Agencies Gave IT Workers $14 Million in Bonuses in 2009
Federal agencies paid nearly $350 million in bonuses in 2009 to recruit, retain and relocate employees, according to a new report from the Office of Personnel Management.
The report, released on Friday, found that 45 agencies paid more than $349 million in recruitment, retention and relocation incentives in 2009, with an average incentive payment of $8,079. This reflects an increase of 9 percent in the total number of incentives paid and an increase of 22 percent in the total incentive cost between 2008 and 2009, the report states. Some agencies decreased their usage as a result of the labor market, budget cuts or other factors.
Agencies typically paid the "3Rs" bonuses to employees in occupations critical to agency missions, including information technology, the report found. Specifically, agencies paid out 892 incentives totaling $10.3 million to retain IT managers. Agencies also offered 252 incentives totaling $2.3 million to recruit IT managers, and 125 incentives totaling $1.7 million to relocate IT managers, according to the report.
Retention incentives were the most widely used tool, totaling $188.5 million for those likely to leave federal service and $127,244 for those likely to leave for a different federal position. Agencies also paid out 12,402 recruitment incentives totaling more than $105 million and 4,605 relocation incentives totaling more than $55 million, OPM found.
The Defense Department made the most extensive use of the three incentives, followed by the Veterans Affairs, Justice, Agriculture, Health and Human Services and State departments. Some agencies -- like the Commerce and Energy departments and NASA -- reported decreases in the overall number of incentives used.
"OPM takes great care to make sure agencies use the 3Rs appropriately..." OPM Director John Berry said in the report. "Agencies are expected to ensure prospectively that spending on 3Rs in calendar year 2011 and calendar year 2012, respectively, does not exceed calendar year 2010 levels."