5 U.S.C. § 5754 - Retention bonuses

• Cite as: 5 U.S.C. § 5754

(a)

(1) This section may be applied to-

(A) employees covered by the General Schedule pay system established under subchapter III of chapter 53; and

(B) employees in a category approved by the Office of Personnel Management at the request of the head of an Executive agency.

(2) A bonus may not be paid under this section to an individual who is appointed to or who holds-

(A) a position to which an individual is appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, excluding members of the Foreign Service other than chiefs of mission and ambassadors at large;

(B) a position in the Senior Executive Service as a noncareer appointee (as such term is defined under section 3132(a)); or

(C) a position which has been excepted from the competitive service by reason of its confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.

(3) In this section, the term "employee" has the meaning given that term in section 2105, except that such term also includes an employee described in subsection (c) of that section.

(b) The Office of Personnel Management may authorize the head of an agency to pay a retention bonus to an employee if-

(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 agency determines that, in the absence of a retention bonus, the employee would be likely to leave-

(A) the Federal service; or

(B) for a different position in the Federal service under conditions described in regulations of the Office.

(c) The Office may authorize the head of an agency to pay retention bonuses to a group of employees in 1 or more categories of positions in 1 or more geographic areas, subject to the requirements of subsection (b)(1) and regulations prescribed by the Office, if there is a high risk that a significant portion of employees in the group would be likely to leave in the absence of retention bonuses.

(d)

(1) Payment of a retention bonus is contingent upon the employee entering into a written service agreement with the agency to complete a period of employment with the agency.

(2)

(A) The agreement shall include-

(i) the length of the required service period;

(ii) the amount of the bonus;

(iii) the method of payment; and

(iv) other terms and conditions under which the bonus is payable, subject to the requirements of this section and regulations of the Office.