Appendix B
Part 370.575, Chapter 1
7/28/2003

Procedures to be Followed Upon Approval of a Recruitment Bonus or Retention Allowance

1. The organization contact will forward a copy of the approved Form 9-3091, "Approval Request For Recruitment Bonus, Relocation Bonus, Or Retention Allowance Payment" for appointees/employees at the GS-15 level and below, and a prepared USGS Form 9-3091for departmental approval for Senior Executive Service (SES), Senior Level (SL), and Scientific and Professional (ST) employees, along with a Federal Personnel/Payroll System (FPPS) action documenting the bonus or allowance and signed Service Agreement for employees approved to receive a recruitment bonus, to the Servicing Personnel Specialist (SPS).

2. Once endorsed, the Bureau Personnel Officer will transmit the request for approval for SES, SL, and ST appointees/employees to the Chairperson of the Executive Resources Board through the Assistant Secretary - Water and Science.

3. When approvals are received, the servicing personnel office (SPO) will process an SF-50 reflecting the recruitment bonus or retention allowance approval determination. The SPS will then forward a copy of the signed Form 9-3091 and SF-50 to the Payroll Office in Denver.

If approval was granted to issue a recruitment bonus prior to the prospective employee entering on duty (see Survey Manual 370.575.7D), the SPO will manually process an SF-50 reflecting the recruitment bonus approval determination. The SPS will forward a copy of the signed Form 9-3091 (for non group bonuses), a copy of the manually produced recruitment bonus SF-50, a copy of the appointment SF-50, a copy of the signed service agreement, and a request to Payroll from the SPS to pay the prospective employee in advance. (Note: It is necessary to manually process the recruitment bonus SF-50 because FPPS will not accept the entry of such an action until the appointment action is completed when the prospective employee enters on duty. Once the appointment action is completed, a recruitment bonus SF-50 will need to be processed in FPPS by the SPS.)

4. The Payroll Office will then authorize issuance of the bonus to the employee. The bonus will be included in the employee's pay check unless a specific request has been made and approved to issue a recruitment bonus prior to the employee entering on duty.

The retention allowance will be included in the employee's paycheck beginning the effective date of the SF-50 documenting the approval.

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