POLICY NO: 3-30
VCCS POLICY NO: N/A 
EFFECTIVE DATE: 04/01/2002
REVISED DATE: 04/24/2018

  1. Purpose:

    To acknowledge the significant role that recognition and retention incentives can play in the success of the college and to provide guidelines for the establishment and implementation of recognition and exceptional retention incentive options/initiatives for full-time administrative, professional, and teaching faculty; adjunct faculty; classified employees; and wage employees at the college.

  2. Definitions:

    Employee: full-time administrative, professional, and 9-, 10- and 12-month teaching faculty; adjunct faculty; classified employees; and wage employees.

    Exceptional retention incentives options: established programs to assist the college with significant recruitment and employee retention problems that are critical to the college’s strategic mission and ongoing operations, which are in accordance with the annual Human Resource Delegated Authority Agreement signed between the president and the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) chancellor, and which consist of: sign-on bonus program; referral bonus program; retention bonus; project-based incentive bonus; and additional annual leave.

    De minimis: non-monetary awards or non-refundable gift certificates valued at fifty dollars ($50) or less.

    Formal recognition (non-monetary, monetary, and/or leave awards): programs which are characterized by high profile, college-wide, VCCS, or state events that occur at least annually, and which are used to acknowledge achievement of staff and employee contributions to the college, state government, or national professional organizations (e.g., Annual Reynolds Community College Awards Program, SCHEV nominations, college service awards, state employee service awards, State Employee Suggestion Program, Combined Virginia Campaign volunteer, the reward and recognition component of the college’s Development and Evaluation Plan for Full-time Teaching Faculty, etc.).

    Immediate recognition (non-monetary awards): actions or activities designed to provide recognition at any time for demonstration of behaviors and values of the college, for contributions to the goals and objectives of the college or the work unit, and to acknowledge individual or team accomplishments (e.g., verbal appreciation, written accolades, small novelty items, or other such awards deemed to be “de minimis” in value as described by IRS Standards, etc.).

    Planned recognition (non-monetary and/or leave awards): programs which are characterized by pre-arranged, more frequently scheduled ways of acknowledging contributions and accomplishments of an individual or team, and of which are less formal and provides more frequent opportunities to recognize staff and employees in the work unit, department, or division throughout the year (e.g., employee of the month, week, or quarter; attendance, safety, customer service or productivity recognition; outstanding achievement or special project recognition, etc.).

    Recognition leave: up to five (5) workdays per calendar year of leave with pay awarded to full-time salaried (non-wage) employees as a recipient of a college planned or formal recognition program and which will lapse after a period of one year from the time it is awarded.

    Special recognition award: awards designated by the president.

    Taxable non-refundable gift certificates: cash or cash equivalent items for any amount provided by the employer that are redeemable for “general merchandise”, i.e., Mastercard, Visa, Discover, American Express, etc., or certificates provided by the employer that allow an employee to receive a “specific item of personal property or for personal consumption” that exceeds fifty dollars ($50) in value, i.e., department store gift cards, restaurant gift cards, theatre/movie gift cards, etc., and the type which are non-refundable and taxable to the employee in accordance to IRS standards.

  3. Policy:

    1. Each administrative and organizational unit is strongly encouraged to develop and implement ongoing employee appreciation and recognition activities and programs. College recognition programs shall include a variety of immediate recognition, planned recognition, and formal recognition programs.

    2. The college and individual administrative and organizational units, including college committees, shall actively promote and communicate recognition programs to all employees. Communication of recognition programs shall include: criteria, process for selection of award recipient(s), identification of person(s) responsible for selecting award recipients, description of award, and manner of presentation.

    3. The college shall hold an annual event to formally present state service and college service awards, and special recognition awards to college employees.

    4. Special recognition awards designated by the president may be provided in the form of individual awards (i.e., Annual Reynolds Community College Awards Program) or collegewide awards (i.e., college-wide bonus payments). Special recognition awards may include non-monetary, monetary, and/or leave awards as designated by the college president.

