3.20 Contents
3.20.0 Group Life
Insurance -
http://www.varetire.org/members/benefits/life-insurance/index.asp
All classified state employees are enrolled
in the group life insurance plan
administered by the Virginia Retirement
System (VRS) at no cost to the employee. The
plan provides life insurance and accidental
death and dismemberment insurance during the
term of employment. Retirees carry a portion
of this life insurance coverage throughout
their lifetime.
The amount of life insurance coverage for
death from natural causes is the employee's
annual salary rounded to the next highest
thousand, then doubled. The benefit for
accidental death is double the natural death
benefit.
Through a plan also administered by VRS,
active insured employees may purchase
optional life insurance for themselves,
their spouses, and their minor children.
Premiums are paid through payroll deduction.
In some circumstances, some coverage may be
continued into retirement. Additional
information on life insurance is available
in the VHCC Human Resource Office or at
http://www.vhcc.edu/index.aspx?page=309#5.
3.20.1 Retirement
Benefits -
http://www.varetire.org
Classified employees are covered by the
state's defined-benefit retirement program.
Upon retirement, the Virginia Retirement
System (VRS) provides monthly retirement
benefits for eligible, qualifying employees,
who may choose among a variety of retirement
options. Copies of the VRS Handbook for
Members are available in the VHCC Human
Resource Office or at
http://www.varetire.org/Publications/Index.asp?ftype=hbookguide.
Employees are encouraged to contact the VHCC
Human Resource Office for assistance with
retirement matters. Employees should
complete the retirement application
paperwork and submit it to VRS no later than
90 days prior to the planned date of
retirement. The Human Resource Office will
assist in this process.
3.20.2 Health
Insurance -
http://www.dhrm.virginia.gov/hbenefits/employeestoc.html
Health insurance coverage is available to
all full-time classified employees.
Enrollment guidelines and deadlines apply
for all health insurance enrollments and
changes. The state's health insurance
program, administered by the Department of
Human Resource Management, includes
hospitalization, medical, mental health,
dental, surgical, prescription drug, and
other coverage. An employee may choose
membership for employee only, membership for
employee and one eligible family member, or
family membership for the employee and two
or more eligible family members. The
employee's portion of the premium is paid by
payroll deduction. The state contributes a
monthly amount toward the cost of the
benefit..
Premium Conversion: Reduces employee's net
cost by allowing payment of health insurance
premiums with pre-tax salary.
Medical and Dependent Reimbursement
Accounts: Employees are eligible to enroll
in medical and/or dependent care
reimbursement accounts, which allow payment
of certain out-of-pocket expenses with
pre-tax dollars.
Additional information on health insurance
is available in the Human Resource Office or
at
www.vhcc.edu/humanresources/insurance.htm.
3.20.3 Employee
Assistance Program -
http://www.dhrm.virginia.gov/employeeprograms/employeeassistance
The Virginia Employee Assistance Program (VEAP)
offers help to employees and their family
members who need counseling and treatment
referrals for alcohol and substance abuse
problems and for various personal
difficulties including legal, financial, and
relationship concerns. The employee or
family member may seek these services
directly, or a supervisor may encourage an
employee to use VEAP resources because of
employment issues that may be adversely
affecting work performance. All services are
provided under strict guidelines of
confidentiality.
VEAP services are available for all state
employees enrolled in the Commonwealth's
health insurance plan and their covered
family members. For additional information
or assistance, employees are encouraged to
contact the VHCC Human Resource Office or go
to
http://www.vhcc.edu/index.aspx?page=309
3.20.4 Virginia
Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP) -
DHRM Policy 4.57
All classified employees hired on or after
January 1, 1999, are enrolled in VSDP.
Employees hired prior to January 1, 1999
have been offered two open enrollment
periods to enroll in VSDP. The chief purpose
of the program is to provide income
replacement to employees when they are
unable to work due to short-term (up to 180
calendar days) or long-term illness or
disability. The program also provides:
- Return-to-work services
- Paid sick leave time of up to 80
hours per year, based on length of state
service, to be used for the employee's
own short occasions of sickness/injury
or for personal doctor visits
- Paid leave time of up to 40 hours
per year, based on length of state
service, for other family and personal
reasons; and
- A long-term care component
Employees are encouraged to work with the
Human Resource Office in accessing VSDP
benefits and to address any questions or
concerns. Details about the VSDP program are
available in the VSDP Handbook that is
distributed to each VSDP participant;
available in the Human Resource Office; or
at
http://www.vhcc.edu/index.aspx?page=309.
