Recruitment, Relocation and Retention Incentives

Under OPM regulations (5 CFR 575.307(b)), an agency official who is at least one level higher than the employee’s (or group of employees‘) supervisor must review and approve each determination to pay a retention incentive to an individual or group of employees, unless there is no official at a higher level in the agency.  A higher level approval is not needed when approving coverage of individual employees under a previously approved group retention incentive authorization.  The authorized agency official must review and approve the retention incentive determination before the agency pays the incentive to the employee.

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