Benefits » Awards » Spot Awards
Monetary Awards - Spot Award Program
Program Overview
The Spot Award Program will provide a means for Laboratory managers to provide immediate recognition to employees who contribute significantly to the mission or values of the organization. To implement Spot Awards within a Division several decisions need to be made:
- Division management decision to participate;
- The amount of the LAAP budget to be used for Spot Awards;
- Establishment of procedures for managing the program within the Division.
Divisions that wish to participate in this program will designate a percentage or dollar amount of the division’s Los Alamos Award Program (LAAP) authorization for Spot Awards. This award program will be managed at the Division or Group level depending on the Division’s internal procedures. Awards given will be non-cash gift certificates in $25 increments, with a value up to $75.00 per award. Organizations must maintain records of all recipients of Spot Awards as well as a record of the number of gift certificates purchased.
Objectives
Provide an immediate, on the spot, reward for performance, behavior or accomplishments that might go unrecognized under normal incentive awards procedures and that are more limited in scope and of shorter duration than accomplishments that would normally be acknowledged by the LAAP.
Criteria
Criteria for Spot Awards should be developed and documented by each Division and should reflect organizational and LANL values, strategies and objectives.
Spot Awards are used to recognize employees who “go the extra mile” or who perform above and beyond the call of duty. Accomplishments recognized may be within or outside the scope of an employee’s normal duties. Examples of situations where Spot Awards may be used are:
- Exceptionally high quality work under tight deadlines; added or emergency assignments in addition to regular duties,
- Exceptional courtesy or responsiveness in dealing with customers or colleagues,
- Extraordinary initiative or creativity in addressing a critical need or difficult problem,
- Laboratory savings: dollars, time, etc.,
- Highly positive influence on co-workers/team members; extraordinary team support.
Eligibility
All current LANS employees (except Senior Executive Team (SET) members) are eligible to receive Spot Awards.
Awards & Processes
Award Amounts
A Spot Award is a non-cash gift certificate award. Awards may be distributed up to $75.00 (in $25.00 increments).
Award Process
- Spot Awards may be given to employees at any time during the fiscal year.
- Employees can submit nominations to their Division Leader/ Group Leader through the organization’s internal procedures.
- Division Leader/ Group Leader will review nominations, approve if appropriate, and distribute award.
- There is not an official Spot Award certificate; Division/Groups may choose to develop one.
Check Request Process
- Complete a combined LAAP/Spot Nomination Form (pdf) with only those fields necessary for “Spot”
- Depending on internal procedures, obtain Division Leader/Group Leader signature/approval
- Nominating forms (pdf) must be forwarded to the Division Business Team Leaders for approval before being submitted to CFO-DISB
- Designate individual for check pick-up
- Division/Group forwards the form to CFO-DISB Accounting for processing of the request
- When checks are ready CFO-DISB will call for pick-up per instructions on the nomination form
- Gift certificates can be purchased and maintained for later distribution
- Checks can be requested to purchase more than one certificate at a time from a single vendor or from multiple vendors
Business Requirements
- Award programs, like other Laboratory programs, are subject to audit. Therefore, organizations must assure that the Spot Award program is administered in a manner that comports with the Laboratory’s business requirements.
- The Laboratory may not purchase gift certificates for unallowable items such as entertainment, club memberships or alcohol.
- It is up to the individual Divisions/Groups to determine how Spot Award recipients will be tracked. However, a record must be maintained of all recipients (including reason for the award) of Spot Awards. HR will not track Spot Award recipients centrally.
- Divisions/Groups must maintain a record of the total number of gift certificates purchased and the total number of gift certificates given to each recipient. Divisions/Groups are also responsible for security of the gift certificates pending award.
- Gift certificates must be distributed to the recipients within the fiscal year in which they were purchased.
