[Retention of Quality Step Increase]

An advance decision was requested by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the propriety of withdrawing a quality step increase awarded to an employee of the Social Security Administration (SSA). At issue was whether a quality step increase may be withdrawn when an employee subsequently files a claim for backpay for an overlong detail and departmental regulations governing backpay state that quality step increases effected during an overlong detail must be withdrawn. In processing the employee's retroactive promotion, the agency canceled his quality step increase, because receipt of such an increase while serving on a temporary promotion was considered a violation of HHS policy and SSA personnel guidelines. In response to the employee's objection to the cancellation of the step increase, HHS argued that: (1) SSA regulations prohibit the award of a quality step increase while an employee serves on an overlong detail; and (2) the increase was not properly awarded. GAO found that the award of the quality step increase did not violate either the applicable statute or personnel or agency regulations. Accordingly, the quality step increase may not be canceled.