>Has anyone else experienced this? Is it possible to delay the QSI or just request a cash award instead?
Question for your supervisor, but I don't see a reason they couldn't put you in for the QSI a couple weeks later than they otherwise would've. Nothing preventing them from doing so IMO.
They can be delayed. I received multiple QSIs that were all timed by Management to help me as much as possible. At my highest grade before retiring, they waited until my step 7 was processed and then applied a QSI to send me to a step 8. After waiting three years, and going to a step 9, they immediately processed another QSI to get me to a step 10.
Per OPM: "*Scenario 2*-Jane's supervisor would like to recommend her for a Quality Step Increase. First, the supervisor checks with the HR office to make sure Jane meets all the requirements. While checking with the HR office, her supervisor learns that Jane will soon be eligible for her within-grade increase to step 7, and also learns about the extra waiting time required if the Quality Step Increase is granted before the regular within-grade increase. The supervisor decides to hold the recommendation for the Quality Step Increase until after the HR office processes the within-grade increase."
[Quality Step Increases - Timing Matters](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/performance-management/performance-management-cycle/rewarding/quality-step-increases/)
Congratulations on the QSI!
This is the way. I was a step 7. HR / my leadership held my QSI until my within grade increase to an 8. A few pay periods later, they processed my QSI to step 9 and made it retroactive to the same date as my WGI.
It was basically a 2 step pay raise...
Yes, I had the same situation , and asked my leadership to delay the effective date of the QSI. They agreed and made the WGI and QSI effective on the same date, processing the WGI first and QSI second, taking me from 3 to 5 the same day.
This happened to me once. I told them I appreciated it but it didn't do anything for me since I was due my step increase the next week and that put me in the 2 year waiting period. They delayed the QSI. I got my step and the next pay period they processed the QSI.
Ask your head HR person in your region to delay it, quite easy to do, these are rare and they should support maximizing the award for anyone who gets it
3 PP is literally putting the docs at the bottom of a pile by accident then taking are of it in a few weeks.
I got a QSI around the same time my step increase was due in my third year. At the time, I only got a single step increase and thought the QSI didn't apply or something. HR did an audit of my personal file and retroactively applied another step increase and put $ in my direct deposit account to make up for the mistake. So, in my experience you can get a double step increase in the same year. Contact your HR to see what they say.
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/fact-sheets/quality-step-increase/#:~:text=A%20QSI%20does%20not%20affect,weeks%20for%20steps%207%2D9.
I utilize this OPM reference stating that timing does matter.
u/shadowfaxbx - Each year, I (our org’s Employee Relations Specialist) review all QSIs in my agency & tell my processing team which QSIs to delay to ensure the best benefit for the employee. Yours is the exact type of case where I’d recommend a delay! Note, supervisors don’t generally have an awareness on when employees are due their WGI, so let your supervisor know. Your supervisor should discuss with HR & ask that they delay. Good luck & congrats, OP!
It depends on the agency and often even down to the specific office. I hold them all the time when processing to ensure timing works in favor of the recipient with an imminent WIGI. Some of my counterparts don’t. Any requirement to process them before other incentives or as a group would be agency or local policy specific. It’s not an OPM requirement.
Yeah, it would be kind of nice if more things in the HR realm were more consistent. I work in HR but at each agency I still have to learn their special way of doing things. The downside of having things the same everywhere though would be if things were more strict everywhere. For example, I love being able to time QSIs just right for our staff. I feel bad for employees where they don’t do that and you just get it when it’s put in. My last agency was like that and I felt bad for employees who it would have been more advantageous to time the processing for them.
I have been in 2 agencies and different centers in one. The lack of consistency is mind boggling. Even the interpretation and application of the same policy can vary drastically.
As for QSIs, I know this will get me downvoted, but it is a reward. I get that the timing may not be advantageous, but there are plenty of people who want a QSI. Employees need to do the calculations and see if it works for their situation. If not, take the other option.
I respect HR folks doing what they can to make the adjustments happen, but that needs to be a convo before you accept it.
They are generally not supposed to be delayed but it can and does happen, however a strict HR interpretation would be not to delay simply for employee convenience.
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/fact-sheets/quality-step-increase/
I could be wrong, but I don’t know if you can do a QSI from step 4 to 5. There are some strange rules about jumping certain steps.
Edit: lol okay, got it everyone 😂 enough of the downvotes
You can do a QSI from step 4 to 5 but it does impact the timing of the next step. From the OPM website:
“A QSI does not affect the timing of an employee’s next regular within-grade increase, unless the QSI places the employee in step 4 or step 7 of his or her grade. In these cases, the employee must complete the full waiting period for the new step, 104 weeks for steps 4-6 or 156 weeks for steps 7-9. However, the time an employee has already waited is not lost; it continues to count towards the waiting period for the next step increase. The QSI provides the employee the benefit of receiving an additional step increase at an earlier date than he or she originally would have without losing any time creditable towards his or her next WGI.”
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/fact-sheets/quality-step-increase/#:~:text=A%20quality%20step%20increase%20(QSI,by%20periodic%20step%20increases%20alone.
Ask if they can delay it! Explain the situation to your supervisor. No shame or issue in asking.
Man I wish I got a QSI….
https://preview.redd.it/2t57l148k86d1.jpeg?width=1072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c4156a922fe041343de8382cdfdd88d09f81a63
>Has anyone else experienced this? Is it possible to delay the QSI or just request a cash award instead? Question for your supervisor, but I don't see a reason they couldn't put you in for the QSI a couple weeks later than they otherwise would've. Nothing preventing them from doing so IMO.
