3 FAM 3260
DIFFERENTIALS
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Office of Origin: A/OPR/ALS)
3 FAM 3261 GENERAL
3 FAM 3261.1 Post Hardship
Differential
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp/USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service & Civil Service Employees)
a. Post hardship differential is the additional
compensation of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, or 35 percent above basic compensation
(DSSR 040k).
b. Post hardship differential is designed to provide
additional compensation to employees for service in foreign areas where
environmental conditions differ substantially from environmental conditions in
the continental United States and warrant additional compensation as a
recruitment and retention incentive.
3 FAM 3261.2 Service
Need/Difficult to Staff Incentive Differential
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp/USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service & Civil Service Employees)
Service Need Differential (SND) also known as Difficult to
Staff Incentive Differential (DSID) may be granted to an employee assigned to a
differential post upon a determination that especially adverse environmental
conditions warrant additional compensation as a recruitment and retention
incentive to fill the employees position at that post.
3 FAM 3262 AUTHORITY
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp/USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service & Civil Service Employees)
The authorities cited for this subchapter are:
(1) 5 U.S.C. 5925;
(2) Public Law 86-707;
(3) 20 U.S.C. 906(a) (1-2);
(4) Section 905 of the Foreign Service Act; and
(5) Department of State Standardized Regulations
(DSSR), Chapters 500 and 1000, Post Hardship Differential and Difficult to
Staff Incentive Differential, respectively.
3 FAM 3263 DIFFERENTIALS APPLICABLE TO
POST
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp/USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service & Civil Service Employees)
a. Post Hardship Differential:
For information pertaining to payment, commencement of newly appointed or
transferred employees, termination of differential, continuation of
differential during absence from post, and details regarding post and service
need differentials refer to DSSR 500, Section 920, Post Classification and
Payment Tables for the rates and Form DS-267, Post Hardship Differential
Questionnaire.
b. Difficult to Staff
Incentive/Service Need Differential for State Department: For
information on payment, refer to DSSR 1000 and Form SF-1190, Foreign
Allowances Application, Grant and Report (Rev. 07/2009). For USAID
employees, refer to USAID-specific procedures in ADS Chapter 477, Allowances
and Differentials, and USAID general notices on the Electronic Bulletin Board
System.
3 FAM 3264 DIFFERENTIALS PAYMENTS
3 FAM 3264.1 Post
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp/USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service & Civil Service Employees)
a. Post hardship differential for full time and
temporary employees is determined by a numeric score included in Form DS-267,
against the post hardship differential standards. Form DS-267 is a
questionnaire which must be completed in its entirety to receive authorization
for payment of post hardship differential. Refer to Form DS-267 for
further information and instructions.
b. Form DS-267 is used to determine if a post qualifies
for a post hardship differential allowance and the appropriate level for
payment.
c. Post hardship differential is taxable income (DSSR 054.2). Rates can be found in Section 920
of the DSSR under the employees assigned post.
d. The due month is contained under the reporting
schedule for your post in Section 920 of the DSSR.
3 FAM 3264.2 Service
Need/Difficult to Staff Incentive Differential
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp/USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service & Civil Service Employees)
a. The head of an agency may authorize and grant
payments of Service Need Differential (SND)/Difficult to Staff Incentive
Differential (DSID) of an additional 15 percent over basic compensation to
employees assigned to a foreign post for at least 3 years. Payments will
be made no more frequently than once annually upon the employees completion of
each year at post or once annually upon the employees eligibility date.
The date of payment is dependent on whether SND was elected prior to arriving
at the SND post or occurred after arriving at the SND post. If SND was
opted for prior to arriving, SND payment will occur annually upon the
completion of each year at post. If SND election was delayed until after
arrival at the SND post, SND payments will occur annually upon the eligibility
date of the recipient.
b. Any combination of approved annual leave, sick
leave, leave without pay of less than 30 calendar days, ordered/authorized
departure, and temporary duty travel taken away from post of assignment in
addition to continuing presence at post will be used to fulfill the one year
period.
c. Authorizing and certifying officers will approve
the grant upon completion and submission by an employee of a properly executed
Form SF-1190 and confirmation by the authorizing office that the payment is
appropriate.
d. If the post for which the differential is authorized
is also authorized for danger pay allowance, the combination of the danger pay
allowance and the difficult to staff incentive differential may not exceed 35
percent of the basic compensation.
e. Only employees eligible to receive post hardship
differential as defined in DSSR 500 may receive the difficult to staff
incentive differential.
f. The head of an agency may authorize payment of the
difficult to staff incentive differential on a position-by-position,
occupational specialty, and/or post-by-post need.
