… [T]he Social Security Administration is setting aside additional funds this year to ensure a larger-than-usual pool of employees receives performance awards.
Florence Felix-Lawson, the agency’s chief human capital officer, told employees in an email last month that they would be getting performance awards earlier than usual, at the direction of SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano.
“His goal was simple: to recognize employees as soon as possible,” Felix-Lawson wrote.
According to the email, SSA expanded eligibility to include employees who received a 3.5 or 3.7 performance evaluation, “reflecting a broader commitment to recognizing strong performance across the agency.”
By making more employees eligible for awards, but with the same amount of funding, SSA officials realized that some employees would be getting lower bonuses than they received in prior years.
“As we reviewed the outcomes, the commissioner emphasized the importance of ensuring that awards remain meaningful — particularly for strong performers across the 4-level,” Felix-Lawson wrote. “At his direction, and in partnership with our budget team, we have secured additional funding to supplement awards for employees rated 4.0 through 4.7.”
Previously, awards at the 4-level began at 0.5% of base salary. With this additional funding, they now range from 1.2% to 1.5%:
- 4.0: 1.2% of base salary
- 4.3: 1.3% of base salary
- 4.5: 1.4% of base salary
- 4.7: 1.5% of base salary
- 5.0: 2.0% of base salary (unchanged)
Felix-Lawson wrote that performance awards are discretionary and “are not guaranteed year to year and are not intended to mirror prior awards.” …
8 comments:
Old news. But can give COSS Frank credit for this. Former COSS O’Malley would NEVER have gone along with this.
"what the right hand giveth, the left hand taketh away"
Trump’s budget calls for 2027 pay freeze
Though the president’s fiscal 2027 budget proposal calls for a 7% pay raise for military service members, it fails to mention civilian federal employee compensation.
To put these figures in perspective, the federal government average is 2.4% for a Level 3 and 4.2% for Level 5. See https://www.opm.gov/chcoc/transmittals/2025/OPM%20Memo%20-%20Awards%20Guidance%208-11-2025.pdf, footnote 2.
Awesome! Now I can pay for my therapy.
Any mention of hazard pay?
My guess is that the midterms are fast approaching and Republicans are throwing money around to buy the electorate. (See BBB)
Lest anyone think this was generous: this merely brought awards into alignment with past years- after she and Frank lied and said we would all receive larger awards than in the past then distributed smaller ones.
Funny how last year they told Chief’s and Director’s they couldn’t give 5 ratings to rock star employees anymore (making some of them actually CHANGE our PACS ratings regardless of how well our projects were run). We can see right thru you Frankie, you’re only giving your idiot Doge Bros who break things the raises. What a disgrace!
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