OPM memo on awards

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this really a big deal? If you're lucky enough to get an award in my office, it's usually $750 or less. I did see one person get $1500 once but that was the only one in the office and that person put in a lot of work to get that. I made the calculation a long time ago that these amounts are not worth my time. Instead I play the long game to ward off burnout.

The money isn't much, but in my agency you can choose money or time off awards. (Step increases are not one of the options given to supervisors to offer, although I don't know if they're actually forbidden.) As a parent with young kids, an extra 4-5 days of time off for a 5 rating is HUGE to me. I am really going to miss it.

I don’t know this for sure, but I have some hope time off awards will be less impacted. The August memo from OPM suggests that agencies should more heavily use TOAs and consider QSIs instead of cash bonuses. Cash bonuses are never very generous at my agency, so I also find TOAs more valuable, but I don’t really understand the push towards QSIs, because those also involve money and can be more valuable than a one time cash award.

How is a time off award valuable if I already get 26 days off a year, and earn credit time for any hours worked more than 40 in a week?

Who actually gets that though?
Working parents with school-aged kids can use it. Our county school system calendar only has 12 full weeks of school. The other 37 weeks have at least one A) closure B) early dismissal or C) late arrival. Not to mention sick days. Or doctor appointments.

A) Flexing B) parents taking turns C) aftercare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this really a big deal? If you're lucky enough to get an award in my office, it's usually $750 or less. I did see one person get $1500 once but that was the only one in the office and that person put in a lot of work to get that. I made the calculation a long time ago that these amounts are not worth my time. Instead I play the long game to ward off burnout.

The money isn't much, but in my agency you can choose money or time off awards. (Step increases are not one of the options given to supervisors to offer, although I don't know if they're actually forbidden.) As a parent with young kids, an extra 4-5 days of time off for a 5 rating is HUGE to me. I am really going to miss it.

I don’t know this for sure, but I have some hope time off awards will be less impacted. The August memo from OPM suggests that agencies should more heavily use TOAs and consider QSIs instead of cash bonuses. Cash bonuses are never very generous at my agency, so I also find TOAs more valuable, but I don’t really understand the push towards QSIs, because those also involve money and can be more valuable than a one time cash award.

How is a time off award valuable if I already get 26 days off a year, and earn credit time for any hours worked more than 40 in a week?

Maybe it's not valuable for you specifically, but there are a ton of folks for whom it is valuable. You don't get to the 26-days-per-year leave tier until you've worked for the gov't for 15 years, so by that time you're usually past the time of caring for young children, when time off is most valuable. Remember also that there's no cap on banked sick leave, which will increase your pension in retirement.

And in my office, it takes a ton of advance planning to get comp time--just staying late when you're on a roll with a project isn't enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this really a big deal? If you're lucky enough to get an award in my office, it's usually $750 or less. I did see one person get $1500 once but that was the only one in the office and that person put in a lot of work to get that. I made the calculation a long time ago that these amounts are not worth my time. Instead I play the long game to ward off burnout.

The money isn't much, but in my agency you can choose money or time off awards. (Step increases are not one of the options given to supervisors to offer, although I don't know if they're actually forbidden.) As a parent with young kids, an extra 4-5 days of time off for a 5 rating is HUGE to me. I am really going to miss it.

I don’t know this for sure, but I have some hope time off awards will be less impacted. The August memo from OPM suggests that agencies should more heavily use TOAs and consider QSIs instead of cash bonuses. Cash bonuses are never very generous at my agency, so I also find TOAs more valuable, but I don’t really understand the push towards QSIs, because those also involve money and can be more valuable than a one time cash award.

How is a time off award valuable if I already get 26 days off a year, and earn credit time for any hours worked more than 40 in a week?

Maybe it's not valuable for you specifically, but there are a ton of folks for whom it is valuable. You don't get to the 26-days-per-year leave tier until you've worked for the gov't for 15 years, so by that time you're usually past the time of caring for young children, when time off is most valuable. Remember also that there's no cap on banked sick leave, which will increase your pension in retirement.

And in my office, it takes a ton of advance planning to get comp time--just staying late when you're on a roll with a project isn't enough.

