Ethics Commission OKs Incentives For State Employees

State agencies can use taxpayer dollars to purchase incentives or parting gifts for government employees, the West Virginia Ethics Commission ruled Dec. 4.

The commission recommended that agencies spend no more than $25 per person per year on incentives such as thank-you lunches or key chains and other gifts. It also recommended that agencies spend no more than $100 on gifts for retiring employees.

The commission took up the issue because commission staff have received numerous questions about what supervisors could do to boost morale and reward employees, said Lewis Brewer, the commission's executive director.

The $25 spending limit was picked because that is the amount state employees can receive in gifts from the public, such as vendors they work with, Brewer said.
Supervisors can choose to spend their allotments all at once. For example, they could spend up to $250 on catering for a lunch for 10 employees, given they're allowed to spend $25 per employee.

The commission's recommendations don't apply to working lunches or  expenses incurred by employees for doing their jobs.  Agencies are under no obligation to report their expenses to the commission, Brewer said. The commission's decisions are just advisory opinions, not law.