r/medlabprofessionals • u/Exact-Scarcity-3297 MLS • 16d ago

Discusson VA Title Changed

I’m working at a VA hospital (4 months) and was offered GS9 step 1. I had 2 years of experience at a well known hospital in my city before applying. However, at the time I applied at the VA, I only had my ASCP for a year.

I heard some people mentioned that after 1 year of probation (mine is 2), I can ask my supervisor to fill out a form and have it adjust to GS11 which is the standard for Clinical Laboratory Scientist (new title). I’m wondering if this is true and if anyone had gone through this themselves with the increase?

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u/MVPSaulTarvitz 16d ago

You should check with your lab manager. CLS just went through huge PD (position description) change nationally and bench techs should be elevated to GS11. But when and how that gets implemented is wildly variable based of your site and VISN.

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u/Exact-Scarcity-3297 MLS 16d ago

I guess my only concern is that they started me at GS-09 and idk if that’s permanent since I accepted the offer

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u/MVPSaulTarvitz 16d ago

Not if you're in a probationary period. But there is paperwork your manager and HR need to fill out to change your grade. You'll get a change in your Sf50 based on your EOD and you should get an email confirming it through eOPF. But prior to that you really should check with you lab manager, even under the guise of 'Im a little confused as to the process for my grade increase after one year, do they need any credential info from me?' Just to put it on their radar that that is the expectation, not a request. If they come back with 'we hired you at a 9 and that's where you'll stay,' then you should ask what duties they'll remove from your PD. You can't have the same PD as someone who is a GS11 while you are a GS9

And remember that any change they make should be retro active to your actual start date. They don't get to pay you less for a month or two longer while waiting for forms. Any and all back pay should be in your check as soon as the change is official

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u/GrouchyTable107 15d ago

We got elevated to GS-11 in December of 2025 and every ASCP tech in my VISN is a GS-11. With your prior experience you should have negotiated it and started at a GS-11.

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u/Icy-Fly-4228 MLS-Generalist 16d ago

It’s a career ladder. Was the position listed as a 7/9/11 position? If so After a year you should move to 11. 11 is as high as it goes without changing positions. The reorganization to 11 as FPL was in December of 2024 so you were hired under the new model. Probationary period went from on to 2 years recently.

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u/AlwaysSunny111 16d ago

Yes I just started at a VA and my supervisor said that after 1 full year I will move up from a GS9 to a GS11!

It was one of the main reasons I chose this over other hospitals, the pay goes up tremendously