U.S. Embassy building in Baghdad. As part of an ongoing national emergency in Iraq, OPM officials said civilian employees can apply to waive caps on their premium pay levels through Dec. 31. Photo by Murtadha Sudani/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Feds in Iraq will continue to receive special premium pay, OPM says
Due to an ongoing national emergency in the country dating back to the 2003 war, civilian employees in Iraq will be able to waive the premium pay cap through December, according to a recent memo from the HR agency.
The Office of Personnel Management on Friday authorized the extension of a premium pay cap waiver for civilian employees serving in Iraq, following President Joe Biden’s continuation of a national emergency declaration that dates back to the 2003 invasion and reconstruction of the country.
In the Aug. 16 OPM memo, associate director of Workforce Policy and Innovation Veronica Hinton said agency heads may continue to apply for the pay waiver for eligible civilian employees through the end of the year.
“As a result of the President’s notice continuing the declared national emergency in Iraq, we have updated our guidance on the premium pay cap waiver authority in the attachment below. This revised guidance applies to civilian employees working in qualifying overseas locations, including Iraq,” Hinton said in the memo.
Biden signed an extension of the national emergency on May 20, continuing an authorization first established by then-President George W. Bush’s executive order 21 years ago to assist in the reconstruction of Iraq following the U.S. invasion.
“Obstacles to the orderly reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security in the country and the development of political, administrative and economic institutions in Iraq continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” Biden said in the memo. “Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13303 with respect to the stabilization of Iraq.”
Because of that extension, civilian employees — including those supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S. military’s ongoing operation against the Islamic State — could end up accruing basic pay and premium pay up to the 2024 salary of Vice President Kamala Harris, which is $284,600.
The memo follows April 25 guidance from OPM on extending the premium pay cap waiver authority for employees serving overseas for at least 30 days as laid out in the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.
Agency leaders can apply for the waiver through Dec. 31, though the national emergency is authorized through May 22, 2025.