Fair enough. I'm the OP and most in our office take the modest cash. Many also have 15+ so that tracks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this really a big deal? If you're lucky enough to get an award in my office, it's usually $750 or less. I did see one person get $1500 once but that was the only one in the office and that person put in a lot of work to get that. I made the calculation a long time ago that these amounts are not worth my time. Instead I play the long game to ward off burnout.

The money isn't much, but in my agency you can choose money or time off awards. (Step increases are not one of the options given to supervisors to offer, although I don't know if they're actually forbidden.) As a parent with young kids, an extra 4-5 days of time off for a 5 rating is HUGE to me. I am really going to miss it.

I don’t know this for sure, but I have some hope time off awards will be less impacted. The August memo from OPM suggests that agencies should more heavily use TOAs and consider QSIs instead of cash bonuses. Cash bonuses are never very generous at my agency, so I also find TOAs more valuable, but I don’t really understand the push towards QSIs, because those also involve money and can be more valuable than a one time cash award.

How is a time off award valuable if I already get 26 days off a year, and earn credit time for any hours worked more than 40 in a week?

Credit hours aren’t universal. I get credit hours (capped) at my current agency but my previous agency didn’t have them, only comp time, which has more onerous requirements. Plus with RTO I am personally getting fewer credit hours then I used to. Even if I work at home in the evenings, as I often need to do to meet deadlines, I can’t report that time on my time card since it’s not in office. So it doesn’t count towards credit hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this really a big deal? If you're lucky enough to get an award in my office, it's usually $750 or less. I did see one person get $1500 once but that was the only one in the office and that person put in a lot of work to get that. I made the calculation a long time ago that these amounts are not worth my time. Instead I play the long game to ward off burnout.

The money isn't much, but in my agency you can choose money or time off awards. (Step increases are not one of the options given to supervisors to offer, although I don't know if they're actually forbidden.) As a parent with young kids, an extra 4-5 days of time off for a 5 rating is HUGE to me. I am really going to miss it.

I don’t know this for sure, but I have some hope time off awards will be less impacted. The August memo from OPM suggests that agencies should more heavily use TOAs and consider QSIs instead of cash bonuses. Cash bonuses are never very generous at my agency, so I also find TOAs more valuable, but I don’t really understand the push towards QSIs, because those also involve money and can be more valuable than a one time cash award.

How is a time off award valuable if I already get 26 days off a year, and earn credit time for any hours worked more than 40 in a week?

I still find it valuable. Between TOAs, credit hours, and some travel comp time, I was able to take about 8-9 weeks of vacation and will still carryover 400+ hours going into next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this really a big deal? If you're lucky enough to get an award in my office, it's usually $750 or less. I did see one person get $1500 once but that was the only one in the office and that person put in a lot of work to get that. I made the calculation a long time ago that these amounts are not worth my time. Instead I play the long game to ward off burnout.

The money isn't much, but in my agency you can choose money or time off awards. (Step increases are not one of the options given to supervisors to offer, although I don't know if they're actually forbidden.) As a parent with young kids, an extra 4-5 days of time off for a 5 rating is HUGE to me. I am really going to miss it.

I don’t know this for sure, but I have some hope time off awards will be less impacted. The August memo from OPM suggests that agencies should more heavily use TOAs and consider QSIs instead of cash bonuses. Cash bonuses are never very generous at my agency, so I also find TOAs more valuable, but I don’t really understand the push towards QSIs, because those also involve money and can be more valuable than a one time cash award.

How is a time off award valuable if I already get 26 days off a year, and earn credit time for any hours worked more than 40 in a week?

I still find it valuable. Between TOAs, credit hours, and some travel comp time, I was able to take about 8-9 weeks of vacation and will still carryover 400+ hours going into next year.

Hoe did you any work done?

[Anonymous]

How is a time off award valuable if I already get 26 days off a year, and earn credit time for any hours worked more than 40 in a week?

It's valuable to me because I am so disheartened that I no longer care if the work get done. I'm not going to do nothing, but am going to continue working 8 hours a day and take any leave I have available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this really a big deal? If you're lucky enough to get an award in my office, it's usually $750 or less. I did see one person get $1500 once but that was the only one in the office and that person put in a lot of work to get that. I made the calculation a long time ago that these amounts are not worth my time. Instead I play the long game to ward off burnout.

The money isn't much, but in my agency you can choose money or time off awards. (Step increases are not one of the options given to supervisors to offer, although I don't know if they're actually forbidden.) As a parent with young kids, an extra 4-5 days of time off for a 5 rating is HUGE to me. I am really going to miss it.

