http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gao-executives-got-bonuses-as-others-were-denied-raises-2007-06-08.html GAO executives got bonuses as others were denied raises
By Kelly McCormack
June 08, 2007
While the Government Accountability Office (GAO) contended with controversy surrounding a pay-for-performance system that denied nearly 17 percent of its employees cost-of-living increases last year, 72 senior executives and senior-level employees received bonuses totaling more than $900,000 in fiscal year 2006, according to information obtained by The Hill.
Although Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data is not yet available to compare the agency’s extras to those awarded in executive-branch agencies, 63.7 percent of eligible personnel received performance-based bonuses as of March 2007, according to a letter from the agency head to several lawmakers.
At a hearing late last month, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) petitioned Walker to outline bonuses he awarded to his senior executive service (SES) and senior-level (SL) staff. She was concerned that senior-level employees received bonuses, while other employees did not receive annual adjustments for inflation or locality pay.
In fiscal 2006, bonuses for the senior executives and senior-level workers totaled $901,700. The previous year, bonuses totaled $837,350, according to the documents. However, documents did not include special GAO awards, retention allowances or bonuses received by retired SES employees, several GAO employees confirmed. At a minimum, SES employees make more than $110,000 a year, a GAO spokeswoman said.
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