Skip to page navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

OPM.gov / Frequently Asked Questions / New Performance Management FAQ / Performance Management - Step Increases
Skip to main content

Performance Management - Step Increases

Questions and answers

An acceptable level of competence determination can be delayed for only two reasons:

when an employee has not had the minimum period of time to demonstrate acceptable performance on his or her elements and standards; and
when an employee is reduced in grade because of unacceptable performance to a position in which he or she is eligible for a within-grade increase or will become eligible within the minimum appraisal period.
Control Panel