A monetary award is a one-time cash payment, which is in addition to the regular salary of the recipient and which does not increase the individual's rate of basic pay.
General
Monetary awards may be granted:
- for an outstanding one-time accomplishment or contribution of a non-recurring nature that produces tangible savings or intangible benefits, or
- for sustained exceptional performance.
By accepting a monetary award, the employee relinquishes ownership of the idea, method,
or device to the Government and therefore, cannot claim ownership or future award payments
for the same idea, method or device for which the award was paid.
When an activity approves an award for an employee of another component or agency, the
amount of the award is transferred to the individual's organization for payment through
his/her payroll office.
Bureaus heads are authorized to approve awards up to $10,000 for a single employee or a
group of employees. For awards between $10,001-$25,000, OPM must approve such awards.
All monetary awards must be reported in accordance with OPM regulations.
