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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Indian Health Manual

Personnel Delegation #41

Personnel Delegation #41

September 19, 2018

TO: Addressees
FROM: Director
SUBJECT: Delegation of Authority, Personnel #41, "To Approve Recruitment, Relocation, and Retention Incentives"

AUTHORITY DELEGATED

Pursuant to the authority delegated to the Director, Indian Health Service (IHS) by the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management on September 7, 2007, I hereby delegate the following authorities:

  1. Approve individual recruitment incentives of up to 25% of the candidate’s base pay per year up to a maximum of four years.
  2. Approve individual relocation incentives of up to 25% of the employee’s base pay per year up to a maximum of four years. (Relocation incentives are not to be confused with relocation expense allowances.)
  3. Approve individual initial retention incentives of up to 25% of base pay.
  4. Approve individual renewals of retention incentives of up to 25% of base pay.
  5. Terminate service agreements and incentive payments.

TO WHOM DELEGATED

Principal Deputy Director
Deputy Director
Deputy Director for Management Operations
Chief Medical Officer
Deputy Director for Quality Health Care
Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Affairs
Deputy Director for Field Operations
Area Directors

AUTHORITY TO REDELEGATE

The authorities delegated in the first paragraph above may be redelegated with the following restrictions:

  1. Approving official must be an SES employee or their equivalent.
  2. Approving official must be at least one level above the recommending official in all cases except when the IHS Director is the recommending official.

AUTHORITY RETAINED BY THE IHS DIRECTOR

The IHS Director retains authority for all group recruitment and relocation incentives, and for group retention incentives not exceeding the 10% limitation.

AUTHORITY RETAINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION

  1. To recommend to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) individual incentive requests that exceed the 25% limitation.
  2. To recommend to OPM group retention incentives that exceed the 10% limitation.

INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE

  1. Positions that are filled through direct-hire authority or have a Title 5 or Title 38 special salary rate are automatically deemed hard-to-fill positions.
  2. The authorization to pay a recruitment or relocation incentive must be made before the prospective employee enters on duty.
  3. Succession plans are required for retention incentive requests.
  4. For GS employees, payment of these incentives is subject to the aggregate limitation on pay in a calendar year, which may not exceed the rate of pay of Level I of the Executive Schedule.
  5. For SES employees, payment of these incentives may not exceed the rate payable to the Vice President at the end of the calendar year.
  6. Headquarters Office Directors must serve as the recommending official for any incentives requests for employees within their respective offices, and submit to their respective senior staff member for approval.
  7. All incentives must be monitored at the Headquarters Office and IHS Area level to ensure compliance with policies, regulations, and law. The Office of Human Resources will conduct periodic assessments on the use of incentives across IHS.

AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES

  1. Title 5 U.S.C. Sections 5753 Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  and 5754 Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 
  2. Title 5 CFR Parts 530 Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  and 575 Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 
  3. Office of Personnel Management Information Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov : "Office of Personnel Management Pay and Leave: Recruitment, and Retention Incentives"
  4. HHS Instruction 575-1 Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov , "Office of Personnel Management Pay & Leave: Recruitment, Relocation, & Retention Incentives." dated September 30, 2013

SUPERSEDURE

Delegation of Authority, Personnel #41, "To Approve Recruitment and Relocation Bonuses and Retention Allowances," dated January 21, 2009.

EFFECTIVE DATE

This delegation is effective upon date of signature.

/Michael D. Weahkee/
RADM Michael D. Weahkee, MBA, MHSA
Assistant Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service
Acting Director
Indian Health Service

Addressees:
Deputy Director
Deputy Director for Management Operations
Chief Medical Officer
Deputy Director for Quality Health Care
Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Affairs
Deputy Director for Field Operations
Area Directors