… [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.” …
15 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!
Never happened in my division. Everyone got all 5s.
Sending out self-congratulatory emails about giving bonuses at 2% of base for the very top performers is insulting. That is less than the average 2.4% given to fed employees getting straight 3s. Does not even cover a month of extra expenses from RTO.
FUNNY my manager said no one will ever get all 5’s and laughed about it…..
As a manager I don’t like that expectations continue to grow which in effect erases the ability to give level 5.
Participation. You are a CS. Now you are answering 800# 1-2 days a week. Working reception. Answering Area phones. You no longer have time to work your claims. None of those “other” things count towards “exceeds expectation” (level 5) because they are expected.
Achieves business results. Again, no time to work on your own work. Your clearances may but up because increased demand. But it’s all part of what’s expected. No chance to exceeds expectation (i.e. taking extra claims) when you don’t even have time to do your own.
And then not to mention we are pissed about the agency changing the rules regarding performance awards after the fact. We applied the standards based on one set of rules and then you changed them after.
I think JUST like our salaries being public I think the awards and your pacs review #’s should be public also. Local management has lied to us my whole career and to find out a T2 CR who has been there for 5 year in our office got one of the highest ratings surpassing VERY senior people who are concurrent 3x the experience 2x the employee. Once management was confronted their anger and reply “you are not supposed to share”. Local management has zero accountability these reviews are 100% opinion!
My office was also told that no one would get 5 stars.
I mean we lost 7k employees...there was certainly a little bit more money to go around
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