Implementation Guidance on Civilian Incentives & Awards to Retain & Reward Top Talent

Pursuant to the Department of Defense's (DOD) "Workforce Acceleration & Recapitalization Initiative," this guidance directs agency components to identify and implement available tools to retain, reward, and recognize high-performing civilian employees. The memo waives a prior requirement for agency heads to sign-off on individual cash awards between $10,000 and $25,000. It directs agency components to consider utilizing cash awards up to 20% of basic pay, Quality Step Increases, Time Off Awards up to 80 hours per year, Special Act or Service Awards, student loan repayment up to $10,000 annually and $60,000 lifetime, and recruitment/relocation/retention incentives up to 25% of basic pay annually (or up to 50% with OPM approval). For retention incentives, the memo delegates the determination that an employee would be "likely to leave" the federal service without an incentive down to the first GS-15/O-6 (or equivalent) supervisor.