§ 575.107 Agency recruitment incentive plan and approval levels

5 CFR 575.107(a)(a) Before paying recruitment incentives under this subpart, an agency must establish a recruitment incentive plan. The plan must include the following elements:

5 CFR 575.107(a)(1)(1) The designation of officials with authority to—

5 CFR 575.107(a)(1)(i)(i) Review and approve payment of recruitment incentives (subject to paragraph (b) of this section), including the circumstances under which an official has the authority to approve payment without higher-level approval under paragraph (b)(2) of this section;

5 CFR 575.107(a)(1)(ii)(ii) Waive the recruitment incentive payment limitation under § 575.109(c) (subject to the approval requirements in paragraph (b) of this section); and

5 CFR 575.107(a)(1)(iii)(iii) Waive the repayment of a recruitment incentive under § 575.111(h);

5 CFR 575.107(a)(2)(2) The categories of employees who are prohibited from receiving recruitment incentives;

5 CFR 575.107(a)(3)(3) Required documentation for determining that a position is likely to be difficult to fill;

5 CFR 575.107(a)(4)(4) Any requirements for determining the amount of a recruitment incentive;

5 CFR 575.107(a)(5)(5) The payment methods that may be authorized;

5 CFR 575.107(a)(6)(6) Requirements governing service agreements, which, at a minimum, must include—

5 CFR 575.107(a)(6)(i)(i) The criteria for determining the length of a service period;

5 CFR 575.107(a)(6)(ii)(ii) The conditions for terminating a service agreement; and

5 CFR 575.107(a)(6)(iii)(iii) The obligations of the agency and the employee, as applicable, if an agency terminates a service agreement; and

5 CFR 575.107(a)(7)(7) Documentation and recordkeeping requirements sufficient to allow reconstruction of the action and to fulfill the requirements of §§ 575.112 and 575.113.

5 CFR 575.107(b)(1)(b)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, an authorized agency official who is at least one level higher than the employee's supervisor must review and approve each determination to pay a recruitment incentive to a newly appointed employee, unless there is no official at a higher level in the agency. If a determination includes a waiver of the payment limitation in § 575.109(c), the official who is designated in the agency's plan under paragraph (a) of this section to approve waivers must approve the determination. The authorized agency official must review and approve the recruitment incentive determination before the agency may pay the incentive to the employee.

5 CFR 575.107(b)(2)(2) When necessary to make a timely offer of employment, an authorized agency official may establish criteria in advance for offering recruitment incentives to newly-appointed employees and may authorize an official who is not lower than a candidate's supervisor to use these criteria to offer a recruitment incentive to a candidate without further review or approval in any amount within a pre-established range up to—

5 CFR 575.107(b)(2)(i)(i) The normal payment limitation in § 575.109(b); or

5 CFR 575.107(b)(2)(ii)(ii) A higher cap if the agency has approved a waiver to the normal payment limitation under § 575.109(c).

5 CFR 575.107(c)(c) Unless the head of the agency determines otherwise, an agency recruitment incentive plan must apply uniformly across the agency.