directorate general for administration and public employment

change of the pay step

The top manager of the service establishes, within the time limit of 15 days after the beginning of the budget implementation, the appropriations intended to bear the charges resulting from changes of the pay step in the category of public employees of the service, taking into consideration the budget allocations intended to bear this type of charges.

Such decision is duly justified and sets:

  • The maximum amount of charges that the service is proposed to bear;
  • The careers and categories universe where the changes of pay steps may take place.

The referred to careers and categories universe may still be disaggregated, when the top manager in office, so deems it appropriate, according to:
  • The assignment, competence or activity that the public employees shall fulfil or carry out;
  • The academic or professional training area of public employees when such training area has been used in the characterization of work posts included in the staff lists.


Thus, the changes of pay step may not take place in all careers, or in all categories of a same career or still regarding all public employees integrated in a determined career or holders of a determined category.

Changes of the pay step may take place:


  1. By management decision: when employees with a public employment relationship are eligible to benefit from the pay step change as cumulatively they:
  • Are included within the above mentioned careers or categories universe;
  • The budget allocations to bear such charges have not been spent;
  • Have obtained, in the last performance appraisals referred to the functions fulfilled during the pay step in which they are placed, an “excellent” rating, two consecutive “relevant” ratings or three consecutive “adequate” ratings.


2. Compulsorily: When, regardless of the mentioned universes defined by decision of the service top manager, public employees have accumulated 10 points in performance appraisals procedures referred to the functions fulfilled during the pay step in which they are placed.

The service top manager decision setting out the pay step change possibility within the corresponding service is made public by disclosing it in the service and in the corresponding website.