District of Columbia Code
Subchapter IX - Bonus Pay and Special Awards Pay
§ 1–551.03. Bonus pay and special awards pay; Performance Based Rewards Program

(a) In order to use funds for bonus pay or special awards pay, a District agency, department, unit, or instrumentality shall establish a Performance Based Rewards Program ("Program") that is approved by the personnel authority for the relevant agency, department, unit, or instrumentality.
(b) A Program established pursuant to this subchapter shall include detailed regulations for the payment of bonus pay or special awards pay to employees that, at a minimum:
(1) Limit the authorization period for bonus pay and special awards pay to the fourth quarter of the fiscal year;
(2) Limit the issuance of bonus pay or special awards pay to a one-time basis, without any promise or suggestion of continuing payments;
(3) Limit the issuance of bonus pay or special awards pay to employees on an individual basis, and not to a group or class of employees unless each of the employees in the group or class individually warrants such payment;
(4) Require any issuance of bonus pay or special awards pay to be based on performance, with the employee having exceeded the expectations of the supervisor or employer;
(5) Require that an employee have had a performance evaluation, in writing, no earlier than 90 days before the issuance of a bonus pay or special awards pay;
(6) Require written justification for the bonus pay or special awards pay by the employee's immediate supervisor or the head of the agency, department, unit, or instrumentality;
(7) Cap the amount of bonus pay or special awards pay that can be received at 10% of the employee's base rate of pay or, for an employee paid at an hourly rate, an amount not to exceed 10% of the employee's wages for the 12 months preceding the award; and
(8) Limit the availability of any bonus pay or special awards pay to one payment per calendar year and prohibit an employee from receiving bonus pay and special awards pay within the same calendar year.
(c) Any Program for an Executive branch agency, department, unit, or instrumentality, including an independent agency, shall be approved by the District of Columbia Human Resources Department before its implementation.
(d) This section shall not apply to the Council, the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor, and the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.
(Oct. 8, 2016, D.C. Law 21-160, § 1003, 63 DCR 10775; Dec. 13, 2017, D.C. Law 22-33, § 1072(b), 64 DCR 7652.)
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 1072(b) of Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2017 (D.C. Act 22-167, Oct. 24, 2017, 64 DCR 10802).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 1072(b) of Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2017 (D.C. Act 22-104, July 20, 2017, 64 DCR 7032).

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