Presentation of service awards
(a) The head of each department of the Government of the United States Virgin Islands is hereby authorized and directed to award quinquennially to each employee for continuous service in any department, including periods in different departments and agencies of the Government of the Virgin Islands a certificate, pin, plaque, or other suitable memento. For services over twenty-five (25) years the department head may present a plaque or other suitable memento. The cost of any awards shall be a proper charge against the appropriation of the department in which the employee serves; Provided, however, That the cost of any such pin, certificate, plaque or other memento shall not exceed the sum of one hundred ($100.00) dollars. Such presentation shall likewise be made to an employee upon retirement who has completed fifteen (15) or more years of consecutive service, as defined hereinabove.
Employees' Merit Award Board; powers and duties
(b) The Government Employees Service Commission is hereby designated as the “The Employees' Merit Award Board” and shall have the powers and duties and perform the functions herein provided. The Employees' Merit Award Board shall, among its other duties and functions—
(1) Formulate, establish and maintain a plan or plans to encourage and reward unusual and meritorious suggestions and accomplishments by government employees aimed at promoting efficiency and economy in the performance of any function of the territorial government;
(2) Appoint departmental or divisional boards or committees to analyze and review suggestions and accomplishments of government employees submitted for consideration under such plan or plans and to make recommendations thereon to the Award Board; and
(3) Make and render merit awards to or for the benefit of government employees nominated to receive them in accordance with such plan or plans.
Determination of nature and extent of awards
(c) The Board shall determine the nature and extent of the merit awards to be made under this section which shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (i) certificates, medals or other appropriate insignia which shall be in such form and shall be awarded at such times as the Board fixes and determines or; (ii) cash awards, which shall be of such amount and shall be payable at such times as the Board fixes and determines.
Government Employees of the Year
(d) The Board shall annually select two officials or employees in the active service of the Government of the United Virgin Islands, one a resident of St. Croix and one a resident of St. Thomas-St. John, to be honored and known as “Government Employee of the Year—St. Thomas-St. John” and “Government Employee of the Year—St. Croix”. The Board may, in its discretion, submit the names of Government Employees of the Year to the Morris F. deCastro Fellowship Board as candidates for the Morris F. deCastro Fellowships.
Regulations of Board
(e) The Board shall adopt regulations governing the operation of any plan or plans established under this title, the eligibility and qualifications of government employees participating therein, the character and quality of suggestions and accomplishments submitted for consideration, the method of their submission and the procedure for their review, nominations for merit awards and the kind, character and value of such awards, and such other regulations as are deemed necessary or appropriate for the proper administration of this title or for the accomplishment of the purpose thereof.
Use of personnel and facilities; assistance of departments
(f) The Director of Personnel shall provide such personnel and facilities of his office as the Board requires for the proper performance of its work. The Board may request and shall receive from any department such assistance as it requires, and each such department shall make available to the Board, upon its request, any of its personnel and facilities required for the furtherance of the work of the Board.