(a) A Government-wide normal cost percentage is presumed to apply to all agencies. Any agency appealing application of a Government-wide normal cost percentage to any category of employees in its workforce must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Board that the normal cost percentage for that category of employees in that agency is significantly different from the Government-wide normal cost percentage.
(b) While an agency has an appeal pending, the Government-wide normal cost percentage continues to apply to that agency.
(c) The Board cannot consider an appeal unless all the documents required for a petition for appeal under Sec. 841.410(a) are filed before expiration of the time limit for an appeal.
(d) The Board cannot sustain an appeal unless the Board finds that--
(1) The data used in the agency's actuarial analysis are sufficient and reliable (As a general rule, at least 5 years of data pertaining to any group of employees must be analyzed before the results are considered sufficient and reliable.);
(2) The assumptions used in the agency's actuarial analysis are justified;
(3) When all relevant factors are considered together, there is a demonstrated difference between the normal cost for the group at issue in the appeal and the normal cost for the same group calculated on a Government-wide basis; and
(4) The difference between the Government-wide normal cost percentage and the single agency rate would be at least 10 percent of the normal cost being appealed.