(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, on the effective date of a GS pay adjustment under 5 U.S.C. 5303 or similar authority, an agency initially must set the GS rate of a GS employee at the new rate of the adjusted General Schedule corresponding to the employee's grade and step in effect immediately before the effective date of the pay adjustment. Any simultaneous pay actions must be processed after the pay adjustment, as provided in §531.206.

(b) For employees receiving a retained rate immediately before the effective date of a GS annual pay adjustment, the agency must adjust the employee's rate of basic pay under the rules in 5 CFR 536.305 (or under 5 CFR 359.705 for former members of the Senior Executive Service receiving a retained rate under that section).

(c) For GM employees, the agency must follow the rules in §531.244.