3.20.5 Long Term
Care Insurance -
http://www.aetna.com/group/commonwealthva/
The Commonwealth of Virginia offers
long-term care insurance to eligible state
employees, retirees, and certain family
members under a contract awarded to a
third-party vendor. The current vendor is
Aetna. Long-term care typically provides
assistance when necessary to accomplish
normal activities of daily living, such as
eating, dressing, and in-home mobility. This
is an optional benefit which may be
purchased through payroll deduction.
Additional information is available through
the VHCC Human Resource Office or at the
above link.
3.20.6 Workers
Compensation -
DHRM Policy 4.60, Workers Compensation, and
DHRM Policy 4.57, Virginia Sickness and
Disability Program Leave
A work-related injury or illness may be
eligible for benefits under the Workers'
Compensation Act. In addition, the
Commonwealth provides employees covered by
the Virginia Personnel Act benefits to
replace lost income and to compensate for
certain permanent losses to the body.
Workers Compensation benefits include a
return-to-work program to help employees
resume productive activity. Procedures and
benefits may vary depending on whether an
employee is in the Traditional Sick Leave
program or in the Virginia Sickness and
Disability Program (VSDP). More detailed
information is available through the VHCC
Human Resource Office.
Work-related injuries are required to be
reported to the VHCC Human Resource Office
as soon as possible for assistance with the
Workers Comp process. More information is
available at
http://www.vhcc.edu/index.aspx?page=309#5
.
3.20.7 Deferred
Compensation Plan (457 Plan) -
http://www.varetirement.org/dcp.html
Through this program, employees may direct a
portion of their salary into an investment
program by payroll deduction on a pre-tax
basis. Typically, employees choose to
receive the deferred income after retirement
when they may be in a lower tax bracket. A
third-party administrator (TPA) manages the
program, including the investments, and will
assist employees select from a variety of
investment options. Further information is
available at the web link above. Information
is also available from the VHCC Human
Resource Office.
The Commonwealth supports employee
participation in this plan by offering a
Cash Match Program. Participants who sign up
for Cash Match will receive a contribution
to their accounts each pay period of an
amount equal to one-half of the employee's
contribution, up to an established maximum.
The maximum matching amount is set by the
legislature.
Employees of educational institutions may
also choose to enroll with private companies
offering 403(b) retirement investment plans
on their campus. These plans are also
eligible for pre-tax payroll deduction and
for the Cash Match plan. Information
regarding campus visits by representatives
and additional details is provided by the
VHCC Human Resource Office.
3.20.8 Wellness
Program -
http://www.commonhealthva.com/commonhealth/index.html
CommonHealth is the state's wellness program
for employees, families, and retirees
offering a range of health-related
activities and resources at participating
agencies. CommonHealth benefits also include
a special program for expectant parents,
Baby Benefits, and a special program to
assist in stopping use of tobacco products,
Breaking Free from Tobacco. The CommonHealth
program at VHCC is coordinated by the Human
Resource Office.
3.20.9 Leave
Benefits (Paid and Unpaid)
The Commonwealth provides paid leave time to
employees for a variety of reasons. The
various types of leave are outlined below.
Refer to the specific policy for more
detailed information. In general, all leave
must be scheduled in advance and approved by
the supervisor. VHCC employees should
consult with their supervisors and the VHCC
Human Resource Office regarding procedures
for scheduling, taking and reporting leave.
3.20.9.0 Annual
Leave -
DHRM Policy 4.10, Annual Leave
Annual leave is earned (accrued) at the end
of each completed pay period, at a rate set
according to the employee's total amount of
state salaried employment. New full-time
employees start by accruing four hours per
pay period. The leave accrual chart is
available at
http://www.vhcc.edu/index.aspx?page=311.