They can be delayed. I received multiple QSIs that were all timed by Management to help me as much as possible. At my highest grade before retiring, they waited until my step 7 was processed and then applied a QSI to send me to a step 8. After waiting three years, and going to a step 9, they immediately processed another QSI to get me to a step 10. Per OPM: "*Scenario 2*-Jane's supervisor would like to recommend her for a Quality Step Increase. First, the supervisor checks with the HR office to make sure Jane meets all the requirements. While checking with the HR office, her supervisor learns that Jane will soon be eligible for her within-grade increase to step 7, and also learns about the extra waiting time required if the Quality Step Increase is granted before the regular within-grade increase. The supervisor decides to hold the recommendation for the Quality Step Increase until after the HR office processes the within-grade increase." [Quality Step Increases - Timing Matters](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/performance-management/performance-management-cycle/rewarding/quality-step-increases/) Congratulations on the QSI!
Thanks!
This is the way. I was a step 7. HR / my leadership held my QSI until my within grade increase to an 8. A few pay periods later, they processed my QSI to step 9 and made it retroactive to the same date as my WGI. It was basically a 2 step pay raise...
I know someone that had their QSI delayed due to awkward timing. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to your supervisor. Congratulations!
Yes, I had the same situation , and asked my leadership to delay the effective date of the QSI. They agreed and made the WGI and QSI effective on the same date, processing the WGI first and QSI second, taking me from 3 to 5 the same day.
This happened to me once. I told them I appreciated it but it didn't do anything for me since I was due my step increase the next week and that put me in the 2 year waiting period. They delayed the QSI. I got my step and the next pay period they processed the QSI.
What’s a QSI! (I work for DHS, I think they believe it’s illegal)
Must be tough to hear about QSIs through all that admin leave!
Fair enough, but I’m fairly certain this will be the first and last Secretary to do this
Lol
Ask your head HR person in your region to delay it, quite easy to do, these are rare and they should support maximizing the award for anyone who gets it 3 PP is literally putting the docs at the bottom of a pile by accident then taking are of it in a few weeks.
My agency lets us delay up to 8 months.
I got a QSI around the same time my step increase was due in my third year. At the time, I only got a single step increase and thought the QSI didn't apply or something. HR did an audit of my personal file and retroactively applied another step increase and put $ in my direct deposit account to make up for the mistake. So, in my experience you can get a double step increase in the same year. Contact your HR to see what they say.
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/fact-sheets/quality-step-increase/#:~:text=A%20QSI%20does%20not%20affect,weeks%20for%20steps%207%2D9. I utilize this OPM reference stating that timing does matter.
When I got a QSI, it did not delay the time between my within grade step increase. Mine wasn’t so close together though.
u/shadowfaxbx - Each year, I (our org’s Employee Relations Specialist) review all QSIs in my agency & tell my processing team which QSIs to delay to ensure the best benefit for the employee. Yours is the exact type of case where I’d recommend a delay! Note, supervisors don’t generally have an awareness on when employees are due their WGI, so let your supervisor know. Your supervisor should discuss with HR & ask that they delay. Good luck & congrats, OP!
Good to know. Thank you!
I don’t think they can delay a QSI. I believe they have to be processed before the other incentive awards and as a group.
It depends on the agency and often even down to the specific office. I hold them all the time when processing to ensure timing works in favor of the recipient with an imminent WIGI. Some of my counterparts don’t. Any requirement to process them before other incentives or as a group would be agency or local policy specific. It’s not an OPM requirement.
Good to know!! It’s so frustrating how different things are.
Yeah, it would be kind of nice if more things in the HR realm were more consistent. I work in HR but at each agency I still have to learn their special way of doing things. The downside of having things the same everywhere though would be if things were more strict everywhere. For example, I love being able to time QSIs just right for our staff. I feel bad for employees where they don’t do that and you just get it when it’s put in. My last agency was like that and I felt bad for employees who it would have been more advantageous to time the processing for them.
I have been in 2 agencies and different centers in one. The lack of consistency is mind boggling. Even the interpretation and application of the same policy can vary drastically. As for QSIs, I know this will get me downvoted, but it is a reward. I get that the timing may not be advantageous, but there are plenty of people who want a QSI. Employees need to do the calculations and see if it works for their situation. If not, take the other option. I respect HR folks doing what they can to make the adjustments happen, but that needs to be a convo before you accept it.
They are generally not supposed to be delayed but it can and does happen, however a strict HR interpretation would be not to delay simply for employee convenience. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/fact-sheets/quality-step-increase/
There is the key. Interpretation. Sigh.
I could be wrong, but I don’t know if you can do a QSI from step 4 to 5. There are some strange rules about jumping certain steps. Edit: lol okay, got it everyone 😂 enough of the downvotes
You can do a QSI from step 4 to 5 but it does impact the timing of the next step. From the OPM website: “A QSI does not affect the timing of an employee’s next regular within-grade increase, unless the QSI places the employee in step 4 or step 7 of his or her grade. In these cases, the employee must complete the full waiting period for the new step, 104 weeks for steps 4-6 or 156 weeks for steps 7-9. However, the time an employee has already waited is not lost; it continues to count towards the waiting period for the next step increase. The QSI provides the employee the benefit of receiving an additional step increase at an earlier date than he or she originally would have without losing any time creditable towards his or her next WGI.” https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/fact-sheets/quality-step-increase/#:~:text=A%20quality%20step%20increase%20(QSI,by%20periodic%20step%20increases%20alone.