Awards
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The Special Achievement Award (SAA award) is earned by patent examiners for 110% of expected production and at least satisfactory level performance in the other elements over four consecutive quarters. For others in the bargaining unit, the award is earned for performance at the outstanding level in at least 50% of all critical elements with the rest being at least satisfactory according to the employee’s Performance Appraisal Plan (PAP) over four consecutive quarters. The base amount of the award shall be 3% of the employee’s base per annum salary as of the end of the award period provided the employee has spent at least 1400 hours performing the job function. The award will be prorated for at least 700 hours but less than 1400 hours.
GAINSHARING AWARD
The Gainsharing Award allows a patent examiner to earn 2% – 7% of the employee’s salary based on the employee’s end of fiscal year performance. It has recently been updated to expand the award levels. For other bargaining unit members, the amount of the award is dependent upon the total numerical score (maximum 500) of the employee’s performance elements for the fiscal year. NOTE: The hours worked in an employee’s first year are not counted towards the time requirement in order to qualify for the Gainsharing Award.
2009 update (see # 4)
2023 Modified Gainsharing Award MOU
Modified Gainsharing Pilot FAQs
PENDENCY (DOCKET MANAGEMENT) AWARD
The Pendency Award allows an examiner to earn 0.25%-0.75% per quarter for docket management performance as well as a supplemental payment of 0.5%-1.0% payable at the end of the second quarter of the fiscal year.
Pendency (Docket Management) Award (updated June 2023)
Yearly Update to Pendency Award, Completed 4/21/2016
Docket Management CSI PAP MOU A
Docket Management CSI PAP memo A
OCIO AND OCFO AWARDS
POPA bargaining unit members in OCFO and OCIO are eligible for performance awards and annual organizational incentive awards in lieu of the gainsharing award available to other bargaining unit members. The organizational incentive awards are negotiated annually and will be posted here as they become available.
OCFO Supplemental Awards Agreement (2015)
OCIO Supplemental Awards Agreement (2015)
FY 2023 OCIO Supplemental Award MOU
FY 2024 OCFO Organization-wide Goal Performance Awards Agreement