Recognition and Awards

Idaho
Department of
Correction

Department-
Wide

General
Administration
Control Number:
128.00.01.001
Version:
1.4
Page Number:
1 of 10
Adopted:
2-25-2011
Reviewed:
2-25-2011

Title:
Recognition and Awards

To: Agency Leaders
From: Henry Atencio
Date: 5/2/2018
Re: Guidance for Employee Recognition, SOP 128.00.01.001 v1.4
____________________________________________________________________
The information in this memo supersedes the information in the SOP. Adjustments will
be made to the existing SOP during the next review.
Recognition
Items less than $20.00 can be purchased for performance recognition. The items cannot
have cash value (theater tickets, gift cards, etc.) and performance must be
acknowledged. These items should be documented with the item and reason for
recognition within your own facility. Examples would include: books, trinkets,
motivational posters, frames, plants, and stationery items.
Employee Social Gathering
All state funded official meeting refreshments (and meals) must adhere to state travel
policies.
1. At least 5 attendees
2. At least 3 (or 6) hours long
3. Published agenda
4. Mandatory attendance
5. Not a regularly held staff meeting
6. Sign-in sheet, etc.
State funds cannot be used for social events.
Donations may be made to the Morale Task Force (payroll deduction is available). This
would be a good way to help with holiday celebrations or recognition weeks.
Longevity Awards
Milestone certificates should continue to be distributed in a frame for employees.
Employees over 20 years will receive a letter from the Governor.
Retirements
A retirement certificate frame may be given only to employees that retire from the
agency, and $30.00 is the maximum amount that can be used to pay for it.
A retirement letter from the Governor may be requested. Please contact Jana Becerra in
HR to assist in that process.
Idaho
Department of
Correction

Standard
Operating
Procedure

Department-
Wide

General
Administration
Control Number:
128.00.01.001
Version:
1.4
Page Number:
2 of 10
Adopted:
2-25-2011
Reviewed:
2-25-2011
Next Review:
2-25-2013
Title:
Recognition and Awards

