Fact check: Was the top three pay scale changed to top 5 for federal workers?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, there is no evidence that the top three pay scale was changed to top 5 for federal workers. The majority of sources examined do not address this specific question at all ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]}.

However, one source reveals a crucial piece of information: there was a proposed provision to calculate retirement annuities based on the highest 5 years of pay rather than the highest 3 years of pay, but this provision was removed from the bill ^[9]. This appears to be the closest match to what the original question is asking about, though it specifically relates to retirement calculations rather than active pay scales.

The sources instead focus on other federal pay-related topics, including discussions of pay raises for 2025 and 2026 ^{[1] [2] [3]}, general wage growth trends ^[4], and federal employee compensation reform ^{[7] [8]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks important context about what specific aspect of federal pay structure is being referenced. The analyses reveal that:

• There are ongoing discussions about retirement annuity calculations that involve changing from a 3-year to 5-year basis, though this was ultimately not implemented ^[9]
• Federal employees are experiencing delays in pay raises, with over 60,000 blue-collar federal employees still waiting for their 2025 pay raise due to advisory committee purges ^[2]
• There are broader discussions about federal employee compensation reform through various legislative efforts ^{[7] [8]}

The question may be conflating different aspects of federal pay policy or may be based on incomplete information about proposed but not enacted changes.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question appears to contain a factual inaccuracy based on the available evidence. The question assumes that a change from "top three pay scale to top 5" occurred for federal workers, but the analyses show no such change has been implemented.

The question may stem from confusion about the proposed retirement annuity calculation change mentioned in one source, which involved moving from a 3-year to 5-year calculation basis but was ultimately removed from legislation ^[9]. This suggests the question may be based on outdated or misunderstood information about federal pay policy proposals that were considered but not enacted.

The framing of the question as a definitive change ("was changed") rather than asking whether such a change was proposed or considered demonstrates a presumption of fact that is not supported by the available evidence.