Benefits » Awards » LAAP
Monetary Awards - Los Alamos Awards Program (LAAP)
Program Overview
The LAAP enables Laboratory managers to recognize exceptional contributions and noteworthy achievements of their employees in a timely manner. Unlike merit increases awarded for sustained performance, the LAAP provides Laboratory managers with a mechanism for recognizing specific accomplishments of employees without incurring significant long-term cost to the Laboratory since the awards are non-base building. The LAAP encourages development and achievement in specific areas of strategic importance to the Laboratory (i.e., ES&H, security, cost containment, quality of work life) and provides a link between the organization's mission and those employees or teams that achieve significant accomplishments toward that mission. In addition, the LAAP provides an incentive for continued excellence through specific accomplishment.
Objectives
- To reward specific one-time achievements (event-driven),
- To encourage development and achievement in specific areas of strategic importance to the Laboratory (i.e., safety, security, work life, cost savings, process improvements, technology transfer),
- To provide a link between the organization's mission and those employees or teams that achieve significant accomplishments toward that mission, and/or
- To provide an incentive for continued excellence through specific accomplishments by Laboratory employees and teams.
Criteria
The LAAP is intended to recognize exceptional or noteworthy achievements that surpass the expectations or goals defined for a job.
Examples of such accomplishments might include:
- Significant contribution resulting in a scientific or technical innovation leading to important progress in an area of research or toward completion of a project.
- An outstanding innovation or advancement in administrative techniques or procedures.
- A notable accomplishment in the area of environment, safety and health at the Laboratory.
- Innovative approaches to doing work safely and with environmental awareness.
- Innovative technology development or application contributing to safe and environmentally responsible work.
- Significant contribution to improvement in organizational ES&H performance (i.e. Appendix F performance).
- Unique outreach to stakeholders regarding ES&H programs and progress.
- An outstanding achievement in the area of technology transfer.
- A creative suggestion or outstanding application of administrative procedures resulting in significant improvement in cost or efficiency.
- Demonstrated leadership and success in pursuing the Laboratory's institutional goals of employee development, affirmative action, diversified workforce, and community relations.
- A notable accomplishment in the area of security at the Laboratory.
- A significant contribution in enhancing quality of work life at the Laboratory.
Business Requirements
Award programs, like other Laboratory programs, are subject to audit. Therefore, organizations must assure that the LAAP program is administered in a manner that comports with the Laboratory’s business requirements. It is up to the individual Divisions to determine how LAAP award recipients will be tracked. However, a record must be maintained of all recipients (including amount of the award and reason for the award). Each Division should appoint an individual who is responsible for the process administration of the LAAP award program. Each Business Team Leader will be responsible for approving all LAAP expenditures and ensuring that they remain within their authorization to spend.
Eligibility
All current LANS employees (except Senior Executive Team (SET) members) are eligible to receive LAAP awards.
- Because the Laboratory cannot offer cash awards or awards with monetary value to non employees, contract employees are not eligible for individual or team awards. However, contract employees may be eligible for a Contract- Worker Award (CAP).
* Retired LANS employees are eligible at any time during the fiscal year in which they retire, but should be closely tied to the event being recognized.
Processes
- The LAAP may be given to employees at any time during the fiscal year. The fiscal year-end deadline for processing LAAP is published each year in the CFO closing schedule.
- Employees can complete and submit nomination forms (pdf) through the organization’s internal procedures.
- Division/Program Leaders will then review and approve nominations within their organizations. Division/Program Leaders are accountable for all aspects of the LAAP. It is vital to the success of the program that each manager utilize the program within the published guidelines and authorizations.
- Up to 50% of the LAAP authorization can be designated for use as Spot Awards.
- Divisions can nominate and fund cross-organizational awards with approval from both the nominating and home Division Leader. To nominate an individual or team outside of their division, the nominating division must submit the nomination form with the above approvals to HR-C for tracking purposes.
- In addition to the divisional allocations, each directorate will receive reserve funds. The directorate reserves were determined based on the total number of LANS employees by directorate. Each directorate should designate an individual to oversee the request and approval process for directorate reserves. We recommend that requests are accompanied by a justification and are reviewed collectively either periodically throughout the year (e.g., quarterly) or one time before the August 31 deadline.
- In addition to directorate reserves, the Laboratory has an institutional reserve fund. To request consideration for institutional reserve funds, the nominating division must submit the LAAP Institutional Reserve Request Form to HR-Compensation by close of business on August 31.
- The award and certificate are presented by the cognizant Division/Program Director(s) to recipient(s). No one should be notified of an award until the check has been generated and has been received by the organization. Divisions have the option to set funds aside for any cross organizational nominations.
Check Request Process
- Approved nomination form (pdf) must be signed by the individual authorized in the Division to approve LAAP expenditures with correct program code/cost account/work package.
- A copy of the first page and the team member page (if applicable) of an approved LAAP nomination form (pdf) should be submitted to Payroll at P238 within 2 weeks of the presentation, so that the employee does not see the award on the Earning Statement prior to the award.
- The check will be mailed to the recipient’s mail stop.
Cash Awards
The minimum individual award is $250, with a maximum of $2,000. Awards may be granted in increments of $50 up to the limit within each respective level of achievement. The amount of the award should reflect the level of performance and accomplishment, as well as the potential impact or benefit to the Laboratory. All team awards should be allocated at the range set for accomplishments with a Laboratory-wide impact. The following chart is provided for determining award amounts.
| Award Amount |
Impact of Achievement |
| $250-$1,000 |
Organizational: Refers to an individual scientific division, program or administrative department |
| $1,000-$1,500 |
Cross-Organizational: The impact or consequences affect several operational and/or scientific divisions |
| $1,500-$2,000 |
Laboratory-wide and Beyond: Laboratory-wide scope or national/international recognition |
| $100-$2,000 |
All Team Awards are in this monetary category. Each team member must receive a minimum of $100; the maximum is $2,000 for each team member. |
All LAAP awards are taxed as income. Deductions for federal and state income taxes will be taken at the time the award check is prepared.
Awards do not increase an employee's base pay rate; therefore, an award will not be included in the calculation of benefits provided for retirement, AD&D, life, or disability insurance. Awards are considered a discretionary bonus by the Fair Labor Standards Act. An award to nonexempt employees will NOT be included in the regular pay for calculation of overtime.
Questions? laap@lanl.gov
