Detail to Executive Agency Under Intergovernmental Personnel Act

A decision was requested regarding per diem payments made to a Massachusetts State employee detailed to a U.S. executive agency under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act. The per diem payments were authorized by the assignment agreement for the duration of the detail, but since the employee's duty station prior to and during the detail was the same, he may not be allowed per diem while stationed at his headquarters. Since state employees assigned to an executive agency are not entitled to pay from the agency, the portion of the assignment agreement purporting to grant per diem for the purpose of supplementary salary in order to bring the employee's salary to a level comparable with federal employees was without legal effect.