Part 550 - Pay Administration (General)

Part 550 up to date from eCFR as of Apr 28, 2025; last amended Feb 5, 2020.

Source: 33 FR 12458, Sept. 4, 1968, unless otherwise noted.

Table of Contents

• Subpart A - Premium Pay

  • General Provisions

  • § 550.101 Coverage and exemptions.
  • § 550.102 Entitlement.
  • § 550.103 Definitions.

  • Maximum Earnings Limitations

  • § 550.105 Biweekly maximum earnings limitation.
  • § 550.106 Annual maximum earnings limitation.
  • § 550.107 Premium payments capped on a biweekly basis when an annual limitation otherwise applies.

  • Overtime Pay

  • § 550.111 Authorization of overtime pay.
  • § 550.112 Computation of overtime work.
  • § 550.113 Computation of overtime pay.
  • § 550.114 Compensatory time off.

  • Night Pay

  • § 550.121 Authorization of night pay differential.
  • § 550.122 Computation of night pay differential.

  • Pay for Holiday Work

  • § 550.131 Authorization of pay for holiday work.
  • § 550.132 Relation to overtime, night, and Sunday pay.

  • Regularly Scheduled Standby Duty Pay

  • § 550.141 Authorization of premium pay on an annual basis.
  • § 550.142 General restrictions.
  • § 550.143 Bases for determining positions for which premium pay under § 550.141 is authorized.
  • § 550.144 Rates of premium pay payable under § 550.141.

  • Administratively Uncontrollable Work

  • § 550.151 Authorization of premium pay on an annual basis.
  • § 550.152 [Reserved]
  • § 550.153 Bases for determining positions for which premium pay under § 550.151 is authorized.
  • § 550.154 Rates of premium pay payable under § 550.151.

  • General Rules Governing Payments of Premium Pay on an Annual Basis

  • § 550.161 Responsibilities of the agencies.
  • § 550.162 Payment provisions.
  • § 550.163 Relationship to other payments.
  • § 550.164 Construction and computation of existing aggregate rates.

  • Pay for Sunday Work

  • § 550.171 Authorization of pay for Sunday work.
  • § 550.172 Relation to overtime, night, and holiday pay.

  • Law Enforcement Availability Pay

  • § 550.181 Coverage.
  • § 550.182 Unscheduled duty.
  • § 550.183 Substantial hours requirement.
  • § 550.184 Annual certification.
  • § 550.185 Payment of availability pay.
  • § 550.186 Relationship to other payments.
  • § 550.187 Transitional provisions.

• Subpart B - Advances in Pay

  • § 550.201 Purpose.
  • § 550.202 Definitions.
  • § 550.203 Advances in pay.
  • § 550.204 Agency procedures.
  • § 550.205 Recovery of advances in pay.
  • § 550.206 Waiver of repayment.

• Subpart C - Allotments From Federal Employees

  • Definitions

  • § 550.301 Definitions.

  • General Provisions

  • § 550.311 Authority of agency.
  • § 550.312 General limitations.

  • Labor Organization

  • § 550.321 Authority.
  • § 550.322 Saving provision.

  • Association of Management Officials and/or Supervisors

  • § 550.331 Scope.

  • Combined Federal Campaign

  • § 550.341 Scope.

  • Income Tax Withholding

  • § 550.351 Scope.

  • Alimony and/or Child Support

  • § 550.361 Scope.

  • Foreign Affairs Agency Organizations

  • § 550.371 Scope.

• Subpart D - Payments During Evacuation

  • § 550.401 Purpose, applicability, authority, and administration.
  • § 550.402 Definitions.
  • § 550.403 Advance payments; evacuation payments; special allowances.
  • § 550.404 Computation of advance payments and evacuation payments; time periods.
  • § 550.405 Determination of special allowances.
  • § 550.406 Work assignments during evacuation; return to duty.
  • § 550.407 Termination of payments during evacuation.
  • § 550.408 Review of accounts; service credit.
  • § 550.409 Evacuation payments during a pandemic health crisis.

• Subpart E - Pay From More Than One Position

  • § 550.501 Scope.
  • § 550.502 Definitions.
  • § 550.503 Exceptions in emergencies.
  • § 550.504 Other exceptions.
  • § 550.505 Report to OPM.

• Subpart F - Computation of Pay for Biweekly Pay Periods

  • § 550.601 Purpose.
  • § 550.602 Coverage.
  • § 550.603 Definitions.
  • § 550.604 Biweekly pay periods and computation of pay.
  • § 550.605 Exceptions.
  • § 550.606 Reporting exceptions to OPM.

• Subpart G - Severance Pay

  • § 550.701 Introduction.
  • § 550.702 Coverage.
  • § 550.703 Definitions.
  • § 550.704 Eligibility for severance pay.
  • § 550.705 Criteria for meeting the requirement for 12 months of continuous employment.
  • § 550.706 Criteria for meeting the requirement for involuntary separation.
  • § 550.707 Computation of severance pay fund.
  • § 550.708 Creditable service.
  • § 550.709 Accrual and payment of severance pay.
  • § 550.710 Suspension of severance pay.
  • § 550.711 Termination of severance pay entitlement.
  • § 550.712 Reemployment; recredit of service.
  • § 550.713 Records.
  • § 550.714 Panama Canal Commission employees.

