Part 7, Chapter 8: Manual Exhibit 7-8-B

Incentives Comparison Chart

Recruitment, Relocation and Retention Incentives Caparison Chart

INCENTIVE TYPE	PAYMENT	COVERED POSITIONS	FOR WHOM	CRITERIA	SERVICE AGREEMENT	HOW PAID
Recruitment Incentive	May not exceed 25 percent of the annual rate of basic pay (which includes a special rate, locality payment or similar pay under other legal authority) of the employee at the beginning of the service period multiplied by the number of years (including fractions of a year) in the service period (not to exceed 4 years).	GS; Senior-Level, Scientific and Professional; Career SES; Law Enforcement Officer positions; EX, or a position where the rate of pay is fixed by law at a rate equal to a rate for the Executive Schedule; prevailing rate positions; positions in a category for which payment of a recruitment or relocation incentive has been approved by OPM. Exclusions: Presidential Appointees; non-career SES; positions excepted from the competitive service by reason of its confidential, policy-determining, policy-making or policy-advocating character (Schedule C)	Newly appointed Federal employees, including first permanent appointment; or appointment of a former employee after a 90-day break in service.	Difficult to fill in the absence of an incentive. Must consider the following: difficulty in recruiting candidates. success of recent efforts to recruit candidates for similar positions. non-Federal salaries for similar positions. recent turnover. labor market factors. special skills, etc. available hiring flexibilities. work environment or geographic location, etc.	Required Not less than 6 months, no longer than 4 years.	Lump sum at beginning of service period, or as a final lump sum payment upon completion of service period, or installments, or any combination of these.
Relocation Incentive	Same as above.	Same as above.	Current Federal employees.	Same as above. *Relocation incentive cannot be paid until the employee establishes a residence in the new commuting area.	Same as above.	Same as above.
Retention Incentive	Percentage of basic pay, not to exceed 25 percent for individual employee or 10 percent for a group or category of employees.	Same as above.	Current Federal employees.	Unusually high or unique qualifications. Special need of organization and employee would leave Federal service without an incentive.	Same as above; except not required if paid in bi-weekly installments.	Installments after completion of specified periods of service, or single lump sum after completion of full period of service per service agreement.