Item 1: employee and service period
The employee's name, the minimum number of months of service, the starting and ending pay period numbers, the date of appointment or assignment and the end date.
GSA3688
Employee's Service Agreement for Receipt of a Recruitment Incentive
- Agency
- GSA
- Revision
- Rev. 1/2021
- Fillable fields
- 39
- Pages
- 2
- Official source
- GSA form page
- Checked
- October 20, 2026
GSA Form 3688: Employee's Service Agreement for Receipt of a Recruitment Incentive
GSA Form 3688, Employee's Service Agreement for Receipt of a Recruitment Incentive, is a U.S. General Services Administration form. Its footer reads GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, GSA 3688 (REV. 1/2021), and GSA's page lists the authority as HRM 9575.1 CHGE 1. GSA hosts it in its forms library.
The agreement is written in the first person for the employee. In item 1 the employee states that, in order to be paid a Recruitment Incentive under 5 U.S.C. § 5753 and 5 C.F.R. Part 575, Subpart A, they agree to complete a minimum period of months of service with the U.S. General Services Administration. It is an internal GSA personnel agreement, not a form the public files.
The 10 numbered items cover the service period, the incentive amount, how it is paid, when the agreement ends and when money is repaid. Its only signature line is the employee's. You can fill it out free in your browser on this page and download the result without an account.
What's on GSA Form 3688
Item 2: incentive amount
The incentive payment amount in dollars and the percentage of the employee's basic rate of pay it represents.
Item 3: how it is paid
An initial lump sum, installments through the service period, a final lump sum at the end, or a combination. A table holds installment dates and amounts for options b and d.
Items 4 and 5: when the agreement ends
Termination for the agency's management needs, and termination on demotion or separation for cause, a rating of record below Meets Performance Expectations or failure to fulfill the terms.
Items 6 to 9: payments after termination
What the employee receives, keeps or repays when the agreement ends under 5 C.F.R. § 575.111(a) or (b), pro rata repayment for an incomplete period, and how amounts due are recovered.
Item 10 and signature
The rule for involuntary separation for reasons other than misconduct or unacceptable performance, then the employee's signature and date.
How to complete GSA Form 3688
- 1
Fill in item 1
Enter the employee's name, the minimum months of service, the starting pay period number and date of appointment or assignment, and the ending pay period number and date.
- 2
Enter the amount in item 2
Write the incentive payment amount in dollars and the percentage of the basic rate of pay it represents.
- 3
Pick a payment method in item 3
Choose a, b, c or d. For installments, the form says the timing of the installment payments must be specified. For options b or d, use the table and attach additional pages as necessary.
- 4
Read items 4 to 10
These items set out when the agreement may be terminated and what is paid, kept or repaid in each case.
- 5
Sign and date
The employee signs and dates the agreement at the bottom of the back page.
Why fill Form GSA3688 on indox
You get the real form, filled in a browser tab, with nothing standing between you and the finished PDF.
- Fill the form right in your browser, no software to install
- Free to fill and free to download, with no account
- The official blank straight from the GSA, not a copy someone retyped
- Works on a phone, tablet or computer
Authority and terms printed on the form
Where it goes
The PDF gives no filing address or routing, and prints no OMB number or Privacy Act notice.
Authority
Item 1 cites 5 U.S.C. § 5753 and 5 C.F.R. Part 575, Subpart A. Items 6 and 7 cite 5 C.F.R. § 575.111(a) and (b) and section 6 of HRM 9575.1 CHGE 1, which GSA's page also lists.
Repayment
Item 8 says that if the period of employment is not completed, for reasons unacceptable to the agency, the bonus is repaid on a pro rata basis, with credit for each full month of employment completed.
Recovery of amounts due
Item 9 says amounts due to the agency may be withheld from any monies owed by the Government, or recovered by other methods approved by law.
Related forms
GSA3689
Employee's Service Agreement for Receipt of a Relocation Incentive
40 fields, 2 pages
GSA3690
Employee's Service Agreement for Receipt of a Retention Incentive
36 fields, 2 pages
GSA3691
Student Loan Repayment Program - Loan Information and Verification
18 fields, 2 pages
GSA3692
Student Loan Repayment Service Agreement
14 fields, 2 pages
Who uses GSA Form 3688?
The form names these parties. It prints no filing address or routing.
Official sources and the blank
Do it all with indox
No tool matches that search.
Questions about Form GSA3688
Who issues GSA Form 3688?
The footer reads GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, GSA 3688 (REV. 1/2021). GSA hosts it in its forms library, and GSA's page lists the authority as HRM 9575.1 CHGE 1.
Who signs GSA Form 3688?
The form has one signature line, for the employee, with a date. It is written in the first person for the employee receiving the recruitment incentive.
What payment options does the form list?
An initial lump sum at the start of the service period, installments throughout it, a final lump sum on completion of the full period, or a combination of these, explained on the form.
When does the form say the agreement is terminated?
Item 5 says it is terminated on demotion or separation for cause, a rating of record of less than Meets Performance Expectations or its equivalent, or failure to fulfill its terms. Item 4 says management may also end it based solely on the agency's needs.
How does the form say repayment is calculated?
Item 8 says the bonus is repaid on a pro rata basis, with credit given for each full month of employment specified in the service agreement that is completed.
What does the form say about involuntary separation?
Item 10 says that after involuntary separation from the Federal Government, for reasons other than misconduct or unacceptable performance, the employee will not be required to repay monies for any unfulfilled period of time identified in item 1.