• Subpart H - Back Pay

  • § 550.801 Applicability.
  • § 550.802 Coverage.
  • § 550.803 Definitions.
  • § 550.804 Determining entitlement to back pay.
  • § 550.805 Back pay computations.
  • § 550.806 Interest computations.
  • § 550.807 Payment of reasonable attorney fees.
  • § 550.808 Prohibition against setting aside proper promotions.
  • Appendix A to Subpart H of Part 550 Information on Computing Certain Common Deductions From Back Pay Awards

• Subpart I - Pay for Duty Involving Physical Hardship or Hazard

  • § 550.901 Purpose.
  • § 550.902 Definitions.
  • § 550.903 Establishment of hazard pay differentials.
  • § 550.904 Authorization of hazard pay differential.
  • § 550.905 Payment of hazard pay differential.
  • § 550.906 Termination of hazard pay differential.
  • § 550.907 Relationship to additional pay payable under other statutes.
  • Appendix A to Subpart I of Part 550 Schedule of Pay Differentials Authorized for Hazardous Duty Under Subpart I
  • Appendix A-1 to Subpart I of Part 550 Windchill Chart

• Subpart J - Compensatory Time Off for Religious Observances

  • § 550.1001 Purpose.
  • § 550.1002 Coverage.
  • § 550.1003 Definitions.
  • § 550.1004 Employee responsibilities.
  • § 550.1005 Agency responsibilities.
  • § 550.1006 Scheduling time to earn and use religious compensatory time off.
  • § 550.1007 Accumulation and documentation.
  • § 550.1008 Employee separation or transfer.
  • § 550.1009 Relationship to premium pay and overtime work.
  • § 550.1010 Transitional provisions.

• Subpart K - Collection by Offset From Indebted Government Employees

  • § 550.1101 Purpose.
  • § 550.1102 Scope.
  • § 550.1103 Definitions.
  • § 550.1104 Agency regulations.
  • § 550.1105 Review and approval of agency regulations.
  • § 550.1106 Time limit on collection of debts.
  • § 550.1107 Obtaining the services of a hearing official.
  • § 550.1108 Requesting recovery through centralized administrative offset.
  • § 550.1109 Requesting recovery when the current paying agency is not the creditor agency.
  • § 550.1110 Debt collection centers.

• Subpart L - Lump-Sum Payment for Accumulated and Accrued Annual Leave

  • § 550.1201 Purpose, applicability, and administration.
  • § 550.1202 Definitions.
  • § 550.1203 Eligibility.
  • § 550.1204 Projecting the lump-sum leave period.
  • § 550.1205 Calculating a lump-sum payment.
  • § 550.1206 Refunding a lump-sum payment.
  • § 550.1207 Recrediting annual leave.

• Subpart M - Firefighter Pay

  • § 550.1301 Purpose, applicability, and administration.
  • § 550.1302 Definitions.
  • § 550.1303 Hourly rates of basic pay.
  • § 550.1304 Overtime hourly rates of pay.
  • § 550.1305 Treatment as basic pay.
  • § 550.1306 Relationship to other entitlements.
  • § 550.1307 Authority to regularize paychecks.

• Subpart N - Compensatory Time Off for Travel

  • § 550.1401 Purpose.
  • § 550.1402 Coverage.
  • § 550.1403 Definitions.
  • § 550.1404 Creditable travel time.
  • § 550.1405 Crediting compensatory time off.
  • § 550.1406 Use of accrued compensatory time off.
  • § 550.1407 Forfeiture of unused compensatory time off.
  • § 550.1408 Prohibition against payment for unused compensatory time off.
  • § 550.1409 Inapplicability of premium pay and aggregate pay caps.

• Subpart O - Flag Recognition Benefit for Fallen Federal Civilian Employees

  • § 550.1501 General.
  • § 550.1502 Coverage.
  • § 550.1503 Definitions.
  • § 550.1504 Eligibility.
  • § 550.1505 Order of precedence.
  • § 550.1506 Beneficiary receipt of a flag.
  • § 550.1507 Agency responsibilities.

• Subpart P - Overtime Pay for Border Patrol Agents

  • General Provisions

  • § 550.1601 Purpose and authority.
  • § 550.1602 Coverage.
  • § 550.1603 Definitions.
  • § 550.1604 Authority of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
  • § 550.1605 Interpretation instruction.

  • Assignment of Regular Tour of Duty and Overtime Supplement

  • § 550.1611 Assignments for an annual period.
  • § 550.1612 Assignments made at other times.
  • § 550.1613 Selection of agents for assignment.
  • § 550.1614 Limit on percentage of agents who do not have a Level 1 regular tour of duty.
  • § 550.1615 Pay assignment continuity.
  • § 550.1616 Corrective actions.

  • Treatment of Overtime Work

  • § 550.1621 Rules for types of regular tour of duty.
  • § 550.1622 Circumstances requiring special treatment.
  • § 550.1623 Overtime work outside the regular tour of duty.
  • § 550.1624 Regularly scheduled overtime outside the regular tour of duty.
  • § 550.1625 Irregular overtime and compensatory time off.
  • § 550.1626 Leave without pay during regular time and absences during obligated overtime hours.

  • Relationship to Other Provisions

  • § 550.1631 Other types of premium pay.
  • § 550.1632 Hazardous duty pay.
  • § 550.1633 Treatment of overtime supplement as basic pay.
  • § 550.1634 Leave and other paid time off.
  • § 550.1635 Alternative work schedule.
  • § 550.1636 Exemption from Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • § 550.1637 Travel time.
  • § 550.1638 Official time.