This document was approved by Brent Reinke, director of the Idaho
Department of Correction, on 2/25/11 (signature on file).
BOARD OF CORRECTION IDAPA RULE NUMBER
None
POLICY STATEMENT NUMBER 128
Recognition and Awards
POLICY DOCUMENT NUMBER 128
Recognition and Awards
DEFINITIONS
Standardized Definitions List
Fiscal Staff: Any person, regardless of official title, responsible for compliance with State of
Idaho and Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) accounting standards and data entry.
Manager: An employee appointed to manage, direct, and control a designated work unit.
Managers include division chiefs, deputy division chiefs, facility heads, deputy wardens (or
seconds-in-command), district managers, designated lieutenants, program managers, or
any appointed unit manager.
Statewide Accounting and Reporting System (STARS): The State of Idaho’s Office of the
State Controller’s computer system that is used for processing and reporting accounting
transactions.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this standard operating procedure (SOP) is to ensure that:
• Standards are established and consistent internal controls exist to manage and
support all recognition events and related expenditures (to include awards);
• Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) employees and volunteers are recognized
for their service and performance;
• IDOC employees are recognized for their ideas and concepts that improve IDOC
practices, methods, procedures, or result in savings for the IDOC;
• IDOC offenders are recognized for good behavior; and
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• The Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) is accountable for its various budgets
(e.g., annual, operating, administrative, employee recognition) and the Offender
Management Fund and for accurately reflecting the budgetary statuses in the
Statewide Accounting and Reporting System (STARS).
SCOPE
This SOP applies to all IDOC employees and recognition events.
Note: Recognition, awards, etc. that are paid for with funds raised by the Morale Task Force
for employee events do not apply to this SOP.
RESPONSIBILITY
The IDOC Leadership Team
The IDOC Leadership Team is responsible for:
• Implementing, overseeing, and monitoring the provisions provided herein; and
• Selecting and presenting all specialty awards and incentive awards (see section 4).
Note: The Leadership Team consists of the director of the IDOC, division chiefs, and the
director’s administrative support manager.
Executive Financial Officer
The executive financial officer (or designee) is responsible for ensuring that the:
• IDOC complies with the provisions provided herein; and
• Recognition events and related expenditures (to include awards) are reasonable
and in accordance with IDOC goals.
Director of Human Resource Services (HRS)
The director of HRS (or designee) is responsible for the monthly distribution of sign-off
sheets and service awards to Central Office, correctional facility, or probation and parole
district office locations.
Managers
Managers (specifically unit heads or designees) are responsible for:
• Implementing this SOP and ensuring staff adhere to the guidelines provided
herein;
• Oversight of their Central Office, correctional facility, or probation and parole
district office location recognition events and related expenditures (to include
awards);
• Ensuring recognition events and related expenditures (to include awards) comply
with the provisions provided herein; and
• Establishing their location’s process for selecting award recipients.
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Fiscal Unit Staff
Designated Fiscal Unit staff (located at Central Office) shall be responsible for ensuring
that:
• Accounting regulations and State of Idaho law are complied with;
• They accurately and promptly process all payments and payment commitments so
that the status of annual appropriations can be accurately monitored and reported
by STARS; and
• They provide their assigned locations guidance and direction in reviewing spending
requests and actual reports for recognition events and related expenditures (to
include awards).
Table of Contents
General Requirements ......................................................................................................... 4
1. IDOC’s Obligation to be Fiscally Responsible ................................................................. 4
2. Budgets .......................................................................................................................... 5
Employee and Retiree Recognition ........................................................................... 5
Offender Recognition ................................................................................................ 5
Volunteer Recognition .............................................................................................. 5
3. Expenditure Approval ..................................................................................................... 6
Allowable Employee and Retiree Recognition Expenditures ..................................... 6
Allowable Offender Recognition Expenditures .......................................................... 6
All Other Allowable Recognitions and Related Expenditures .................................... 6
Non-allowable Expenditures ..................................................................................... 6
4. Awards ........................................................................................................................... 7
Employee of the Quarter (EOQ) Award ..................................................................... 7
Specialty Awards ...................................................................................................... 7
Service Award .......................................................................................................... 8
Employee Incentive Award ....................................................................................... 9
5. Fiscal Unit Staff: Sub-Object Detail Coding for Recognition Expenditures ...................... 9
References ......................................................................................................................... 10
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
1. IDOC’s Obligation to be Fiscally Responsible
The State of Idaho is bound by its Constitution to operate within a fixed and balanced
budget established by the Idaho legislature and approved by the governor of Idaho.
The operating budgets of individual State of Idaho agencies are established annually for
fiscal years. (Fiscal years beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of the following year.)
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Appropriation acts establishing annual agency operating budgets are law, and the limits of
those budgets cannot be exceeded.
The IDOC has an obligation to make reasonable use of public funds through effective and
