Board of Veterans Appeals (Attorney Advisor)

[Anonymous]

Are BVA judges still working from home? Have their quotas increased?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are BVA judges still working from home? Have their quotas increased?

Our quotas have increased so their quotas have also necessarily increased.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are BVA judges still working from home? Have their quotas increased?

Our quotas have increased so their quotas have also necessarily increased.

What are the new quotas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year it was 4% of salary for Outstanding (equivalent to about one paycheck). Lower payouts for lower tiers of bonuses.

I don't see a category for "outstanding."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year it was 4% of salary for Outstanding (equivalent to about one paycheck). Lower payouts for lower tiers of bonuses.

I don't see a category for "outstanding."

You're gonna have to tell us what you're looking at before we can help you.

[Anonymous]

Performance based monetary awards are a waste of taxpayer money. There’s no need to offer monetary incentives when the whip works just as well at no cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Performance based monetary awards are a waste of taxpayer money. There’s no need to offer monetary incentives when the whip works just as well at no cost.

Please keep your pathetic private life to yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year it was 4% of salary for Outstanding (equivalent to about one paycheck). Lower payouts for lower tiers of bonuses.

I don't see a category for "outstanding."

You're gonna have to tell us what you're looking at before we can help you.

Aren't the categories fully successful and exceptional?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year it was 4% of salary for Outstanding (equivalent to about one paycheck). Lower payouts for lower tiers of bonuses.

I don't see a category for "outstanding."

You're gonna have to tell us what you're looking at before we can help you.

Aren't the categories fully successful and exceptional?

If you are rated as “exceptional” in all critical performance categories, that equates to an “outstanding” overall rating and qualifies you for the bonus this year. From my understanding, unlike in prior years where you’d get some level of bonus just for having exceptional ratings in some categories, you have to have the full “outstanding” to get anything this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year it was 4% of salary for Outstanding (equivalent to about one paycheck). Lower payouts for lower tiers of bonuses.

I don't see a category for "outstanding."

You're gonna have to tell us what you're looking at before we can help you.

Aren't the categories fully successful and exceptional?

If you are rated as “exceptional” in all critical performance categories, that equates to an “outstanding” overall rating and qualifies you for the bonus this year. From my understanding, unlike in prior years where you’d get some level of bonus just for having exceptional ratings in some categories, you have to have the full “outstanding” to get anything this year.

I wish there were real leadership at the BVA. It seems like these days all we have is rumors and rumors of rumors. No real information. re: bonuses, I went looking for the old employee recognition program memo from a few years ago, but it looks like it was removed from the SharePoint at some point. All bets are off at this point!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year it was 4% of salary for Outstanding (equivalent to about one paycheck). Lower payouts for lower tiers of bonuses.

I don't see a category for "outstanding."

You're gonna have to tell us what you're looking at before we can help you.

Aren't the categories fully successful and exceptional?

If you are rated as “exceptional” in all critical performance categories, that equates to an “outstanding” overall rating and qualifies you for the bonus this year. From my understanding, unlike in prior years where you’d get some level of bonus just for having exceptional ratings in some categories, you have to have the full “outstanding” to get anything this year.

I wish there were real leadership at the BVA. It seems like these days all we have is rumors and rumors of rumors. No real information. re: bonuses, I went looking for the old employee recognition program memo from a few years ago, but it looks like it was removed from the SharePoint at some point. All bets are off at this point!

Yep, we are just free-wheeling hoping for any scraps for going at above and beyond.

This year, BVA can kick rocks because I’m not trying for more than FS when they cancelled our union, raised productio, and have confirmed NO bonuses are happening for Y26.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year it was 4% of salary for Outstanding (equivalent to about one paycheck). Lower payouts for lower tiers of bonuses.

I don't see a category for "outstanding."

You're gonna have to tell us what you're looking at before we can help you.

Aren't the categories fully successful and exceptional?

If you are rated as “exceptional” in all critical performance categories, that equates to an “outstanding” overall rating and qualifies you for the bonus this year. From my understanding, unlike in prior years where you’d get some level of bonus just for having exceptional ratings in some categories, you have to have the full “outstanding” to get anything this year.

I wish there were real leadership at the BVA. It seems like these days all we have is rumors and rumors of rumors. No real information. re: bonuses, I went looking for the old employee recognition program memo from a few years ago, but it looks like it was removed from the SharePoint at some point. All bets are off at this point!