Annual leave may be carried over from one
year to the next within set carryover limits
that are determined by length of state
service. These limits are included on the
leave accrual chart linked above. Payment
for annual leave is made at separation of
service up to the established payout amounts
(included on the leave accrual chart).
Annual leave is available for personal
usage. Annual leave is to be approved in
advance by the employee's supervisor.
3.20.9.1 Sick
Leave -
DHRM Policy 4.55, Sick Leave
Traditional sick leave is not available to
classified employees hired on or after
January 1, 1999. Traditional sick leave is
accrued at the rate of five hours per
completed pay period regardless of the
length of service. Payout limits and other
provisions are explained in Policy 4.55.
Eligible employees may use up to 33% of
their available sick leave balance for
absences for family illness or disability
that are covered by the Family Medical Leave
Act (FMLA).
3.20.9.2 VSDP
Leave -
DHRM Policy 4.57, Virginia Sickness and
Disability Program Leave
VSDP Family and Personal Leave and VSDP Sick
Leave amounts are granted to participants in
the VSDP program upon hire and at the
beginning of the leave year (January 10th).
Hours remaining from the previous year do
not carry over. Length of state service
determines the accrual rates for these types
of leave. The VSDP Employee Handbook at
http://www.varetire.org/pdf/publications/vsdp-handbook.pdf
provides further information. Paper copies
of the handbook are available in the VHCC
Human Resource Office.
3.20.9.3 Leave
Sharing -
DHRM Policy 4.35, Leave Sharing
Employees may donate annual leave hours they
have accrued to help other employees who are
eligible to receive the leave and who are
experiencing Leave Without Pay. Employees
covered by the Traditional Sick Leave policy
may request to receive Leave Sharing
donations when they are in a Leave Without
Pay status because of their own personal
illness or injury or because of the illness
or injury of a family member for which the
employee is using Family and Medical Leave (FMLA).
Employees covered by the Virginia Sickness
and Disability Program may request to
receive Leave Sharing donations when they
are in a Leave Without Pay status because of
a family member's illness or injury for
which the employee is using Family and
Medical Leave. The agency continues to make
its contribution to the health care premium
for the time covered FMLA leave.
Employees wishing to donate leave or to
request to use donated leave are required to
contact the VHCC Human Resources Office.
3.20.9.4 Family
and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) -
DHRM Policy 4.20, FMLA
The Commonwealth complies with the federal
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in
providing leave with or without pay to
eligible employees for situations defined in
that Act. State policies and procedures
apply to many situations covered by FMLA.
Because FMLA is a designation rather than a
separate type of leave, an employee may also
use other kinds of leave while in FMLA
status. An eligible employee on FMLA leave
continues to receive the state contribution
to health insurance, and FMLA provides
reemployment rights to employees under
certain conditions. Employees may use up to
33% of their traditional sick leave or
available VSDP sick leave to cover absences
for family illness or disability covered by
FMLA.
Please contact the VHCC Human Resources
Office to apply for FMLA status.
3.20.9.5
Compensatory and Overtime Leave -
DHRM Policy 3.10, Compensatory Leave,
and
DHRM Policy 3.15, Overtime Leave
Some classified employees may be eligible to
earn paid leave for work performed overtime
or during non-scheduled work times. The Fair
Labor Standards Act (FLSA) governs
application of these leave types for
employees covered by the Act (non-exempt).
Employees should contact the VHCC Human
Resource Office or Payroll Office for
information and assistance as needed. All
compensatory time and overtime requires
supervisor approval and all overtime
requires prior approval from the Vice
President of Administration.
3.20.9.6
Administrative Leave -
DHRM Policy 4.05, Civil and Work-Related Leave
The Commonwealth grants employees paid time
off for certain reasons related to court
proceedings (including jury duty); for some
kinds of service to official state councils,
boards, etc.; for some activities related to
employee relations processes; and reasonable
time to interview for state positions.
Eligibility criteria and specific conditions
are explained in Policy 4.05. Contact the
VHCC Human Resource Office for assistance in
requesting Administrative Leave.
