PROMOTIONS
(CT:PER-1222; 03-27-2025)
(Office of Origin: GTM/OE)
3 FAM 7371 APPLICABILITY
(CT:PER-1089; 04-13-2022)
(State and All Agencies under COM Authority)
(Applies to Locally Employed Staff Only)
(USAID: Applies to Foreign Service National Direct Hires Only)
a. This subchapter applies to both permanent and temporary promotions for LE Staff as defined in 3 FAM 7120, except as noted below.
b. For USAID PSCs, refer to ADS (Automated Directives System) Chapter 309 and mandatory references for guidance.
3 FAM 7372 GENERAL POLICY
(CT:PER-1089; 04-13-2022)
(State and All Agencies under COM Authority)
(Applies to Locally Employed Staff Only)
(USAID: Applies to Foreign Service National Direct Hires Only)
a. Heads of employing agencies at post are responsible for jointly establishing and maintaining uniform promotion policies that are consistent with these regulations, sound human resources management practices, and local law.
b. A promotion is not an entitlement. Promotions are not based on an employee’s financial need, length of service, or time since last promotion.
c. The effective date for all promotion actions will be no sooner than the beginning of the pay period following the payroll office’s receipt of the personnel action or the authorization cable. When preparing a personnel action for promotions, HR should allow at least one pay period to process and authorize the action in the personnel system. Promotions may not be retroactively approved by post. In limited circumstances only, GTM/OE may approve a promotion retroactively.
d. For posts under the within-range-increase (WRI) system, the employee receiving a one-grade, two-grade, or multi-grade promotion is entitled to a basic salary at the lowest step of the higher grade that equals or exceeds their present basic salary rate by the equivalent of two step increases of the grade from which promoted.
e. For posts under Merit Based Compensation (MBC), the employee’s basic salary is increased by two times the Mission’s MBC budget percentage, not to exceed the maximum salary rate of the grade level the employee is promoted into. If the calculated basic salary is lower than the minimum salary rate of the grade level the employee is promoted into, then that minimum rate becomes the employee’s new basic salary.
f. Promotion actions are calculated the same way, regardless of whether the employee is receiving a one-grade, two-grade, or multi-grade promotion.
3 FAM 7373 TEMPORARY PROMOTION POLICY
(CT:PER-1222; 03-27-2025)
(State and All Agencies under COM Authority)
(Applies to Locally Employed Staff Only)
(USAID: Applies to Foreign Service National Direct Hires Only)
a. Where a temporary promotion, including the reduction of salary at the end of the temporary promotion, is consistent with the law of the receiving state, temporary promotions may be authorized to compensate LE Staff for performing higher level responsibilities that are assigned for more than ninety (90) calendar days, but less than one (1) year. Temporary promotions may not be authorized where any reduction of an LE Staff’s salary at the end of a temporary promotion is inconsistent with the law of the receiving state.
b. Temporary promotions must be terminated when the need no longer exists or upon the expiration of the temporary promotion, whichever comes first. Upon termination of the temporary promotion, the LE Staff reverts to their previous grade and step.
c. For LE Staff in temporary promotion status under the within-range-increase (WRI) system, days worked in temporary promotion status are creditable toward the LE Staff’s WRI waiting period at their regular grade. However, if the WRI waiting period is completed while the LE Staff is in temporary promotion status, the WRI is approved but will not be processed until they return to their regular grade. When the WRI is processed, it is retroactive. In other words, the WRI effective date remains the same.
d. For LE Staff in temporary promotion status under Merit Based Compensation (MBC), MBC rewards will be processed in accordance with the MBC reward payment effective date authorized in the Mission’s Local Compensation Plan and will consider the employee’s grade and salary in effect on the last day of the rating cycle.
3 FAM 7374 AUTHORIZING PROMOTIONS
(CT:PER-1089; 04-13-2022)
(State and All Agencies under COM Authority)
(Applies to Locally Employed Staff Only)
(USAID: Applies to Foreign Service National Direct Hires Only)
a. Unless otherwise noted, the head of each employing agency or designated agency official at post may authorize all promotions up to Grade FSN-12. Promotions may not be retroactively approved by post. In limited circumstances only, GTM/OE may approve a promotion retroactively.
b. Before authorizing any promotion, the Human Resources Officer (HRO) or Management Officer (MO) at post must complete the LE Staff Promotion Certification and Qualification Analysis Decision Tree, which may be found on the GTM/OE website, to certify and document all of the following criteria:
(1) Organizational need and funding for the higher-level position must exist;
(2) Higher-level position must have been properly classified by a Regional Classification Center (RCC);
(3) LE Staff must have successfully completed the mission’s established probationary period;
(4) LE Staff’s most recent performance evaluation must meet or exceed the minimum requirements for retention; and
(5) LE Staff must meet or exceed the minimum qualifications of the higher-level position.
(6) Additional requirements that are consistent with these provisions may be established in writing by interagency agreement at post and/or by the headquarters of agencies that employ LE Staff at post.
3 FAM 7375 THROUGH 7379 UNASSIGNED