Recruitment, Relocation and Retention Incentives

Before paying a recruitment or relocation incentive, an agency must establish a plan for using the authority.  (See 5 CFR 575.107 and 575.207.)  The plan must include the designation of officials with authority to review and approve the payment of recruitment or relocation incentives, the designation of officials with authority to waive the repayment of a recruitment or relocation incentive, the categories of employees who are prohibited from receiving recruitment or relocation incentives, the required documentation for determining that a position is likely to be difficult to fill, requirements for determining the amount of an incentive, the payment methods that may be authorized, requirements governing service agreements (including criteria for determining the length of a service period, the conditions for terminating a service agreement, and the obligations of the agency and the employee if a service agreement is terminated), and documentation and recordkeeping requirements.   Unless the head of the agency determines otherwise, agency recruitment and relocation incentive plans must apply uniformly across the agency.