The Federal-Postal Coalition, which includes AFGE, is asking the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to increase uniform allowance for federal workers. The current allowance has not been adjusted in 18 years and has not kept up with rising prices.
Based on BLS Consumer Price Index data, the group is asking for an annual allowance of $1,232.05 to restore the purchasing power of the current $800 allowance.
“The coalition finds the current maximum annual allowance of $800 insufficient to cover the costs of uniforms required for the performance of official civil servant duties. Under 5 U.S.C. 5902, OPM possesses the authority to adjust the maximum annual uniform allowance for federal employees,” said the group in a letter to OPM.
Agencies can provide new hires with an initial maximum uniform allowance that’s higher than the government-wide annual maximum. The coalition is seeking $2,464.13 for the maximum allowance.
The group is also advocating for a new provision in the law mandating agencies to biennially review their maximum annual uniform allowance to reflect the changes to the annual Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners.
“The decades-long stagnation in uniform allowance increases negatively impacts civil service, by placing significant financial burdens on civil servants while further contributing to poor employee morale and exacerbating retention issues,” they said. “We urge OPM to address this matter promptly.”
The coalition represents a group of over 30 organizations representing more than five million active and retired federal and postal employees.
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