(a) An employee who is promoted is entitled to be paid at the lowest scheduled rate of the grade to which promoted which exceeds the employee's existing scheduled rate of pay by at least four percent of the representative rate of the grade from which promoted.

(b) If there is no rate in the grade to which an employee is promoted which meets the requirement of paragraph (a) of this section the employee shall be entitled to the higher of: (1) the existing scheduled rate of pay in accordance with part 536 of this chapter; or (2) the maximum scheduled rate of the grade to which promoted.

(c) If the promotion is to a position in a different wage area, the agency shall determine the employee's pay entitlement as if there were two pay actions—a promotion and a reassignment—and shall process them in the order which gives the employee the maximum benefit.