Section 1.
To encourage and reward excellence, Library management should seriously consider employees whose performance merits special recognition under this Article for an incentive award under LCR 9-1340* or for an additional within-grade increase as covered in LCR 9-710*. Under this regulation, the Director has the authority to recommend Honorary Awards for presentation by the Librarian and to approve Special Achievement Awards for departmental presentation.
Individual divisions and offices, within 120 days of implementation of this Agreement, shall consider, through consultative management, the establishment of appropriate informal methods of recognizing performance and achievements that are not recognized through the incentive awards program, including an implementation time frame.
The Director, with the approval of the Librarian, may recognize individual employees or groups of employees, who have performed a special act or service in the public interest in connection with or related to their official employment. The recognition may be in the form of an honorary award or cash, or both, in accordance with the provisions of Section 6 of (LCR 9-1340.
Section 2.
CRS shall issue an annual fiscal year report on CRS Special Recognition of bargaining unit employees that shall be made available to all employees.
- Number and percent of staff awarded each type of award, by division/office for the current year
- Number and percent of staff awarded each type of award for the past five years
- Number and percentage of staff recognized by type of award; by gender; by ethnic group.
- Amount allocated to and obligated by each division/office.
Section 3. CRS Director Awards
The Director will establish Director’s Awards for excellence in work that serves the Congress, directly or indirectly, in research, reference, analysis, and writing and in operations, service, and support. These awards are intended to recognize work performed in such an exemplary manner that they significantly exceed the normal standards expected of CRS employees and serve as a model to be emulated by other employees.
The Director’s Awards carry no monetary remuneration.
Section 4.
The Association as well as employees shall have the right to submit to the Library the names of those employees who it believes to be deserving of incentive awards. Such nominations, together with a brief statement of supporting reasons, shall be submitted to the appropriate supervisor. If the supervisor does not concur, the Association may submit its recommendations to the appropriate Assistant/Associate Director or the Director of CRS. The Association shall be entitled to one voting member on the Library Incentive Award Committee.
Section 5.
Time-off awards are governed by Library of Congress Regulation (LCR 9-1340.
Section 6.
CRS shall issue annually a departmental policy statement on the staff recognition and awards program in CRS. The statement should review and identify existing awards and staff recognition procedures and stress that the program is administered fairly and equitably and without regard to gender, ethnic group, position, grade level, or organizational unit.
* LCR 9-1340 was formerly LCR 2017-3, “Suggestion and Incentive Awards Program”.
* LCR 9-710 was formerly LCR 2013, “Pay Administration”.