GS employees.
GS employees. For a GS employee, an equivalent increase is considered to occur at the time of any of the following personnel actions:
(1) A within-grade increase, excluding a quality step increase granted under subpart E of this part or an interim within-grade increase if that increase is later terminated under § 531.414;
(2) A promotion (permanent or temporary) to a higher grade, including the promotion of an employee receiving a retained rate under 5 CFR 359.705 or 5 CFR part 536 that does not result in a pay increase, but excluding—
(i) A temporary promotion if, at the end of the that temporary promotion, the employee is returned to the grade from which promoted; or
(ii) A promotion to a higher-graded supervisory or managerial position when the employee does not satisfactorily complete a probationary period established under 5 U.S.C. 3321(a)(2) and is returned to a position at the lower grade held before promotion;
(3) Application of the maximum payable rate rule in § 531.221 that results in a higher step rate within the employee's GS grade (or an increase for a GM employee to the next higher rate within the grade), except for application of that rule in a demotion to the extent that the employee's rate of basic pay after demotion does not exceed the lowest step rate that equals or exceeds the employee's rate of basic pay immediately before the demotion;
(4) Application of the superior qualifications and special needs pay-setting authority in § 531.212 that results in a higher step rate within the employee's GS grade (or an increase for a GM employee to the next higher rate within the grade); or
(5) Application of the qualifications pay authority in 5 U.S.C. 9814 to an employee of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, when the employee fulfills the 1-year service requirement in the position for which qualifications pay was paid or in a successor position.