efficient operations (through compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations). In
order to assist IDOC managers (unit heads) in determining whether a recognition event and
related expenditures (to include awards) are allowable, managers shall refer to the
Expenditure Matrix.
Note: For the purpose of this SOP, managers shall primarily refer to the ‘recognition’ section
of the Expenditure Matrix. If expenditure is allowable, the matrix will provide the allowed
amount, the required approval authority, and other requirements that must be met.
All recognition events and related expenditures (to include awards) must be:
• Properly authorized;
• For employee or volunteer work performance (or behavior if an offender);
• Essential in achieving the goals or fulfilling the responsibility of a particular division,
facility, etc.; and
• Presented to employees, volunteers, and offenders in the most economical and
practical manner.
Managers (unit heads) must use good discretion to ensure all recognition events and related
expenditures (to include awards) are equally considered. For example, giving one employee
a thirty dollar ($30) gift and another employee a ten dollar ($10) gift is not appropriate.
2. Budgets
Central Office, each correctional facility, and each probation and parole district office
location will be allotted a budget that must be strictly adhered to.
Employee and Retiree Recognition
The Budget Unit (located at Central Office) will develop an annual recognition budget for
non-retiring employees in the amount of twenty dollars ($20) per person total, per fiscal
year, per Central Office, correctional facility, and probation and parole district office
location. (Recognition budgets will be created from each office [central or district] or
facility’s administrative budget.)
The annual recognition budget for retirees will be included in Human Resource Services’
(HRS) budget. Seventy-five dollars ($75) per person total will be provided for recognizing
retirees. The Budget Unit will move these funds at the time of the employee’s retirement.
Manager (unit head) approved requests should be forwarded directly to the Budget Unit,
prior to the expenditure.
Offender Recognition
There is no specific budget defined for offender recognition; however, managers (both
the unit head and division chief) must approve offender recognition in advance. For
instruction on how to track an offender recognition expenditure, see section 3.
Volunteer Recognition
Managers (unit heads) shall primarily refer to the ‘other expenses’ section of the
Expenditure Matrix.
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3. Expenditure Approval
All expenditures for recognition and related expenditures (to include awards) must be
approved in advance of any purchases being made. If a purchase is made prior to approval,
the purchaser will be solely responsible to absorb the full cost. To avoid having to absorb
the full cost and pay out-of-pocket, the purchaser must ensure that:
• All paperwork is approved by the proper approval authority; and
• All expenditures fall within the expenditure criteria (see section 1), as applicable, and
the Expenditure Matrix.
Note: Neither this SOP nor the Expenditure Matrix is inclusive of every recognition event or
related expenditure. If a recognition event or related expenditure is not provided in the
Expenditure Matrix, check the subsection below titled ‘non-allowable expenditures’, and if
the event is still in question, contact the Fiscal Unit (located at Central Office) for guidance.
The Fiscal Unit may advise that the recognition event and/or related expenditure is an
allowable expenditure and will inform the requestor as to who the appropriate approval
authority is and what the process for approval is.
Allowable Employee and Retiree Recognition Expenditures
All employee recognition and related expenditures (to include awards) shall be tracked
and charged using the applicable sub-object detail code (see the Expenditure Matrix).
Managers (unit heads) must monitor and be able to support all expenditures. The way in
which managers elect to spend their recognition budgets will be at their discretion, as
long as their discretion is in accordance with this SOP and the Expenditure Matrix. The
Budget Unit will provide monthly reports (taken from the STARS) to assist managers
with the monitoring process.
Allowable Offender Recognition Expenditures
All offender recognition shall be tracked using the applicable sub-object detail code (see
the Expenditure Matrix). Offender recognition will be charged to the Offender
Management Fund (see SOP 114.03.03.014, Revenue: Inmate Management Fund) until
those funds are exhausted, at which time, other facility funds will be used. Managers
(both the unit head and division chief) must approve offender recognition in advance.
All Other Allowable Recognitions and Related Expenditures
Managers (unit heads) shall primarily refer to the ‘other expenses’ section of the
Expenditure Matrix.
For activities such as parole officer week, correctional professional week, open houses,
and volunteer recognition, an Event Request Form outlining the event, must be
submitted in advance to the appropriate approval authority. (See the Expenditure
Matrix.)
Non-allowable Expenditures
Questions are often raised regarding several miscellaneous activities and whether they
are allowable expenditures. As a result, the Leadership Team determined that the
following shall be non-allowable expenditures:
• Christmas parties, bowling, golfing, etc.;
• Flowers or gifts for sick or hospitalized employees;
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• Flowers or gifts for the death of an employee or non-IDOC person;
• Alcoholic beverages;
• Payment for employee spouses, partners, or dates when they attend activities;
• Recognition of non-State of Idaho employees other than volunteers;
• Any non-performance related expenditure; and
• Shirts (non-standard issued uniforms) – not allowable with State of Idaho funds
unless taken from the annual recognition budget (for employees) and approved in
advance by the appropriate manager (unit head).
4. Awards
Employee of the Quarter (EOQ) Award
The EOQ award is presented to an employee who has performed above and beyond his
normal responsibilities and exemplify:
• Respect for staff, supervisors, offenders, and the public
• Teamwork and attitude
• Contributions to the IDOC’s mission and goals
• Interpersonal and communications skills
• Professionalism
• Customer service
Managers (unit heads) at Central Office, each correctional facility, and each probation
and parole district office location will determine the process for selecting award
recipients.
Appendix A, Employee of the Quarter Award Nomination Form, shall be used for
nominating employees for EOQ awards.
EOQ awards will consist of a plaque that shall not cost more than fifteen dollar ($15).
The cost of the plaque will be covered by each location’s administrative budget. Any
additional recognition associated with the EOQ Award must be covered through fund-
