Berry on Pay Reform, Telework

Alyssa Rosenberg writes at Government Executive that Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry is considering some significant changes to the federal pay system as well as the federal government's definition of a work day. In a speech at Syracuse University's Maxwell School, Berry emphasized the importance of recognizing, rewarding and promoting merit within the federal workforce, noting that "the cracks are showing" in the General Schedule pay system.

Berry also told Alyssa in a separate interview that he's considering the possibility of a results-only work environment, where employees can set their own hours as long as they meet certain standards for performance and productivity. The personnel chief also said he's considering a series of pilot projects where agencies can give their employees goals and allow them differing levels of flexibility to accomplish objectives. Such projects would help agencies with successful telework programs move a step further, he said, and jump-start programs at agencies that have been slow to adopt telework.

As IT workers, where are the "cracks" in the General Schedule showing for you, if at all? Is it the lack of flexibility to adjust pay based on hiring needs? Or receiving the same annual pay increase as your peers, regardless of performance? Also, what would the ideal flexible work schedule look like to you?