494 Informal Award

494.1 Overview

Characteristics of this award are as follows:

 

Type

Who Is Eligible

Description

Approval Authority

Basis

Limit

Informal Award

All employees and contractors

Noncash tangible items, such as plaques, mugs, clothing, event tickets. (For prohibited items, see 491.332.)

Immediate supervisor

Recognizes a specific action or consistent performance of regular duties in an exemplary manner.

Less than $100 in value.

494.2 Purpose

The Informal Award provides a quick and simple method for recognizing employees and contractors who regularly perform duties beyond normal work requirements, or who have performed a specific exceptional task or action.

494.3 Description

The Informal Award is a noncash tangible item of less than $100 in value obtained or purchased locally, such as a plaque, coffee mug, an article of clothing, tickets to a specific entertainment event, or similar item. (Purchasing and reporting requirements pertaining to event tickets and noncash tangible items less than $100 in value are set forth in 491.331; prohibited purchases in 491.332.)

494.4 Eligibility

All employees and contractors are eligible to receive an Informal Award. Eligibility for the Informal Award is without regard to:

  1. Race, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity, including transgender status), national origin, religion, age (40 or over), genetic information, disability, or retaliation for engaging in EEO-protected activity as provided by law; or
  2. Other non-meritorious factors, such as political affiliation; marital status; status as a parent; and past, present, or future military service.

494.5 Basis

The basis for this award is an employee contribution (sustained performance or achievement). The employee must:

  1. Consistently perform regular duties in an exemplary manner; or
  2. Accomplish a specific act beyond the normal duties.

494.6 Approval Authority

The immediate supervisor is the approving official for the Informal Award.

494.7 Documentation

Management must track all informal awards presented to employees. If the aggregate amount of informal awards received by an employee during a calendar year meets or exceeds $100, the total amount of informal awards must be reported as income in eAwards under the appropriate noncash award category. (See 491.331b for reporting requirements.) The value of informal awards presented to contractors must never meet or exceed $100 in a calendar year.