I don’t know this for sure, but I have some hope time off awards will be less impacted. The August memo from OPM suggests that agencies should more heavily use TOAs and consider QSIs instead of cash bonuses. Cash bonuses are never very generous at my agency, so I also find TOAs more valuable, but I don’t really understand the push towards QSIs, because those also involve money and can be more valuable than a one time cash award.

How is a time off award valuable if I already get 26 days off a year, and earn credit time for any hours worked more than 40 in a week?

I still find it valuable. Between TOAs, credit hours, and some travel comp time, I was able to take about 8-9 weeks of vacation and will still carryover 400+ hours going into next year.

Hoe did you any work done?

I’m still there 43 or so weeks and generally can control deadlines or seek extensions if need be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this really a big deal? If you're lucky enough to get an award in my office, it's usually $750 or less. I did see one person get $1500 once but that was the only one in the office and that person put in a lot of work to get that. I made the calculation a long time ago that these amounts are not worth my time. Instead I play the long game to ward off burnout.

They will be targeting the 3s for RIF. They have changed the rules for firing and seniority no longer matters; it’s all past 3 performance ratings.

This is made up.

It’s already a proposed rule change:

https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/11/agency-layoff-rules-get-overhaul-under-nearly-finalized-trump-administration-proposal/409706/

[Anonymous]

Well, if you don’t try to be great, your chances will be zero.

There is huge “grade inflation ” in many Federal worksites.

Exceptional ratings should be exceptional (by definition).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

How is a time off award valuable if I already get 26 days off a year, and earn credit time for any hours worked more than 40 in a week?

It's valuable to me because I am so disheartened that I no longer care if the work get done. I'm not going to do nothing, but am going to continue working 8 hours a day and take any leave I have available.

+million. Before I never really cared about TOAs. We have the option at my agency to take our performance awards as TOA or $$ and now I’ll take the TOA. My mental health is priceless. As a working parent, my leave is now sucked up by RTO and zero flexibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't believe there will be an award fund actually. So even if you get a 5 it doesn't matter.

To be fair, perfect 5's should be very rare.

I have received all 5 in each of my program elements several times in past few years but I am also a very high performer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How is a time off award valuable if I already get 26 days off a year, and earn credit time for any hours worked more than 40 in a week?

It's valuable to me because I am so disheartened that I no longer care if the work get done. I'm not going to do nothing, but am going to continue working 8 hours a day and take any leave I have available.

+million. Before I never really cared about TOAs. We have the option at my agency to take our performance awards as TOA or $$ and now I’ll take the TOA. My mental health is priceless. As a working parent, my leave is now sucked up by RTO and zero flexibility.

I’m the opposite. I want cash because my agency doesn’t pay out TOA when you leave. So if I get fired under the new schedule F, TOA would be useless to me.

Also we have so much work that for the first time ever in my 17 years of Fed service, I couldn’t use all my leave. Even with kid illnesses. I worked so many weekends that I made up for much of the leave I took. The shutdown didn’t help. Will be sacrificing 20 hours. But I view it as more annual leave to be paid out if they fire me, so. Shrug.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, if you don’t try to be great, your chances will be zero.

There is huge “grade inflation ” in many Federal worksites.

Exceptional ratings should be exceptional (by definition).

No they shouldn't. If a worker looks at what they should do to earn an Outstanding rating (which is all spelled out on my performance plan every year) and shows how they accomplished all of it, there should be no reason to deny an Outstanding rating. Most of my colleagues do exactly that every year, so the entire office should be getting an Outstanding rating. However, we were told that no one will be getting that this year. There is no reason for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, if you don’t try to be great, your chances will be zero.

There is huge “grade inflation ” in many Federal worksites.

Exceptional ratings should be exceptional (by definition).

No they shouldn't. If a worker looks at what they should do to earn an Outstanding rating (which is all spelled out on my performance plan every year) and shows how they accomplished all of it, there should be no reason to deny an Outstanding rating. Most of my colleagues do exactly that every year, so the entire office should be getting an Outstanding rating. However, we were told that no one will be getting that this year. There is no reason for that.

+1. Ratings aren't supposed to be given out on a curve. They are supposed to be given out based on accomplishments.