Awards will recognize and reward superior employee performance in such areas as accomplishing organizational goals and objectives, suggestions or accomplishments that contribute to the efficiency or improvement of government operations, and performance as reflected in the employee’s most recent rating of record.

1. A. Delegation of Authority
   United States Attorneys (USA) and the Director, EOUSA, may approve:
   1. • Cash awards to $7,500 for all staff
   2. • Time-off awards up to 120 hours per leave year per employee. A full-time employee may be granted a maximum of 40 hours of time off from duty as an incentive award for any single contribution
2. B. Quality Step Increase (QSI)
   1. 1. Quality Step Increases (QSIs) provide faster than normal progression through the step rates of the General Schedule. Unlike other forms of monetary recognition, a QSI permanently increases an employee’s rate of basic pay by one step and should be limited to recognizing extraordinary levels of employee excellence. To be considered for a Quality Step Increase (QSI), the following criteria must be met:
      1. a. The employee's performance rating must be at the "Outstanding" level.
      2. b. The employee must have been performing at that grade for a minimum of six months and there is an expectation that the performance will continue at that level for a minimum of an additional six months; and
      3. c. The employee has not received a QSI within the preceding 52 calendar weeks.
3. C. Cash Awards
   1. 1. Performance-Based Awards. To be eligible for one-time cash award an employee’s most recent rating of record must be “Outstanding” or the employee must be rated “Outstanding” or equivalent on one or more job elements, with additional justification by management on the award nomination form.
   2. 2. Special Act Awards. A special act award may be granted to recognize services in the public interest in connection with, or related to, an employee’s official employment.
   3. 3. On-the-Spot Awards. On-the-spot awards may be granted to recognize promptly short-term special acts or service which do not merit larger awards . Receiving an on-the-spot award is not disqualifying for the subsequent receipt of any other cash or honorary incentive award. The same contribution, however, should not be used as the sole basis for an on-the-spot award and another award unless the on-the-spot award is subsequently deemed clearly inadequate to recognize the value of the employee’s contribution.
4. D. Time-Off Awards
   1. 1. Authority to grant time off awards not to exceed one work day may be redelgated to the lowest supervisory level.
   2. 2. Authority to grant time off awards in excess of one work day may be redelgated only if the approving official is at a higher organizational level than the recommending official. The Director, EOUSA and each United States Attorney may serve as recommending and approving officials.
   3. 3. Time off awards may not be converted to cash.

[updated February 2018] [cited in JM 3-1.200]