3.20.9.7 Leave to
Provide Community Service -
DHRM Policy 4.40, School Assistance and
Volunteer Service Leave
As an employer, the Commonwealth supports
employees' responsibilities to their
children and communities through Community
Service Leave with up to 16 hours of paid
leave per year. Parents are encouraged to
participate in school activities through the
high school level. All employees are
encouraged to volunteer through community
organizations to perform direct services in
child development and to provide voluntary
“hands-on” services as part of an organized
community service project. As with all
leave, supervisor approval is required.
Contact the VHCC Human Resource Office for
assistance in determining appropriate use of
Community Service Leave.
3.20.9.8 Military
Leave -
DHRM Policy 4.50, Military Leave
Employees who are members of the
Commonwealth's militia (including National
Guard) are granted paid military leave while
providing military service when called forth
by the Governor. Employees who serve in the
National Guard, Naval Militia, or in a
branch of the military reserve are entitled
to as much as 15 days of paid military leave
for federally funded training or active duty
per federal fiscal year. Employees called
for more than 15 days of active federal duty
in a federal fiscal year may use accrued
leave balances in order to remain on the
state payroll. Employees who exhaust their
leave balances or who choose not to use them
for military duty may be placed on Military
Leave Without Pay.
In compliance with federal requirements,
employees are guaranteed reinstatement to
their original position or a comparable
position for up to five years of cumulative
military service, with certain exemptions to
the five-year cap. Classified employees who
are a member of the National Guard or a
military reserve unit are encouraged to
review their benefits under the Uniformed
Services Employment and Reemployment Act (USERRA).
Some state benefits continue for all or part
of a term of military leave, as detailed in
Policy 4.50.
3.20.9.9
Emergency/Disaster Leave -
DHRM Policy 4.17, Emergency/Disaster Leave
Employees with specific, needed skills may
receive up to 80 hours of paid leave to give
requested assistance in officially-declared
disaster areas, typically in cases of
large-scale flood, fire, ice storm, or a
similarly destructive natural event. To
qualify for this leave, the services
provided must not be within the regular job
duties of the called employees. In addition,
employees who are the victims of major
disastrous events in officially declared
disaster areas, such as destruction of their
primary residence, are sometimes eligible
for paid leave under this policy. Employees
called to provide emergency service through
active duty in the military or National
Guard are covered by the Military Leave
Policy (DHRM Policy 4.50).
3.20.9.10
Educational Leave and Educational Assistance
-
DHRM Policy 4.15, Educational Leave and
DHRM
Policy 5.10, Educational Assistance
Agencies develop the details of their own
policies for Educational Leave and
Educational Assistance. The VHCC policy is
available in Section 3.11 of the VHCC
Faculty and Staff Manual at
http://vhcc2.vhcc.edu/manual/sec3/manual_sec3_11.htm
.
3.20.9.11 Leave
to Donate Bone Marrow or Organs -
DHRM Policy 4.37, Leave to Donate Bone
Marrow or Organs
Employees may use up to 30 workdays in a
calendar year to donate their bone marrow or
an organ and to recover from the procedure.
3.20.9.12 Leave
Without Pay -
DHRM Policy 4.45, Leave Without Pay
In certain situations, employees may ask for
or need to be place in a Leave Without Pay (LWOP)
status. This status preserves some benefits
of employment and permits reinstatement of
other benefits if an employee returns to
paid status. LWOP does not separate an
employee from state service, and many
benefits are not affected, especially if the
period of LWOP is not long. In order to
avoid unintentional LWOP, employees need to
manage paid leave carefully.
Employee-initiated LWOP must be approved by
the agency. Employees are required to
contact the VHCC Human Resources Office
prior to entering a LWOP situation.
LWOP may be Unconditional (reinstatement to
the pre-leave position is guaranteed) or
Conditional (reinstatement will occur only
if the pre-leave position remains
available).
