Work Act of 2024?
Setting a general ceiling of 2040 days in a pay period for federal agency telework is what the Back to Work Act of 202024 would do. Give each agency a fair amount of freedom, such as letting them get waivers for certain types of jobs where telework is needed to meet agency needs.
Will federal employees get paid if they telework?
People who work for the government and do telework at least one day a week would not get any locality pay under the Federal Employee Return to Work Act. Instead, according to the legislation, federal employees who telework would receive only their basic pay rates.
Will federal employee pay be cut?
By Ian Smith at 6:45 a.m. on August 5, 2024, in Federal Employee Pay News. Leave a comment. Newly introduced legislation could mean lower pay for most federal workers. The bills were introduced by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and target telework and locality pay.
Will federal employees be paid at Locality pay?
Federal employees covered under the bill would be paid at the Rest of U. S. locality pay area rate under the General Schedule. The Federal Employee Locality Accountability in Retirement Act (S. For federal workers in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), 4833) would not count locality pay when figuring out their retirement payments.
Will the federal employee return to work act remove locality pay?
If passed, the Federal Employee Return to Work Act would don’t pay locality pay to any federal worker who works from home at least one day a week. Federal teleworkers would instead only receive their base pay rates. The House bill, introduced this week, comes after Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La. ) introduced the legislation in August.
Are House Republicans pushing for cuts to federal employees’ pay & benefits?
As lawmakers move forward with spending bills for fiscal 2024, some House Republicans are asking their colleagues to push for cuts to federal workers’ pay and benefits.
Are Republicans targeting federal employee pay & benefits?
Republican candidates are also attacking federal employee pay and benefits, saying that federal workers are paid 2017% more than their private-sector counterparts, when benefits are taken into account.
