 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
What kind of awards can I nominate an employee for?
Regulations provide for four forms of awards that can be given to Federal employees: lump-sum cash awards, honorary awards, informal recognition awards, and time off awards. For more information, reference the Departmental Personnel Manual (DPM) Letter number 451-8 pages 5 through 11 for descriptions of types of awards.
Am I limited on the amount for cash awards?
Yes. Operating Administrations are authorized to grant cash awards for any amount up to $10,000 per individual. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must approve any cash award over $10,000. For awards over $25,000, the President must approve the amount over $25,000. Specific types of awards have amount restrictions (see DPM Letter number 451-8).
What kind of informal recognition awards can I give?
Informal recognition awards are a type of award that may be given to recognize performance that, taken alone, does not merit a larger award, such as cash, time-off, or an honorary award. Agencies are finding that they can effectively and efficiently achieve many of the goals of a recognition and incentive award program by providing more frequent, timely, and informal recognition of employee and group contributions. Because these informal recognition awards are intended to recognize contributions of lesser scope that might otherwise go unrecognized, they are subject to fairly general criteria. See answer to the next question for more information on informal awards.
Can I give gift certificates or saving bonds as awards?
Agencies may present such certificates and vouchers if they are being used as informal recognition awards. Merchant gift certificates should not be confused with cash surrogates (which are vouchers or checks that can be easily and widely redeemable for cash, not merchandise). Gift certificates usually are given when the intent is to give some thing but let the recipient make the final choice. Merchandise certificates cannot meet a cash surrogate's criterion of being easily negotiable because of limitations on where, how, and for what they may be redeemed. Gift certificates fail to meet the criteria for honorary awards because they convey a clear monetary value and cannot be characterized as symbolizing the employer-employee relationship. Consequently, the only circumstance where a gift certificate may be used to recognize an employee contribution is as an informal recognition award, which may not exceed nominal value. Agencies also need to be aware that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers gift certificates to be taxable fringe benefits that must be taxed on their fair market value. The face value of a gift certificate would be considered its fair market value. OPM has determined that U.S. Savings Bonds have distinctive, positive qualities that make them appropriate recognition items. Despite the fact that U.S. Savings Bonds clearly convey a sense of monetary value, a savings bond must be considered a form of honorary award since it is a Federal contract that must be purchased and held for a minimum of 6 months before it can be redeemed. Its "failure" to meet the honorary award criterion regarding a sense of monetary value need not preclude its use. The other criteria are met since its minimum 6-month holding period gives it some lasting value, it certainly can be considered symbolic of the employee-employer relationship for any Federal employee, and it is appropriate to the public sector. Consequently, the Office of Personnel Management has concluded that a savings bond may be used as an honorary award. When of nominal value, a savings bond also can be used as an informal recognition award since it meets the required criteria. We consider savings bonds to be a special case, however, and expect that all the criteria for using items as honorary awards and informal recognition awards will be applied in other cases. Agencies also need to be aware that the IRS considers savings bonds to be taxable on their fair market value. The cost of a savings bond would be considered its fair market value. Where can I go to get the latest information on awards?
The human resource (HR) specialist assigned to your organization can provide you with the latest Federal, Department or Administration award information. To get the contact of the HR specialist, access the following site: Awards & Recognition Program
In addition, the following OPM sites have the latest information on awards as well as additional answers to frequently asked questions:
General Awards: http://www.opm.gov/perform/faqs/genawrds.htm
Awards Information: http://www.opm.gov/perform/faqs/awrdinfo.htm
Honorary Awards and Information Recognition Awards: http://www.opm.gov/perform/faqs/informal.htm
Time-off Awards: http://www.opm.gov/perform/faqs/timeoff.htm
Awards Limitations: http://www.opm.gov/perform/faqs/awardlmt.htm
|
|||||||||