Statement of Public Accountability: State
agencies are public institutions supported
by the Commonwealth of Virginia, a public
employer committed to serving the interests
of the taxpayers and accountable to them for
the effective of public funds. Therefore, it
is the policy of the Commonwealth that
employees are not paid for time that they do
not work, unless they use leave time, such
as annual leave or sick leave, accrued under
human resource policies. Employees will be
placed on Leave Without Pay, and the
paycheck will be reduced, if they are absent
from work for personal reasons or because of
illness or injury, even for periods of less
than one, if they do not use accrued leave
because 1) they do not request use of
accrued leave or the request is denied, 2)
their accrued leave has been exhausted, or
3) they request leave without pay.
If a position is exempt from the overtime
provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA),
there will be no deductions from an
employee's compensation for periods of
absence from work of less than one day,
except for the reasons and circumstances
specifically described in the preceding
paragraph or for infractions of safety rules
of major significance.
3.20.9.13
Holidays -
DHRM Policy 4.25, Holidays
Educational institutions have the authority
to observe a different holiday schedule than
most state agencies. All classified state
employees receive the same number of paid
holidays. Regardless of the schedule worked,
a holiday consists of eight work hours. If a
holiday falls on a classified employee's
scheduled day off, other than a weekend, the
employee will be granted up eight hours of
compensatory leave. If an employee is
required to work on a holiday, the employee
may be eligible for compensatory leave. The
hours worked must be included on the
employee's VHCC Time Record and recorded on
a Compensatory Leave Earned Form.
The Governor or the President of the United
States may designate additional holiday
time. The VHCC Holiday Schedule is available
in the college catalog and is also posted at
http://www.vhcc.edu/index.aspx?page=315.
3.20.10 Employee
Service Awards Program -
DHRM Policy 1.10, Service Recognition
State employees may receive periodic Service
Awards for years of service. Policy 1.10
describes the general state policy. VHCC
presents service awards in five year
increments at the beginning of the academic
year meeting each August. The service awards
program at VHCC is coordinated by the Human
Resources Office.
3.20.11 Employee
Recognition Program -
DHRM Policy 1.20, Employee Recognition
Programs
DHRM Policy 1.20 provides guidance in the
development of Employee Recognition Programs
to recognize employees for their
contributions to agency objectives and to
state government. The VHCC Employee
Recognition Plan follows:
VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION PLAN
The Commonwealth of Virginia and Virginia
Highlands Community College are committed to
recognizing employee contributions to the
overall objectives of the College and/or
state government. Virginia Highlands
Community College supports and encourages
programs that acknowledge and formally
recognize employees for their contributions,
exemplary performance and continuous
service. In addition, the College believes
that employee recognition can contribute to
and maintain a high retention rate and
encourage excellence in service to the
College. The recognition awards are intended
to promote and reward the extraordinary
accomplishments and contributions of
employees in ways separate from the
performance appraisal process.
I. PURPOSE
To establish the tools and programs
available to the administration and
supervisors/managers of VHCC through which
individual employees and/or teams can be
recognized for their outstanding
contributions, exemplary performance, and
continuous service to the College and/or the
Commonwealth of Virginia.
II. APPLICABLE PERSONNEL
Full-time and wage employees are covered
by this policy.
III. DEFINITIONS
A. Immediate recognition is defined as a
type of recognition that provides
acknowledgment at any time for demonstration
of behaviors and values of the organization,
contributions to the goals and objectives of
the organization or work unit, and
individual or team accomplishments.
B. Monetary awards are those paid by any
negotiable instrument (i.e., cash, check,
money order, and direct deposit) or any item
that can readily converted to cash, such as
savings bonds or refundable gift
certificates. Monetary awards shall not be
added to an employee's base pay. All
monetary awards (regardless of amount) are
considered income for the employee and taxed
accordingly. The total of monetary and
non-monetary awards shall not exceed one
thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per employee
per fiscal year.
C. Non-Monetary Awards may include, but
are not limited to the following:
- Non-refundable gift certificates
- Meals
- Movie Tickets
- Plaques, trophies, or certificates
- Pencils, pens and desk items
- Cups and mugs
- Personal items of clothing such as
caps, shirts, and sweatshirts
- Tools
- Electronics
- Sports Equipment
The Human Resources Office, in
consultation with the Business Office, will
be responsible for determining whether or
not non-monetary awards are taxable, in
accordance with IRS tax regulations. The
total of monetary and non-monetary awards
shall not exceed one thousand dollars
($1,000.00) per employee per fiscal year.
