Civil Service Amendments of 1984

Civil Service Amendments of 1984 - Title I: Pay for Performance; Senior Executive Service Management - Revises the merit pay system. Renames the system the performance management and recognition system.

Allows the President to exclude any class of employees within any agency unit from such system under specified conditions. Excludes employees of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the Botanic Garden, and the Administrative Office of the Courts from such system. Directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations under which an employee may be excluded from such system.

Declares that such system shall provide for comparability pay increases, periodic step increases, and performance awards based on an employee's performance as measured on a five-level scale consisting of one fully successful level, two levels below fully successful, and two levels above fully successful.

Requires that any employee whose performance is rated at: (1) the second level below fully successful receive no comparability increase; (2) the first level below fully successful receive one half of the comparability increase; and (3) the fully successful level or above receive the full comparability increase. Requires employees whose performance cannot be rated to receive the full comparability increase.

Denies periodic step increases to employees who perform below the fully successful level. Authorizes annual step increases to take effect on the first applicable pay period beginning on or after October 1 of each year. Provides for the award of a full step increase or a fraction thereof based on the employee's level of performance and the employee's basic pay rate within his or her pay grade. Limits any step increase to the amount that would raise the employee's basic pay rate to the maximum rate for his or her pay grade. Directs OPM to prescribe regulations governing step increases for employees whose performance cannot be evaluated under the standard performance evaluation procedures.

Requires the payment of an additional performance award of an amount not to exceed 20 percent of an employee's basic pay to any employee whose performance is rated at the second level above fully successful. Authorizes the payment of such a performance award to an employee whose performance is rated at the first level above fully successful. Directs an agency to use a specified percentage of the agency's payroll for employees in the agency's performance management and recognition system for performance awards.

Prohibits a reduction in the pay of an employee brought under such system as long as the employee continues to occupy the same position. Allows an employee under such system to be paid less than the minimum rate of basic pay for the grade of the employee's position as a result of a less than fully successful performance rating.

Continues the cash award program (currently provided under the merit pay system) under such system.

Directs OPM to report to the President and Congress annually on the effectiveness of such system. Terminates such system, with the exception of the cash award program, five years after the enactment of this Act.

Requires agencies to develop separate performance appraisal procedures for employees covered by such system. Requires such performance appraisal procedures to: (1) require that supervisors consult with employees before establishing performance standards; and (2) use the results of performance appraisals as a basis of personnel actions. Directs OPM to prescribe regulations requiring that such procedures assure accurate evaluation of job performance, communication with employees regarding job requirements prior to each appraisal period, evaluation of employees based upon the standards, assistance to employees performing below the fully successful level, and a reduction in grade for or removal of employees who continually perform at the lowest level. Lists factors to be considered in performance appraisals, which may include organizational accomplishment. Authorizes the review of an employee's performance appraisal by an agency officer or employee. Requires the reconsideration of an employee's appraisal by a superior to the appraiser at the employee's request. Bars any appeal of a performance appraisal outside the agency. Prohibits OPM or any agency from prescribing any particular distribution of levels of performance ratings or any specific performance standard or element. Provides that a step increase received by an employee under the performance management and recognition system shall be considered to be equivalent to a step increase under the General Schedule if that employee transfers to a General Schedule position.

Requires OPM's biennial report to Congress on the Senior Executive Service (SES) to specify the number of SES employees who were removed from the SES as a result of a reduction-in-force and placed in a General Schedule position, as authorized under this Act. Repeals the right of a former career civil servant to be reinstated to an SES position after being removed under a reduction-in-force. Entitles an employee who is removed from the SES under a reduction-in-force to be placed in a civil service position in a grade no lower than a GS-15. Eliminates certain pay protection provisions for employees removed from the SES due to less than fully successful performance. Provides that a career appointee may be removed from the SES due to a reduction-in-force unless such appointee is qualified for and assigned to a vacant SES position in the same agency. Eliminates an appointee's right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) his or her removal or failure to receive an assignment to a vacant SES position.

Authorizes the furlough of SES employees for insufficient work or funds or for other nondisciplinary reasons. Entitles a furloughed employee to appeal his or her status to the MSPB.

Establishes the minimum amount for a performance award for an SES employee as five percent of such employee's basic pay. Limits the total amount an agency may pay in SES performance awards in a fiscal year. Repeals the aggregate pay limitation for SES employees who receive a bonus, award, or allowance.

Allows an agency to suspend or remove an SES employee for failing to accept a directed reassignment or accompany a position in a transfer of function. Provides that such a removal based on an employee's refusal to accept a directed reassignment or to accompany a position transfer outside of the commuting area of the employee shall not jeopardize such employee's eligibility to receive a civil service annuity because of an involuntary separation.

Allows an SES career appointee to be reassigned outside of his or her commuting area only if such appointee is provided with advance notice explaining the reasons for such reassignment.

Title II: Effective Date; Transition Provisions - Sets forth the effective date of the performance management and recognition system. Provides that: (1) the basic pay rate of an employee under the merit pay system on the day before such date shall be such employee's pay rate on such date; and (2) any exclusion of an agency from merit pay system coverage shall cease to have effect on such date.