Performance
Management and Quality Step Increases FAQs
A quality step increase is an additional step
increase that may be granted in recognition of high
quality performance above that ordinarily found in the
type of position concerned. (A step increase is an
increase in a Federal employee's rate of basic pay from
one step or rate of the grade of his or her position to
the next higher step of that grade or next higher rate
within the grade.) Some frequently asked questions about
quality step increases in regards to performance
appraisal and awards regulations include:
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|
Who
can get a quality step increase? |
| A quality step
increase can only be granted to an employee whose
most recent rating of record is Level 5, or, if
covered by an appraisal program that does not use
a Level 5 summary, the employee receives a rating
of record at the highest summary level used by
the program and demonstrates sustained
performance of high quality significantly above
the Fully Successful level. |
 
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|
Will
a written justification be required to grant a
quality step increase to an employee covered by
an appraisal program that doesn't use a Level 5
summary? |
| While employees must
receive a rating of record at the highest summary
level used by the program and meet the
agency-specified criteria for qualifying for a
quality step increase, a separate written
justification is not required. However, the
Office of Personnel Management strongly
encourages agencies to require some form of
recorded justification. Assuring compliance with
agency-established criteria for quality step
increase eligibility would be difficult without
recorded justifications. The agency should be
able to show that the proposed recipient has
performed at a truly exceptional level to justify
a permanent increase in his or her rate of basic
pay. |
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|
Must
the Office of Personnel Management approve the
criteria an agency develops for granting quality
step increases under appraisal programs that
don't use a Level 5 summary? |
| No, but the Office
of Personnel Management's Performance Management
and Incentive Awards Division can help agencies
develop criteria best suited for their needs. |
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|
Is
peer nomination for quality step increases
allowed? |
| Yes. Peer nomination
for quality step increases is permissible.
However, some process would need to be set up to
ensure that nominated employees meet the
eligibility criteria. Also, under section 531.501
of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, final
authority for granting quality step increases
must remain with management. |
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