The Central government has approved a 30-day Non-Productivity Linked Bonus (ad-hoc bonus) for eligible Group C and non-gazetted Group B employees for the accounting year 2025-26. This bonus applies to employees not covered by a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) scheme and aims to provide financial recognition based on service and emoluments.
- Eligible employees include Group C and non-gazetted Group B staff with at least six months of continuous service during 2025-26.
- The maximum bonus amount is ₹6,908, based on a monthly emoluments ceiling of ₹7,000.
- Bonus is calculated pro-rata for employees with service between six months and one year.
- Casual labourers meeting specific workday criteria may also qualify.
- Employees transferred between eligible government offices can combine service periods without breaks.
- Temporary and ad-hoc employees may qualify if service conditions are met.
- Special provisions exist for superannuated, medically retired, or deceased employees before March 31, 2026.
- Payments are generally made by the organization where the employee worked on March 31, 2026.
Who is eligible for the 2025-26 ad-hoc bonus?
Eligible employees are Group C and non-gazetted Group B staff who were in service on March 31, 2026, and completed at least six months of continuous service during the accounting year 2025-26. This includes personnel from Central Para Military Forces, Armed Forces, and certain Union Territory administrations. Temporary or ad-hoc employees may also qualify if they meet the service duration criteria.
How is the bonus amount calculated?
The bonus is based on average monthly emoluments or a ceiling of ₹7,000, whichever is lower. The calculation divides the monthly emoluments by 30.4 and multiplies by 30 days. For employees earning ₹7,000 or more, the bonus is ₹6,908. Employees with lower emoluments receive a proportionally lower amount. Payments are rounded to the nearest rupee.
Can employees with less than one year of service receive the bonus?
Yes. Employees with at least six months but less than one year of eligible service receive the bonus on a pro-rata basis. The calculation considers the number of months worked, rounded to the nearest month.
Do casual labourers qualify for the bonus?
Casual labourers who have worked at least 240 days annually for three or more years in offices with a six-day week, or 206 days annually for three or more years in offices with a five-day week, may qualify. Their bonus is calculated using monthly emoluments of ₹1,200 or the actual amount if lower, resulting in a maximum of ₹1,184 for 30 days.
How is service combined for employees transferred between departments?
Employees transferred between ministries, departments, or offices covered by the ad-hoc bonus orders can combine their eligible service periods, provided there is no break in service. This allows them to qualify for the bonus based on total continuous service.
What about employees who retired or passed away before March 31, 2026?
Employees who superannuated, retired due to medical invalidation, or died before March 31, 2026, may receive a pro-rata bonus if they completed at least six months of regular service during 2025-26. Other retirement or resignation cases are subject to specific conditions outlined in the official memorandum.
Are there any exclusions or special conditions?
Leave other than leave without pay generally counts towards eligibility, but extraordinary leave and dies non do not, although they do not break service continuity. Subsistence allowance during suspension is excluded from emoluments unless the employee is reinstated with emoluments. Employees deputed to other organizations usually receive bonuses from the borrowing organization’s scheme, not the lending department.
Who makes the bonus payment?
The payment is typically made by the organization where the employee was working on March 31, 2026. Special rules apply for employees moving between ad-hoc bonus and PLB schemes, as well as for re-employed pensioners, where eligibility is calculated separately for each employment period.
How is the bonus expenditure managed?
The expenditure for the bonus will be charged to the respective object head under the Department of Expenditure’s notification dated December 16, 2022. The amount will be covered by the sanctioned budget provisions of the concerned ministries and departments for the financial year 2026-27.
