The Centre has approved a 30-day non-productivity-linked (ad-hoc) bonus for eligible Central government employees for the accounting year 2025-26. The bonus is calculated using a monthly emoluments ceiling of ₹7,000, translating into a maximum payout of ₹6,908 for 30 days when an employee’s average monthly emoluments meet or exceed the ceiling. Employees with lower average emoluments will receive a lower amount.
The Department of Expenditure, under the Ministry of Finance, issued the office memorandum on 15 October 2026, conveying the President’s sanction for the bonus. The approval covers Group C employees and non-gazetted Group B employees who are not covered by a productivity-linked bonus scheme.
Eligible personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces and the Armed Forces are also covered. The order extends to employees of Union Territory administrations that follow the Central government’s emolument structure and are not covered by another bonus or ex-gratia scheme.
Who is eligible for the ad-hoc bonus?
Central government employees must have completed at least six months of continuous service during 2025-26 to qualify. Under the general eligibility rule, they must also have been in service on 31 March 2026.
who completed between six months and one year of eligible service will receive the bonus on a pro-rata basis. The eligible period is calculated in months, rounded to the nearest whole month.
The memorandum’s annexure clarifies that certain employees who retired or died before 31 March 2026 can also qualify. As a special case, employees who superannuated, retired on medical invalidation or died before that date are eligible for a proportionate bonus if they had completed at least six months of regular service during the year.
Employees on deputation to state governments, Union Territory administrations or public sector undertakings are not eligible to receive the bonus from their parent Central government departments. The borrowing organisation is responsible for payment, depending on the bonus, productivity-linked bonus, ex-gratia or incentive scheme applicable there. Employees transferred between eligible Central government offices without a break in service can count their combined service for eligibility.
How is the ₹6,908 bonus calculated?
The bonus is calculated using the lower of the employee’s average monthly emoluments and the prescribed monthly ceiling of ₹7,000. The applicable monthly amount is divided by 30.4, the average number of days in a month, to arrive at the one-day bonus. This is then multiplied by the number of bonus days granted.
For an employee whose average monthly emoluments are at least ₹7,000, the calculation for 30 days is:
- Monthly calculation ceiling: ₹7,000
- Bonus period: 30 days
- Calculation: ₹7,000 × 30 ÷ 30.4
- Bonus payable: ₹6,908, rounded to the nearest rupee.
An employee whose average monthly emoluments are below ₹7,000 will have the bonus calculated using the lower actual amount. Those who have completed only six months or another eligible period shorter than a year will receive a proportionate payment.
What bonus will eligible casual labourers receive?
The memorandum also covers casual labourers who meet specified work requirements. Those working in offices that follow a six-day week must have worked at least 240 days in each year for three years or more. For offices following a five-day week, the requirement is at least 206 days in each year for three years or more.
Eligible casual labourers will receive a bonus calculated using a monthly ceiling of ₹1,200. For 30 days, the calculation is ₹1,200 × 30 ÷ 30.4, which works out to ₹1,184 after rounding. If their actual monthly emoluments are below ₹1,200, the bonus will be calculated using their actual emoluments instead.
The annexure further clarifies that casual labourers’ eligibility can be assessed by combining qualifying workdays across multiple Central government offices, provided they have not already earned and received a , ex-gratia payment or incentive for those days. It also provides for certain casual labourers regularised during the accounting year to qualify under the casual-labour rules if the combined period of regular service and casual work meets the specified requirement.
The expenditure on the bonus will be met from the sanctioned budget provisions of the respective ministries and departments for the financial year 2026-27. The memorandum also states that under the order will be rounded to the nearest rupee.