Bonus Eligibility 

An eligible State employee may participate in a referral bonus by directly recommending an external candidate who is hired into an eligible position. To be eligible, the state employee must be employed by the state at the time the external candidate applies and must remain employed with the state during the candidate’s probationary period.

Referring and referred employees must complete their probationary periods for the referring employee to be eligible for the bonus.

The hiring agency is responsible for paying the bonus. To receive the referral bonus, the candidate must submit in writing to the agency’s human resources or hiring manager the name of the current, eligible State employee who referred the candidate to the position prior to hire.

A candidate may only claim one current, eligible State employee as the referring individual. Referral bonus amounts must be posted on the State Human Resources Division’s website.

Sign-on bonuses are one-time, lump-sum payments not to exceed the amount posted on the State Human Resources Division’s website. Sign-on bonuses are used to attract new permanent employees in business-critical roles.  A business-critical position is identified as a predetermined, strategic position or occupational group essential for fulfilling its unique function and mission in state government.  To qualify for a sign-on bonus, the applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Retain employment in the hired position for a minimum of one year;
• Employee is a new hire or a rehire not employed at the State within the last six months. 

Lateral transfers, demotions, promotions, and rehires employed during the last six months are not eligible for a sign-on bonus.  If an employee voluntarily does not retain employment in the hired position for a minimum of one year, the employee may be responsible for repaying the sign-on bonus.