This fact sheet covers all types of monetary and time off awards for
DHRD serviced employees:
performance
bonus award
- a lump sum cash
award based on
the annual performance
rating; it rewards
exceptional performance
such as sustained
high quality work,
productivity,
or outstanding
customer service
quality
step increase
(QSI)
- another type
of performance
award which increases
annual salary
by moving the
employee's pay
to the next pay
step in the GS-grade;
the employee must
have an outstanding
rating to be eligible
for a QSI
extra
effort award
- a lump sum cash
award that recognizes
significant one-time
contributions
to the Office's
mission or goals
(e.g., special
project, task
force, etc.)
spot
award -
an immediate cash
award for accomplishments
that warrant a
smaller dollar
amount; the activity
for this type
of award is usually
completed within
6 weeks
time
off award
- an extra effort
award that grants
the employee time
off with pay,
without charge
to leave
2. BASIC POLICY
The basic policy is that
awards
are granted for
excellent work
which is linked
as directly as
possible to the
accomplishment
of Agency mission,
strategic plans,
and other organizational
goal.
All
awards are recommended,
approved, and processed
for payment using
form AD-287-2, Recommendation
and Approval of
Awards (WORD) (FILL IN PDF).
After
being recommended
and approved by
program mangers,
all awards forms
are processed by
DHRD's Staffing
and Placement Services
Branch.
4.
ASSISTANCE
Your resource manager or administrative officer can help
you with awards
and may also provide
an administrative
review of your awards
to ensure that the
employee is eligible
for the award and
that limitations
on awards would
not be exceeded.
In all cases, DHRD
will review the
award for employee
eligibility and
award limitations
before it is processed.
5.
BASIC DELEGATIONS
Departmental Staff Officers have delegated authority from
the Department to
approve cash awards
up to $5,500 per
person, as well
as to approve time
off awards and QSI's.
Departmental Administration
office heads must
obtain approval
from the Assistant
Secretary for Administration.
DA office heads
and Departmental
Staff Officers typically
re-delegate awards
authorities to managers
and supervisors,
but delegations
will vary. If you
are recommending
or approving an
award, you should
make sure that you
are aware of the
delegated authority
in your organization.
Ask your supervisor
or resource manager/administrative
officer.
6.
LIMITATIONS ON AWARDS
The limitations on awards are set in government-wide regulations
and USDA policy:
performance
awards
are limited to
one per year.
An employee may
not be granted
more than one
performance bonus
award/QSI in any
52 week period;
the amount of
a performance
bonus award may
not exceed 10
percent of the
employee's annual
salary
extra
effort award
amounts range
from $50 - $10,000
and above, depending
on the contribution
to the Government
spot
award
amounts range
from $50 to a
maximum of $750
(the amount of
the award is the
net amount to
the employee after
tax deductions)
time-off
award.
The maximum amount
of a single time-off
award is 40 hours.
An employee may
not be granted
more than 80 hours
time-off in a
leave year.
Career
Senior Executive
Service
(SES) employees
can receive performance
bonuses, Presidential
Rank and Extra
Effort Awards
(excluding spot
and time-off awards);
SES non-career
employees are
only eligible
for Extra Effort
Awards.
Note: Awards should be distributed
fairly; guidance
for award amounts
can be found in
the time-off scale
or measurable and
non-measurable benefits
scale located in
the Department's
Guide for Employee
Recognition.
7. APPROVAL AND
JUSTIFICATION
USDA
policy provides
that all monetary
awards be approved
by a management
level higher than
the recommending
individual.
Time-off awards
of 10 hours or less
may be approved
by a supervisor
without a higher
level signature.
All
recognition for
individuals or an
individual as a
member of a group
up to $5,500 per
person requires
approval as follows:
Organization
Approval
Authority
Departmental
Administration
Assistant
Secretary
for Administration
Office
of Adjudication
and Compliance
Assistant
Secretary
for Civil
Rights
Departmental
Staff Offices
Appropriate
Departmental
Staff Officer
Office
of the Secretary
(career employees)
Appropriate
Under or Assistant
Secretary
The
Secretary of Agriculture
approves all awards
in excess of $5,500
and not greater
than $10,000, and
all Senior Executive
Service awards.
Awards
in excess of $10,000
per individual must
be approved by the
Secretary of Agriculture
and the Office of
Personnel Management.
All monetary awards
require written
justification as
do time-off awards
greater than 10
hours. For
a quality step increase
award, the written
justification of
performance accomplishments
for an outstanding
performance rating
is sufficient.
Helpful hints on
preparing justification
can be found in
the Department's
Guide for Employee
Recognition. The
justification should
be attached to form
AD-287-2.
8. TIMING
OF AWARDS
It is important to recognize employee's accomplishments
in a timely manner,
general recommendations
for the timing of
awards are:
spot
award
- recognition
should occur within
3 but no later
than 30 days after
completion of
the accomplishment
performance
bonus award -
lump
sum bonus awards
generally should
be given within
90 days of the
end of the performance
cycle
quality
step increase
-
When a QSI moves
an employee to
step 4 or to step
7, the waiting
period for the
next regular within-grade
increase (WGI)
is increased by
52 weeks.
Depending on the
timing, in some
situations the
QSI should be
delayed until
after the WGI
is effective,
to give maximum
benefit to the
employee.
9.
AWARDS FOR POLITICAL APPOINTEES
By
memorandum from
the Secretary's
Chief of Staff effective
February 28, 2003,
USDA established
the policy that
political appointees,
to include non-career
Senior Executive
Service and Schedule
C employees, should
not receive performance-based
or other awards
except for case-by-case
exceptions to be
determined by the
Chief of Staff.
Non-career
Senior Executive
Service employees
and Schedule C employees
at GS-13, GS-14
and GS-15 grade
levels will not
be eligible for
USDA performance-based
awards.
Non-career
Senior Executive
Service employees
and Schedule C employees
at GS-13, GS-14
and GS-15 grade
levels will not
be eligible for
USDA incentive awards
unless an exception
to this policy is
specifically approved
by the Secretary's
Chief of Staff.
Schedule
C appointees at
the GS-12 level
and below are eligible
for case-by-case
considerations to
receive monetary
and non-monetary
performance-based
awards. All such
awards, including
cash, quality-step
increases and time-off
awards, are subject
to the following
approval process:
Any
award nomination
for political appointees
will follow the
normal procedure
for awards but will
be subject to the
following approvals
before the award
can be granted.
Review and Approval. The AD-287-2, Recommendation and Approval
of Awards requires
the signature
of the immediate
supervisor, the
Senate confirmed
appointee for
whom the employee
works and the
Secretary's Chief
of Staff.
Submission of Forms. If approval is granted, the completed and approved form should be forwarded to
DHRD, Office of
the Secretary
Support Staff
for processing.
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