3 FAM 3265 SERVICE NEED DIFFERENTIAL
(OR DIFFICULT TO STAFF INCENTIVE DIFFERENTIAL)
3 FAM 3265.1 Certification for
Granting Service Need/Difficult to Staff Incentive Differential
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp/USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service & Civil Service Employees)
When an employee requests payment of the service
need/difficult to staff incentive differential, the following certification must
be provided in the remarks box of Form SF-1190.
In order to be eligible for a grant of the Service
Need/Difficult to Staff Incentive Differential, I certify that I agree to
complete 36 months in (post name) from (ETA) to (ETD). If I fail to
complete 36 months of service in (post name), I will be liable for repayment of
the entire Service Need/Difficult to Staff Incentive Differential received
while assigned to (post name), unless a waiver of that liability is granted.
_________________________
Employee's Signature
3 FAM 3265.2 Tour at a Service
Need/Difficult to Staff Incentive Differential Post of Less than 36 Months
(CT:PER-747; 10-08-2014)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service & Civil Service Employees)
a. If an employee who is receiving the SND/DSID
curtails his or her tour to less than 3 years due to the needs of the U.S.
government; involuntary separation; or for compassionate reasons (requires
concurrence of employee consultation service (ECS) and approval of the
appropriate assignments panel), no repayment of service need/difficult to staff
differential is required. The employee may, however, claim SND/DSID for
his or her entire service at the designated post.
b. If the employees tour of duty is shortened for his
or her convenience, the employee will be required to repay all SND/DSID
received prior to his or her departure from post. The employee may
request a waiver of repayment through his or her career development officer in
HR/CDA, who will present the request for curtailment and waiver of repayment to
the appropriate assignments panel for decision.
NOTE: The subject Assignment
Notification cable will stipulate in the remark section whether or not a waiver
of repayment has been approved.
3 FAM 3265.3 Contact Office
(TL:PER-445; 06-18-2002)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service & Civil Service Employees)
Any questions as to an employees eligibility to receive the
service need/difficult to staff incentive differential should be addressed to
the Director of HR/CDA/AD.
3 FAM 3266 EFFECTS ON OTHER PAYMENTS
3 FAM 3266.1 Charge d'Affaires Pay
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp/USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service & Civil Service Employees)
Post hardship differential and service need/difficult to
staff incentive differential will not be included in compensation for purposes
of computing charge d' affaires pay at a hardship differential post.
Charge d' affaires pay will not be considered in determining the amount of post
hardship differential and service need differential.
3 FAM 3266.2 Lump-Sum Annual Leave
Payment
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp/USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service & Civil Service Employees)
a. Post differential and service need/difficult to
staff incentive differential is not included in a lump-sum annual leave payment
except:
(1) For settlement of a deceased Foreign Service
employee's accounts;
(2) When an employee is separated at a hardship
differential post; and
(3) The employee is present at the post on the date of
separation.
b. The employee will not be in salary status during
travel and will be reimbursed only for allowable travel expenses.
c. The employee is not authorized consultation in the
Department or agency.
d. The employee takes a medical examination before the
date of separation (see 3 FAM 1910).
3 FAM 3267 EFFECT OF IN TRANSIT OR
"HOME LEAVE--LOOSE PACK" ORDERS
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp/USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service & Civil Service Employees)
a. In Transit or
Loose Pack orders may be issued when an employee must permanently depart from
a post of assignment abroad but the onward assignment abroad has not been
finalized (e.g. an employee awaiting confirmation as chief of mission).
b. Whether or not
home leave is granted in connection with the departure from post, such orders
have the same effect as normal transfer orders.
c. Payment of
post hardship differential and service need/difficult to staff incentive
differential to employees under home leave--loose pack orders will cease on
the date of departure from post. (See DSSR 532.)
3 FAM 3268 EXTRA SERVICE CREDIT
(CT:PER-924; 09-21-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp/USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service & Civil Service Employees)
a. A participant
in the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System who was assigned prior
to February 16, 1990, to a hardship differential post designated as an
unhealthful post may elect to receive extra service credit toward retirement in
lieu of any post hardship differential (see 3 FAM 6000).
b. Participants in
the Foreign Service Pension System are not eligible to elect extra service
credit.
3 FAM 3269 UNASSIGNED