    5. Guidance and development of recognition programs:

      1. The president shall direct the development and implementation of all formal college recognition programs.

      2. Administrative and organizational unit managers are responsible for the development and implementation of immediate and planned college recognition programs in their respective work units. The college’s Office of Human Resources shall provide assistance and direction as needed. Administrative and organizational unit managers shall ensure that a copy of every planned college recognition program is submitted to the Office of Human Resources prior to implementation.

      3. College-wide special recognition awards, such as college-wide bonus payments, are to be detailed in a separate plan by the president and the vice president of finance and administration. This plan must be forwarded to the Office of Human Resources for review. The Office of Human Resources shall submit the plan to the VCCS Human Resource Services office for approval prior to the distribution of bonus payments.

    6. Administrative and organizational units shall fund the costs of their individual unit’s immediate and planned recognition programs. Funding for recognition programs should be included in each unit’s annual budget process. Units may purchase non-monetary awards and items to be used for staff and employee recognition in accordance with state purchasing guidelines and Shared Services Center guidelines, which may require thirty (30) days advance approval.

    7. Any member of the President’s Executive Cabinet may request use of any of the exceptional retention incentive options as a result of current operational concerns. In consultation with the associate vice president of human resources, the written request is to be provided to the Budget Office for funding approval, and subsequently to the vice president of finance and administration and the president. Final approval is also required by the VCCS chancellor. Retention incentive options are funded via college-wide funds unless otherwise indicated by the president.

  4. Procedures

    1. Recognition guidelines

      1. Criteria: Reasons for recognizing employees include but are not limited to the following:

        • providing exceptional customer service
        • identifying areas of monetary savings
        • exemplifying college values
        • identifying a process improvement
        • initiating productivity enhancements
        • being innovative and/or creative
        • performing a special act or service above normal duties
        • improving safety in the workplace
        • identifying loss-prevention methods

      2. Recognition principles: Faculty, staff, managers, supervisors, and administrators will use the following guiding principles when considering employee recognition:

        • Every employee deserves some form of appreciation throughout the year, even if only a verbal or written thank you from a supervisor.

        • In order for recognition to be meaningful, it must be linked to desired behavior, be timely, and should only be given to those who have exhibited the highest standards of performance and accomplishment.

        • Awards are not meant to be presented in the privacy of an employee’s office. A special meeting for the occasion or presentation at a staff meeting should be used to enhance the impact of the award.

        • Generally, the nature of the reward is less important than the gesture of recognizing the employee.

        • Recognition should take into account what is meaningful to the person being recognized.

        • Every employee has a responsibility to ensure that actions, which merit recognition, are brought to the attention of a supervisor. A supervisor acts as an objective monitor to evaluate his or her staff’s accomplishments.

        • Recognition should never become an entitlement or expected compensation.

        • Both team and individual recognition are important.

        • For cross-functional, inter-departmental teams, supervisors and administrators must ensure that any rewards and recognition given are consistent and equitable for all team members.

      3. Types of recognition: The college will utilize four (4) categories of recognition: immediate, planned, formal recognition, and college-wide special recognition awards.

        1. Immediate: Immediate recognition awards are also considered “on-the-spot” awards or “appreciation” awards. There are usually no pre-arranged criteria for these types of awards; however, the intent is to provide recognition for extraordinary individual or team efforts and/or achievements. Awards for immediate recognition are limited to non-monetary awards and those considered as “de minimis” by IRS standards. Supervisors, administrators, and constituency group leaders may choose ideas for this level of award from the following list:

          • verbal appreciation
          • written accolades/letter of commendation
          • coffee and doughnuts or bagels and juice during office hours
          • “pot luck” breakfast/lunch for employees
          • apples, individual bags of popcorn, etc., for all employees
          • monthly birthday celebration in the work unit
          • small novelty items (i.e., pens, pencils, coffee mugs, key chains, etc.)
          • certificates
          • feature article in unit’s internal communications (i.e., newsletters, etc.) or bulletin board postings
          • feature article in college publications or external webpage
          • special recognition at staff meetings
          • ice cream social
          • celebration of “Reynolds Spirit Day” (i.e., Lonnie Shirt Day on summer Fridays, etc.)
          • designation of recognition week for each classification of employee (i.e., celebration of Secretarial/Administrative Assistant Week, Teaching Faculty Appreciation Week, etc.)
          • softball (or other games) between managers, faculty, and employees
          • assignment of special projects
          • inviting employees to make presentations or participate in strategic planning efforts
          • cross-training opportunities
          • recognizing outstanding skill by allowing employee to mentor another employee
          • rotating responsibility for being the unit representative at meetings
          • asking a college senior manager to attend your staff meeting when you recognize employees for their achievement

        2. Planned: Planned recognition awards identify specific levels of individual, unit, or team achievement and are awarded at pre-established intervals (i.e., weekly, monthly, or quarterly). Although this type of program is less formal, it should be well communicated within work units, departments, divisions, and among constituency groups. Additionally, the outcome of such awards should also be highly publicized. As part of a planned recognition program, supervisors, administrators, and constituency group leaders may award:

          • up to five (5) work days of recognition leave
          • non-refundable gift certificates for fifty dollars ($50) or less to a local establishment (not cash or check paid directly to employee)
          • mid-size novelty item (i.e., small plaque, trophy, or duffle bag, etc.) (Note: The small plaque or trophy can also be used as a rotating award among staff.)
          • certificate and/or any other non-monetary award listed above

          Additionally, planned recognition programs must be appropriately documented as required by this policy (see Section III, Item B) and submitted to the Office of Human Resources prior to implementation. Supervisors and administrators will use JSRCC Form 35-0400, Pay Action Form for Full-time Classified Positions, or JSRCC Form 35-0401, Pay Action Form for Administrative, Professional or Teaching Faculty Positions to submit earned recognition leave to the college’s Office of Human Resources.

        3. Formal: The college will implement two formal recognition and award programs:

          1. Annual Employee Recognition and Awards Program

            Presented at the end-of-the academic year, a college-wide formal recognition program is presented by the President’s Recognition and Award Committee to acknowledge the achievement of staff and employee contributions to the college, state government, or national professional organizations.

            The president will ensure that the following awards and recognitions are acknowledged:

            • college service awards at five-year intervals
            • state service awards at five-year intervals
            • special recognition awards may include, but are not limited to:
              • Annual Reynolds Community College Awards
              • SCHEV nominations
              • college grants program awards
              • customer service ambassadors
              • State Employee Suggestion Program (if applicable)
              • acts of valor (lifesaving, heroism, etc., if applicable)
              • professor emeritus
              • other special Reynolds recognition awards.

              The Annual Reynolds Community College Awards will be provided in individual categories. The President’s Recognition and Award Committee will provide the detailed criteria of these awards including the nomination process prior to the annual program. The college president will be responsible for naming the final recipient of each individual award. The name of the final recipient(s) from each individual category will be announced at the annual program.

              As part of the Annual Reynolds Community College Awards program, each recipient may receive one or more of the following awards from the president:

              • up to five (5) work days of recognition leave
              • mid-size to large novelty items (i.e., college pin, plaque, trophy, etc.)
              • certificate of achievement and/or any other non-monetary award
              • monetary award up to $1,000 per individual employee.

              At a minimum, the annual awards will be provided in the following categories:

              • Reynolds’ Academic Scholar
              • Reynolds’ Classified Staff Employee of the Year Award
              • Reynolds’ College Spirit Award
              • Reynolds’ Learning Environment Award
              • Reynolds’ Multicultural Enrichment Award
              • Virginia Sargeant Reynolds’ Faculty Leadership Award.

              Moreover, random drawings of designated campus parking spaces, and as funding permits, random drawings of non-refundable gift certificates will be distributed among the employee audience at the conclusion of the program.

