Nominations are Now Open for the 2018 Value Awards
Submitted by ekessler on Mon, 08/20/2018 - 13:44
Do you know a stellar Metro Library staff member deserving of recognition?
Well, now is the time to recognize them! Now through Sept. 5 staff may nominate their peers for the 2018 value awards. Criteria for each award is included in the nomination form. Please limit your nominations to one person per category. Value Award winners will be announced at Staff Day on Monday, October 8th.
Complete the form HERE.
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Though it's not the most important part of the award, I'm curious if winners will be receiving a monetary award as they have in years past.
Thanks! :)
Josh
Josh,
The committee is considering different options for the award this year. There will be more information to come.
Thank you!
Victoria
I may be talking out of school, but it's possible that recipients weren't as thrilled with the gift cards as you might imagine. Gift cards are taxable income (cards that are "cash equivalent" anyway). All taxable income gets taxed and also requires Social Security and Medicaid witholdings (and possibly others. Not sure). Added all up, I'm guessing that might amount to 30 or 40% of the value of the card. So you get a gift card for $250 at the award banquet, and then your next check gets dinged $80 or more.
I'm not on the committee or anything. Still, I'd hazard a guess that they're looking at ways to spend that money without causing such an annoyance after the fact.
If the staff appreciation funds or gift cards are given from the Friends of the Lib. to the individuals instead of becoming funds of the M.L.S., then there won't be a tax. This was a large loss when the funds were given to the M.L.S. to proportion from the friends. This was chosen by the M.L.S. when the dinner was axed.
The key to making gift cards, checks, or cash more palatable is to de-involve the M.L.S. as a money holder.
"Gift certificates
Cash or cash equivalent items provided by the employer are never excludable from income. An exception applies for occasional meal money or transportation fare to allow an employee to work beyond normal hours. Gift certificates that are redeemable for general merchandise or have a cash equivalent value are not de minimis benefits and are taxable."
This is a clip from the end of the description--
The winners of each of the above awards will receive:
His/Her name on the perpetual trophy (which will travel to the winner’s locale each year);
An invitation to a Metropolitan Library Commission to be recognized; and
A seat on the Annual Values Award Selection Committee the following year.
Here's a link to the old announcement of the Value Awards. https://my.metrolibrary.info/drupal/news/announcing-value-awards
It lists some different things so I wonder if it has changed?