Before paying retention incentives under this subpart, an agency must establish a retention incentive plan. This plan must include the following elements:

The designation of officials with authority to review and approve payment of retention incentives, subject to paragraph (b) of this section;

The categories of employees who are prohibited from receiving retention incentives;

Required documentation for determining that an employee would be likely to leave the Federal service;

Any requirements for determining the amount of a retention incentive;

The payment methods that may be authorized;

Requirements governing service agreements which, at a minimum, must include—

The criteria for determining the length of a service period under a service agreement;

The conditions for terminating a service agreement;

The obligations of the agency if the agency terminates a service agreement; and

The conditions for terminating retention incentive payments when no service agreement is required (see § 575.310(f)); and

Documentation and recordkeeping requirements sufficient to allow reconstruction of the action and fulfill the requirements of §§ 575.312 and 575.313.

Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, an authorized agency official who is at least one level higher than the employee's (or group of employees') supervisor must review and approve each determination to pay a retention incentive to an individual or group of employees, unless there is no official at a higher level in the agency. The authorized agency official must review and approve the retention incentive determination before the agency pays the incentive to the employee.

The higher level approval required by paragraph (b)(1) of this section is not needed when approving coverage of individual employees under a previously approved group retention incentive authorization.

Unless the head of the agency determines otherwise, an agency retention incentive plan must apply uniformly across the agency.