The head of an agency (or designee) may request OPM to authorize the payment of a recruitment bonus to one or more categories of employees not otherwise covered by the recruitment bonus law or regulations. (See 5 CFR 575.102(c).)

• the designation of officials with authority to review and approve payment of recruitment bonuses;
• criteria to be met or considered in authorizing bonuses, including criteria for determining the amount of a bonus;
• procedures for paying bonuses;
•  requirements for service agreements; and
• documentation and recordkeeping requirements.

We encourage agencies to delegate authority to approve recruitment bonuses to the lowest level practicable to help respond more effectively to their staffing needs.

Agencies may pay relocation bonuses to eligible employees who are appointed to General Schedule (GS), prevailing rate (wage), senior-level and scientific or professional (SL/ST), Senior Executive Service (SES), and Executive Schedule positions. Agencies may not pay a relocation bonus to the head of an agency. (See 5 CFR 575.202.)

The head of an agency (or designee) may request OPM to authorize the payment of a relocation bonus to one or more categories of employees not covered by the relocation bonus law or regulations. (See 5 CFR 575.202(c).)

• the designation of officials with authority to review and approve payment of relocation bonuses;the designation of officials with authority to review and approve payment of relocation bonuses;
• criteria to be met or considered in authorizing bonuses, including criteria for determining the amount of a bonus;
•  procedures for paying bonuses;
• requirements for service agreements; and
• documentation and recordkeeping requirements.

No. Under 5 CFR 575.205(c), an employee must establish a residence in the new commuting area before the agency may pay a relocation bonus.

We encourage agencies to delegate authority to approve relocation bonuses to the lowest level practicable to help respond more effectively to their staffing needs.

• the employee is a member of a group subject to a mobility agreement and relocation bonuses are necessary to retain such employees, or
• a major organizational unit is relocated to a different commuting area and relocation bonuses are necessary to ensure the continued operation of that unit without undue disruption to the agency's mission or service to the public.

All requirements in the regulations and the agency's relocation bonus plan must be met to pay a relocation bonus to an individual employee in the covered group. For example, agencies may authorize relocation bonuses of up to 25 percent of basic pay, and each employee must relocate to a difficult-to-fill position, establish a residence in the new commuting area prior to payment of the bonus, and sign a service agreement.

(1) the unusually high or unique qualifications of the employee or a special need of the agency for the employee's services makes it essential to retain the employee, and

(2) the employee would be likely to leave the Federal Government in the absence of a retention allowance.

(For additional information, see 5 U.S.C. 5754; 5 CFR part 575, subpart C; and the retention allowance fact sheet.)

Agencies may pay retention allowances to an eligible employee who holds a General Schedule (GS), prevailing rate (wage), senior-level and scientific or professional (SL/ST), Senior Executive Service (SES), and Executive Schedule position. Agencies may not pay a retention allowance to the head of an agency. (See 5 CFR 575.302.)

The head of an agency (or designee) may request OPM to authorize the payment of a retention allowance to one or more categories of employees not otherwise covered by the retention allowance law or regulations. (See 5 CFR 575.302(c).)

• the designation of officials with authority to review and approve payment of retention allowances;
• criteria to be met or considered in authorizing allowances, including criteria for determining the amount of an allowance;
• procedures for paying allowances; and
•  documentation and recordkeeping requirements.

• the unusually high or unique qualifications of the employee or a special need for the employee's services makes it essential to retain the employee; and
•  the employee would be likely to leave the Federal service (for any purpose) in the absence of an allowance.

The agency must document the basis for this determination in writing. This documentation must address the extent to which the employee's departure would affect the agency's ability to carry out an activity or perform a function that is essential to the agency's mission. Agencies should also address the success of recent efforts to recruit candidates with similar qualifications and the availability of candidates in the labor market, as applicable. (See 5 CFR 575.305(c).)

Under OPM regulations (5 CFR 575.305(b)), an agency official who is at a higher level than the official who recommended payment must approve each determination to pay a retention allowance, unless there is no official at a higher level. (Note that OPM must approve retention allowances in excess of 10 percent for groups of employees under 5 CFR 575.305(d).)

We encourage agencies to delegate authority to approve retention allowances to the lowest level practicable to help respond more effectively to their staffing needs

• a lesser amount (or none at all) would be sufficient to retain the employee;
• labor market factors make it easier to recruit employees with qualifications similar to the employee;
• the agency's need for the employee's services has reduced or are no longer needed; or
• budgetary considerations make it impossible to continue retention allowance payments.

Yes. Under 5 CFR 575.305(d), agencies may authorize a retention allowance of up to 10 percent basic pay (or up to 25 percent with Office of Personnel Management approval) for a group of employees. The agency must determine that the employees have unusually high or unique qualifications, or that it has a special need for the employees' services that makes it essential to retain the employees in that category. The agency must also determine whether it is reasonable to presume that there is a high risk that a significant number of employees in the targeted category are likely to leave Federal service in the absence of an allowance. This determination may be based on evidence of extreme labor market conditions, high demand in the private sector for the knowledge and skills possessed by the employees, significant disparities between Federal and non-Federal salaries, or other similar conditions. All requirements in the regulations and the agency's retention allowance plan must be met in order to pay a retention allowance to an individual employee in the covered group. For example, an agency may not pay a retention allowance to an employee in the covered group who is fulfilling a recruitment or relocation bonus service agreement.