          2. Reward and Recognition Plan for full-time teaching faculty

            The Reward and Recognition Plan can be found as Part III of the college’s Development and Evaluation Plan for Full-time Teaching Faculty. This Reward and Recognition Plan is intended to honor fulltime teaching faculty whose exceptional professional accomplishments, contributions, and activities support the mission of the college and the Virginia Community College System, promote a vigorous learning environment, and demonstrate extraordinary talent and potential in one or more performance domains: teaching, scholarly and creative engagement, institutional responsibility, and service. The initial plan and any subsequent changes require approval of the majority of the faculty, the president, and the VCCS chancellor.

            The Faculty Reward and Recognition Committee will administer the Reward and Recognition Plan for full-time teaching faculty.

            The Reward and Recognition Plan for full-time teaching faculty will be comprised of:

            • the “Faculty Star Awards Program”; and
            • the “Faculty Reward Program”, which consists of the Faculty Awards for Professional Excellence and the Faculty Challenge Awards.

            The Reward and Recognition Plan for full-time teaching faculty will be funded on a fiscal-year basis. For each fiscal year, contingent upon availability of resources, the college will provide funding equivalent to $150 per full-time teaching faculty position, including both filled and vacant positions, to support the plan. Sources for the required funding are to be determined by the college president and the chief financial officer of the college in compliance with budgetary regulations of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Virginia Community College System.

            On a biannual basis, the Faculty Reward and Recognition Committee will conduct an assessment of the effectiveness of the Reward and Recognition Plan for full-time teaching faculty.

            The detailed aspects of the approved Reward and Recognition Plan for full-time teaching faculty, and related forms, will be housed on the college’s intranet site and the Faculty Senate webpages.

        4. College-wide special recognition awards: The college’s associate vice president of human resources and Budget Office will provide assistance to the college president and the vice president of finance and administration in the administration and development of a college-wide bonus plan. College-wide bonus payments will not exceed $1,000 per fiscal year, per employee. Specifically, the associate vice president of human resources will ensure that a copy of the approved VCCS plan remains on file in the Office of Human Resources.

    2. Exceptional retention incentive options for college employees

      1. The President’s Executive Cabinet member is strongly encouraged to consult with the associate vice president of human resources during the development of the requested recruitment and/or retention incentive option documentation.

      2. At least ten (10) days prior to the start of the retention program, the President’s Executive Cabinet member will submit the completed request(s) to the Budget Office for funding certification. Upon funding certification, the Budget Office will forward to the vice president of finance and administration, and the president for approval. The president will seek final approval from the VCCS chancellor.

      3. The request for an exceptional recruitment and/or retention option for an individual employee will require the completion of:

        1. JSRCC Form 35-0400, Pay Action Form (PAF) for Full-time Classified/Wage (Hourly) Positions, for classified or wage/hourly employees; or

        2. JSRCC Form 35-0401, Pay Action Form for Faculty Rank Positions, for administrative, professional and teaching faculty.

      4. The request for an exceptional recruitment and/or retention option for multiple employees will require the college memorandum format, JSRCC Form 20-0015, Memorandum Template.

      5. Upon approval, the signed request is submitted to the college’s Office of Human Resources for logging and tracking. The Office of Human Resources will review the approved request for compliance with VCCS and DHRM policy, and will then forward to the Payroll unit and/or leave administrator for processing. If the request is not approved for funding or if it is not approved by the vice president of finance and administration or the president, the Budget Office will return the request, with an appropriate explanation to the associate vice president of human resources. The associate vice president of human resources will inform the unit manager and/or President’s Executive Cabinet member of the unapproved action.

      6. The associate vice president of human resources will ensure the president’s office generates the congratulatory letters for the president’s signature; and will ensure that signed promissory agreements are obtained from those employees receiving over $500 in bonus payments. Finally, the associate vice president of human resources will ensure that the final employee packets are assembled and delivered to the respective President’s Executive Cabinet member for distribution to affected employees; and signed promissory agreements are returned to the Office of Human Resources and filed in each employee’s official personnel file.