D. Recognition Leave is defined as time
off from work with pay awarded to an
employee to recognize the employee's
contributions to the overall objectives of
the College and/or state government.
Recognition leave shall only be awarded to
teams if all members of the team are
full-time employees. Recognition leave up to
40 hours may be awarded to salaried
(non-wage) employees in a calendar year.
Recognition leave is not available to
hourly/wage employees. Recognition leave
expires within 12 months of the date it is
awarded. An employee who is awarded
recognition leave must work with his or her
supervisor to determine when the office
workload and departmental/division coverage
permits use of the leave.
An employee shall be paid in a lump sum for
his or her recognition leave when (1) the
employee leaves state service by
resignation, retirement, layoff, termination
or death; (2) the employee is transferred,
promoted, or demoted from agency to another;
(3) when the employee is placed on Long Term
Disability under the Virginia Sickness and
Disability Program (VSDP). Any active unused
recognition leave that is paid in a lump sum
to the employee is subject to income tax
withholding.
E. Team Recognition is defined as
recognition given to a group of employees
who collectively accomplish a goal or
complete a project or event. Team members
may receive monetary awards, non-monetary
awards, or recognition leave. However, only
teams consisting of full-time employees are
eligible to receive recognition leave. All
members of the team shall receive equal
awards, regardless of employment status or
years of service.
IV. AWARDS and PROGRAMS
A. Outstanding Achievement Award: This
award is granted for achievements that
result in significant benefit to the
College. Achievements may be either
individual or team actions that illustrate
extraordinary accomplishments, outstanding
initiative, or extraordinary support of work
goals and objectives. The accomplishments
and contributions shall reflect efforts made
above and beyond normal work duties or
performance expectations. Examples of
achievements that warrant an Outstanding
Achievement Award include, but are not
limited to:
- Completing a major project under
budget
- Receiving repeated recognition by
internal or external customers for
extraordinary service
- Completing a major project before
the deadline under extraordinary time
pressure
- Working together to develop and
implement strategies to resolve a work
unit problem
- Contributing to a one-time,
outstanding effort, which benefited the
work unit or the College
- Specific accomplishments that
improve internal processes, saving time
or money
The President may present this award
annually at the end-of-the-year meeting. Any
VHCC employee can nominate an individual or
team for this award by completing the
Outstanding Achievement Award Nomination
Form (to be available on the F drive). A
committee appointed by the President to
represent a cross-section of the College
will review nominations and decide which
individual(s) or team(s) deserve the
Outstanding Achievement Award. The President
will make the decision if the committee is
in a deadlock. Full-time and wage employees,
not on probation, having no active written
notices, and with at least one year of
service, are eligible for this award. The
amount of the monetary award will vary
depending on the number of recipients chosen
and budgetary constraints. For team awards,
all members of the team shall receive equal
awards, regardless of employment status or
years of service. Any one employee may
receive up to $1000 in monetary and
non-monetary awards per fiscal year. An
employee may only receive this award every
three years.
B. Immediate Recognition Awards:
Immediate recognition awards are designed to
be a tool for managers and supervisors to
reward excellent individual or team
departmental performance (e.g., completion
of a project or event, exceptional teamwork,
excellent customer service, positive
attitudes, etc.) in a timely manner. The
tools available for immediate recognition
are non-monetary awards, monetary awards
and/or recognition leave, which are defined
in Section III. Other ideas are available in
a book, 1001 Ways to Reward Employees, which
supervisors may check out from the Human
Resources Office. Only full-time employees
are eligible for recognition leave. For team
awards, all members of the team shall
receive equal awards, regardless of
employment status or years of service.
Supervisors and managers wishing to give
an Immediate Recognition award will complete
a Recognition Action Form (to be available
on the “F” drive). The form must be reviewed
by Human Resources and approved by the
appropriate Vice President and the
President. The Vice Presidents will ensure
equitable use of immediate recognition
awards in their respective divisions. The
request for recognition funds and/or
recognition leave shall remain confidential
and is, therefore, not to be discussed with
any employee until the review process is
completed and the funds and/or leave is
awarded. Keeping this process confidential
will prevent resentment if the funds and/or
leave is not approved or available.
