Recruitment, Relocation and Retention Incentives

Yes. Under 5 CFR 575.105(b), agencies may target groups of positions that have been difficult to fill in the past or that may be difficult to fill in the future and may make the required written determination to offer a recruitment incentive on a group basis (excluding positions covered by 5 CFR 575.103(a)(2), (a)(3), or (a)(5) or in similar categories approved by OPM). All requirements in the regulations and the agency's recruitment incentive plan must be met in order to pay a recruitment incentive to an individual employee in the covered group. For example, agencies may authorize a recruitment incentive of up to 25 percent of the annual rate of basic pay of the employee at the beginning of the service period multiplied by the number of years (including fractions of a year) in the service period (not to exceed 4 years), and the employee must be newly appointed in the Federal Government and must sign a service agreement of at least 6 months with the appointing agency.