Yep, we are just free-wheeling hoping for any scraps for going at above and beyond.

This year, BVA can kick rocks because I’m not trying for more than FS when they cancelled our union, raised productio, and have confirmed NO bonuses are happening for Y26.

Wait, when did they confirm no bonuses for fy26?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year it was 4% of salary for Outstanding (equivalent to about one paycheck). Lower payouts for lower tiers of bonuses.

I don't see a category for "outstanding."

You're gonna have to tell us what you're looking at before we can help you.

Aren't the categories fully successful and exceptional?

If you are rated as “exceptional” in all critical performance categories, that equates to an “outstanding” overall rating and qualifies you for the bonus this year. From my understanding, unlike in prior years where you’d get some level of bonus just for having exceptional ratings in some categories, you have to have the full “outstanding” to get anything this year.

I wish there were real leadership at the BVA. It seems like these days all we have is rumors and rumors of rumors. No real information. re: bonuses, I went looking for the old employee recognition program memo from a few years ago, but it looks like it was removed from the SharePoint at some point. All bets are off at this point!

Yep, we are just free-wheeling hoping for any scraps for going at above and beyond.

This year, BVA can kick rocks because I’m not trying for more than FS when they cancelled our union, raised productio, and have confirmed NO bonuses are happening for Y26.

Wait, when did they confirm no bonuses for fy26?

Our SSC has been saying it for awhile. But do they “confirm” anything, ever? No, because they want us to keep our heads down and keep eating shit with a smile for their illusory carrot on a stick.

Like we just had ICARE/writing awards… with no actual award beyond general recognition. And those were quarterly before, with an actual monetary/time off award.

Also:

https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/12/trump-limit-top-ratings-all-feds-and-consolidate-scoring-forthcoming-rule/410246/

So good luck getting a bonus this year, even if they do surprise us that bonuses exist for Y26. As stated above, I’ll do the minimum required after continuous demotions from this garbage admin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year it was 4% of salary for Outstanding (equivalent to about one paycheck). Lower payouts for lower tiers of bonuses.

I don't see a category for "outstanding."

You're gonna have to tell us what you're looking at before we can help you.

Aren't the categories fully successful and exceptional?

If you are rated as “exceptional” in all critical performance categories, that equates to an “outstanding” overall rating and qualifies you for the bonus this year. From my understanding, unlike in prior years where you’d get some level of bonus just for having exceptional ratings in some categories, you have to have the full “outstanding” to get anything this year.

I wish there were real leadership at the BVA. It seems like these days all we have is rumors and rumors of rumors. No real information. re: bonuses, I went looking for the old employee recognition program memo from a few years ago, but it looks like it was removed from the SharePoint at some point. All bets are off at this point!

Yep, we are just free-wheeling hoping for any scraps for going at above and beyond.

This year, BVA can kick rocks because I’m not trying for more than FS when they cancelled our union, raised productio, and have confirmed NO bonuses are happening for Y26.

Wait, when did they confirm no bonuses for fy26?

Our SSC has been saying it for awhile. But do they “confirm” anything, ever? No, because they want us to keep our heads down and keep eating shit with a smile for their illusory carrot on a stick.

Like we just had ICARE/writing awards… with no actual award beyond general recognition. And those were quarterly before, with an actual monetary/time off award.

Also:

https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/12/trump-limit-top-ratings-all-feds-and-consolidate-scoring-forthcoming-rule/410246/

So good luck getting a bonus this year, even if they do surprise us that bonuses exist for Y26. As stated above, I’ll do the minimum required after continuous demotions from this garbage admin.

Yes, it sucks to lose performance awards, but let’s look on the bright side. We’re still earning GS-13/14 salaries. Without BVA, most of us would be lucky to get hired for the midnight shift at the local Waffle House. So, stop whining and count your blessings!

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised government workers get bonuses/performance rewards at all? Not against it, mind you, just surprised. The fact that all attorneys are treated the same and in the same pay grade based on time in job is something that bothers me about government work. There are no generally no rewards for working harder and no consequences for being a slacker. The person who works harder gets rewarded with more work, while the slacker gets less work because they can't be trusted to do a good/thorough job or they are always absent. This is not a specific commentary on the Board of Veterans Appeals, just a comment on government legal work in general.