      7. Requests for bonus payments and incentive options are available as follows:

        1. Sign-on bonus program: Bonuses of up to $10,000 may be awarded to new external employees agreeing to work for a specified period of one year or more. Payment may be paid as a lump sum or as a scheduled payment. The employee will be required to sign a formal agreement to include satisfactory performance expectations and pay back terms if requirements are not met. Justification for this request must be provided on the PAF or memorandum if it involves multiple external employees.

        2. Project-based bonus program: Bonuses of up to $10,000 may be awarded for any one project or a combination of project milestones. The hiring manager must seek approval of his/her respective President’s Executive Cabinet member in advance of the project assignment. Other criteria that must be included in the memorandum of justification are:

          1. complete description of critical project
          2. dates of project and milestone completion dates
          3. list of eligible participants and State ID number
          4. timing of payments
          5. justification as to how and why project supports college’s institutional goals and objectives
          6. identification of funding to support project
          7. impact of bonus on similar or other positions

        3. Referral program: A one-time bonus of up to $1,500 may be awarded to a current employee for the referral of valid external job applicants for critical college positions. The vacant position must be designated as a critical position prior to recruitment by the associate vice president of human resources because of the position’s inability to generate acceptable applicant pools. Prior to advertisement of each critical position, the President’s Executive Cabinet member and the president will determine the amount of the referral bonus. The Office of Human Resources will be responsible for communicating the referral bonus eligibility information regarding the critical position to all full-time employees. Additionally:

          1. Hiring managers/supervisors and agency recruiting staff are not eligible to participate in bonus program.
          2. Referred applicants must not have an active job application on file with the agency.
          3. Referring employee must be an active college employee in order to receive the referral payment.
          4. One-half of the referral payment will be made when the new employee begins work, and the remainder will be paid once the new employee completes the probationary period.

        4. Upfront annual leave program: Up to 30 days (240 hours) of annual leave may be provided to new employees as an incentive to accept employment with the college. Justification of this request must be provided on the PAF or memorandum if it involves multiple external employees.

    3. Tax implications

      1. Monetary awards are subject to taxes in accordance with IRS tax regulations. Monetary awards:

        • may only be awarded by the president or the Faculty Reward and Recognition Committee for formal recognition programs, college-wide bonuses, or retention incentive options;
        • are those paid by any negotiable instrument (cash, check, money order, or direct deposit);
        • are any items that can be readily converted to cash, such as refundable gift certificates; and
        • cannot be added to an employee’s base pay, except for teaching faculty as stated in the Reward and Recognition Plan for full-time teaching faculty.

        Non-monetary awards may also be subject to tax. The non-monetary awards listed in Section IV, Item A.3.a., represents an approved list. Deviations from this list will require review from the Office of Human Resources to determine tax liability. Supervisors and administrators are encouraged to consult with the Office of Human Resources regarding awards not mentioned on the approved list prior to implementation.

      2. Non-monetary awards may also be subject to tax. The non-monetary awards listed in Section IV, Item A.3.a., represents an approved list. Deviations from this list will require review from the Office of Human Resources to determine tax liability. Supervisors and administrators are encouraged to consult with the Office of Human Resources regarding awards not mentioned on the approved list prior to implementation.
    4. Recognition documentation

      1. Supervisors and managers will submit a copy of planned recognition programs directly to the Office of Human Resources prior to implementation.

      2. Documentation of planned and formal recognition award recipients should be submitted to the Office of Human Resources for inclusion in the employees’ official personnel file.

      3. The college’s Office of Human Resources will retain all documentation related to planned, formal recognition, and special recognition programs in accordance with current state policies and regulations.

  5. Other Information:

    The college’s Office of Human Resources is responsible for the official interpretation of these procedures. Questions regarding the application of these procedures should be directed to the associate vice president of human resources.

    References

    Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) Policy No. 3.05 – Compensation

    Reynolds Policy 3-33, Professor Emeritus

    JSRCC Form 35-0400, Pay Action Form (PAF) for Full-time Classified/Wage Hourly Positions

    JSRCC Form 35-0401, Pay Action Form for Faculty Rank Positions

    JSRCC Form 20-0015, Memorandum Template