raising events.
Specialty Awards
Specialty awards are presented by the Idaho Board of Correction, the director of the
IDOC, and division chiefs (or designees).
Note: Recognition of non-State of Idaho employees is at the discretion of the director
and must be funded through personal contributions or fund-raising events.
The applicable nomination form must be submitted first to the appropriate manager (unit
head), who will then submit the form to the division chief. The division chief will then
review the forms to see if the award criteria is met and the supporting information
supports the nomination. The division chief will then submit all satisfactory forms to the
director and Board of Correction for approval. (Either the director or chair of the Board,
may approve the award.)
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The cost of the following specialty awards shall not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75)
and shall be charged to the Director’s Office administrative budget:
Exceptional Service Award
The Exceptional Service Award (not to be confused with the Service Award) is presented
to an employee or a group of employees who through some action or accomplishment
has brought distinction or acclaim:
• To himself;
• The community;
• His work location;
• The IDOC; or
• The corrections profession.
Appendix B, Exceptional Service Award Nomination Form, shall be used for nominating
employees for exceptional service awards.
Heroism Awards
Heroism awards consist of the following three (3) types and are presented to employees
for the reasons described.
• Silver Cross – For displaying prompt or alert action resulting in a life being saved
or the prevention of serious injury to others and for demonstrating exceptional care
for other individuals.
• Medal of Honor – While serving in an official capacity with the IDOC, for displaying
exceptional bravery or heroism beyond the expectations of normal demands of
correctional service and for displaying great courage in the face of immediate
danger.
• Medal of Valor – For the loss of his life or for sustaining a critical injury (or injuries)
in the line of duty.
Appendix C, Heroism Award Nomination Form, shall be used for nominating employees
for heroism awards.
Service Award
In recognition of longevity of service, an employee is eligible to receive recognition for
the number of years he has been employed with the State of Idaho. The Service Award
(not to be confused with the Exceptional Service Award) is awarded in increments of five
(5) years of service and consists of:
• A certificate (signed by the governor of the State of Idaho); and
• A gift card.
Gift card awards shall be determined based on years of service as follows:
Five (5) years = twenty dollars ($20)
10 years = thirty dollars ($30)
15 years = forty dollars ($40)
20 years = fifty dollars ($50)
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25 years = sixty dollars ($60)
> than 25 years = seventy five dollars ($75) at each five (5) year increment.
HRS will distribute monthly a sign-off sheet and service awards to managers (unit
heads), as applicable. The employee’s manager (unit head or designee) must present
the Service Award to the employee during a location meeting or recognition event.
Managers shall obtain on the sign-off sheet, the signature of each employee receiving a
Service Award, and forward the signed sign-off sheet to HRS (located at Central Office).
Budgets (employee and retiree recognition) for service awards shall reside with HRS.
Employee Incentive Award
The Employee Incentive Award is presented to an employee who developed a new
concept or made a recommendation for improvement of the efficiency and economy of
IDOC performance, procedures, and methods.
An employee shall use appendix D, Employee Incentive Award Form, to submit his idea
or recommendation to his manager (unit head). The manager (or designee) shall be
responsible for routing the form to the division chief for assessment. The division chief
(or designee) shall review and evaluate the idea or recommendation with the Leadership
Team. The employee’s idea or recommendation shall be evaluated based on the
following criteria:
• The potential to conserve man hours, supplies, equipment, and operating costs; or
• How the idea or recommendation contributes to enhancing service to the public.
Note: An award will not be given when the idea or recommendation represents a part of
the normal duties of the employee, or when the employee has the sole authority to
implement the idea or recommendation. All rejections of an idea or suggestion will be
accompanied by a reasonable explanation for the rejection.
When there is an identical idea or recommendation submitted, and the Leadership Team
approves the idea or recommendation for an incentive award, the date that the
Employee Incentive Award Form was received shall determine who is granted the
award.
Group suggestions shall be treated as one, and any award presented shall be evenly
divided amongst the group.
An Employee Incentive Award may be granted up to a total of twenty-five percent (25%)
of the savings realized from the idea or recommendation. The award shall not exceed
two thousand dollars ($2000). (Idaho Administrative Procedure Act [IDAPA] 15.04.01,
section 075.02.)
Note: If the idea or recommendation deserves an award larger than two thousand
dollars ($2000) (e.g., it will provide a savings for multiple agencies), see IDAPA
15.04.01, section 075.02.
5. Fiscal Unit Staff: Sub-Object Detail Coding for Recognition Expenditures
Fiscal Unit staff (located at Central Office) are required to properly code or verify the sub-
object detail coding for all recognition expenditures. All recognition expenditures shall be
coded in accordance with the Expenditure Matrix.
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Note: When refreshments or meals are associated with employee recognition (e.g., cake
and punch are purchased in honor of an employee retirement), the refreshments or meals
shall be charged to the employee recognition sub-object detail code, not the refreshments
sub-object detail code. Descriptions for the different types of recognition events have been
defined in the Expenditure Matrix and should be followed and recorded in STARS as
described.
REFERENCES
Appendix A, Employee of the Quarter Award Nomination Form
Appendix B, Exceptional Service Award Nomination Form
Appendix C, Heroism Award Nomination Form
Appendix D, Employee Incentive Award Form
Event Request Form
Expenditure Matrix
Idaho Code, Title 67, Chapter 53, Section 67-5309D, Other Pay Delivery Options
IDAPA 15.04.01, Rules of the Division of Human Resources and Personnel Commission,
Section 075.02, Employee Suggestion Award
Standard Operating Procedure 114.03.03.014, Revenue: Offender Management Fund
State of Idaho, Division of Human Resources (https://dhr.idaho.gov/)
State of Idaho, Office of the State Controller (https://www.sco.idaho.gov/)
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