General Circular No. 001278

To: Heads of State Agencies and Human Resource

Directors

Subject: July 1, 1997 General Structure Increase

Issue Date: March 21, 1997

The State Civil Service Commission at its May 8, 1996 public

hearing (see General Circular 1232) approved a structure

adjustment to the General Schedule. This adjustment consisted

of moving the range minimum up approximately 4% and the range

maximum up approximately 10%. This structure adjustment has

now been approved by the Governor and an effective date of July

1, 1997 has been set. You should note that this is a structure

adjustment only and it is not an across the board general

increase. You should also note that this adjustment is to the

General Schedule only and it does not effect the Medical

Schedule.

The effect of the structure adjustment on classified employees

is as follows:

1. Anyone below the new range minimum on July 1, 1997 will be

brought up to range minimum.

2. Anyone currently at their maximum will again be eligible

for a regular 4% merit increase on their next anniversary date

either on or after July 1, 1997. Employees do not receive the

10% all at one time.

3. Employees between minimum and maximum will receive nothing

immediately, but will be able to look forward to a higher

maximum in the future.

4. There is no retroactive eligibility for missed merit

increases for employees at their maximum.

This adjustment does not affect the salaries of unclassified

employees or retirees.

Attached is a copy of the new General Schedule grid. Please

note that the stated minimums for GS-1 through GS-3 are minimum

wage. This is not the actual minimum for these ranges (see the

grid on General Circular 1232 for the actual minimum).

However, since the actual minimum is below minimum wage we have

stated the minimum as minimum wage for the sake of convenience.

Information regarding SF-1 processing issues, such as how to

handle agency-entered merit increases, etc., is being prepared

by our Records Section. That information will be provided at a

later date.

If you have any questions concerning the structure adjustment,

please call either Lisa Lusk or Randy Juban at (504) 342-8083.

Any questions concerning the processing of SF-1's should be

directed to our Records Section at (504)

342-8285.

Sincerely,

Allen H. Reynolds

Director

GENERAL SCHEDULE

(effective 07-01-97)

Minimum Midpoint Maximum

GS-01 824* 942 1147

GS-02 824* 985 1228

GS-03 824* 1054 1314

GS-04 851 1128 1405

GS-05 911 1207 1504

GS-06 974 1292 1609

GS-07 1043 1382 1722

GS-08 1116 1479 1842

GS-09 1194 1582 1971

GS-10 1277 1693 2109

GS-11 1367 1812 2257

GS-12 1462 1939 2415

GS-13 1565 2074 2584

GS-14 1674 2219 2765

GS-15 1791 2375 2958

GS-16 1917 2541 3165

GS-17 2051 2719 3387

GS-18 2194 2909 3624

GS-19 2348 3113 3878

GS-20 2512 3331 4149

GS-21 2688 3564 4440

GS-22 2877 3813 4750

GS-23 3078 4080 5083

GS-24 3293 4366 5439

GS-25 3524 4672 5820

GS-26 3771 4999 6227

GS-27 4034 5349 6663

GS-28 4317 5723 7129

GS-29 4619 6124 7628

GS-30 4942 6552 8162

GS-31 5288 7011 8734

GS-32 5659 7502 9345

*Denotes minimum wages as of July 1, 1997, not the actual range

minimum.