C. Employee Suggestion Program: This
program is designed to recognize and reward
employees for the adoption of suggestions
that improve the operations of the College
and/or state government. The implementation
of the employee's suggestion must result in
net revenue or net savings to the agency or
state government. This program is open to
positions covered under the Virginia
Personnel Act to include full-time and
part-time, restricted and “776” employees.
(See section II of Policy 2.20, Types of
Employment). This program is also open to
wage employees and can apply to excepted
employees. The amount of award and other
guidelines are set forth in DHRM Policy
1.21, Employee Suggestion Program. The
policy is directly accessible from the HR
web site under the FYI section.
D. Length of Service: This program
recognizes employees for length of full-time
service (e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 or
more years) to the Commonwealth of Virginia
and/or Virginia Highlands Community College.
This program is open to administrators,
faculty, and classified employees. These
awards are presented at the beginning of the
new academic year meeting in August.
Recipients receive a certificate and an
award. The type of awards and other
guidelines are set forth in DHRM Policy
1.10, Awards for Length of Service. A
picture of the employees who are recognized
will appear in the VHCC Newsletter.
E. Retiree Recognition: VHCC retirees are
honored for their service with a reception
and a plaque or a Jefferson mug.
F. Acknowledgement of Extraordinary
Contribution: All full-time classified staff
are eligible to receive an Acknowledgement
of Extraordinary Contribution commendation
anytime within the year. The form is to be
prepared by the supervisor and approved by
the reviewer but the commendation may be
suggested or prompted by recognition offered
by someone outside the employee's
department. The form is available on the “F”
drive. The completed document should be
submitted to Human Resources.
G. Christmas Luncheon: An annual
celebration in appreciation and recognition
of the vital contributions made by
classified staff in the success of VHCC. The
event is organized by the Classified Support
Staff Association. The luncheon replaced an
Employee of the Quarter/Year program.
H. Administrative Professionals
Breakfast/Luncheon: An annual celebration in
appreciation of the hard work and
professional support of the college's
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
I. Outstanding Classified Staff Award:
Annual award given by faculty to a
classified staff member recognizing
outstanding service to faculty. The award is
given annually at the end of the academic
year meeting.
J. Virginia Public Service Nominations:
The college may nominate employees yearly
for the Governor's Awards in seven
categories: The Governor's Award for Agency
“Star”; The Governor's Award for Career
Achievement; The Governor's Award for
Community Service and Volunteerism; The
Governor's Award for Customer Service; The
Governor's Award for Innovation; The
Governor's Award for Teamwork; and The
Governor's Award for Workplace Safety. Each
state agency is asked to nominate one
employee in each category. The statewide
winners are recognized by the Governor in a
ceremony during Virginia Public Service
Week.
K. Chancellor's Fellowship and
Professorship Program: Faculty and
classified fellowships are available to
assist selected VCCS employees in achieving
educational goals. The Professorship
recognizes and rewards teaching excellence
in community college education. See VHCC F&S
Manual Section 3.25 for the complete VCCS
Chancellor's Fellowship for Classified
Employees policy.
L. Classified Staff Emeritus
Appointments: The establishment of the
status of Staff Emeritus is recommended as a
method of honoring retired members of the
classified staff for meritorious service and
supporting their future contributions to the
College. See VHCC F&S Manual Section 3.26
for the complete VHCC Classified Staff
Emeritus Appointment policy.
V. FUNDING SOURCES
PAC shall establish eligible funding
sources and availability of funds.
3.20.12 Employee
Suggestion Program - DHRM Policy 1.21, Employee Suggestion
Program
The Employee Suggestion Program (ESP) was
created to recognize and reward employees
for ideas that improve the efficiency or
effectiveness of state government. If an
employee makes a suggestion through ESP that
saves time, money, or resources, or will
improve productivity or safety, and that is
outside of the employee's authority to
implement in the normal course of their
employment, then that employee may be
eligible for an award. Additional
information is available through the VHCC
Human Resource Office.
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