Measure Could Bring Bigger Bonuses

Agencies could significantly increase the amount of recruitment, relocation and retention payments they pay to their employees under legislation (S-129) pending before the Senate, the Congressional Budget Office estimates. Under the proposal, agencies could pay recruitment and relocation bonuses of up to 25 percent of basic pay for up to four consecutive years, rather than just a one-time payment as under current policy, and retention allowances would be recast as retention bonuses payable to individual employees or to groups of employees. In certain circumstances, all three types of payments could go up to 50 percent of basic pay in a year. However, unlike current policy, service agreements would be required.