Davis campus staff members are eligible for service awards after completing at least 10 years of service. In addition to receiving a service award, employees are given a higher accrual rate for vacation after 10, 15 and 20 years of service. Note, MSP employees start at 5 years of service.

Employment service credit is used to determine service time for vacation accrual rates and eligibility for service awards.  Departments will continue to recognize and appreciate significant long-term contributions our employees make to the University of California.

Please note that employee service credit does not accrue in the same way as, and should not be confused with, retirement service credit or seniority.

Procedure 

For those employees in FOA, the FOA Vice Chancellor’s Office automatically processes the Service and Retirement Awards Program for all FOA department employees. 

1. For non-FOA managers/supervisors/HR partners, order pins through Aggie Enterprise “Product Search” type in “service award pins” and all of the pins will show on the page. The chancellor’s note cards and envelopes will automatically be included with the pin order.
2. The checklist below will take you through the steps from identifying your award milestones to getting your supply of pins, Chancellor Congratulation cards and envelopes for presentation to your employees.

Years of Service Procedure Checklist 

Service Award Pins

Service award pins are given out at 10 years of service and then every 5 years. Pins, the Chancellor’s congratulation card and envelopes are all available through Aggie Enterprise. Refer to the Procedure Check-list for more information.

Department Congratulatory Letters & Gift Cards

Departments often add a more personal note to the employee from the department head. Here a few examples of department congratulatory letters for your use.

Sample Congratulatory Letter #1 (PDF)

Sample Congratulatory Letter #2 (PDF)

Many Departments also recognize employee service milestones with gift cards. PPM Chapter 380 Section 50 – addresses length of service non-cash awards.

Examples of suggested gift card amounts:

Gift cards can be purchased through Aggie Enterprise...contact your fiscal officer if you need assistance.

FAQ

1. What if I lose my pin or never received it?
   • Replacement pins - Past practice has been that the University will supply one replacement pin per department per year. Please help to insure this practice on an honor basis due to the cost of the pins. Pin backings can be replaced as needed.
2. What if I had previous employment with another UC Campus or State Department?

   • Previous Employment - A new or rehired employee who has employment service credit with other eligible employers should work with their department payroll staff to obtain verification of prior service. The “Request for Verification of Previous Employment" form can be used to obtain verification from outside agencies.

     Service credit is accepted from the following employers:

     • University of California campuses, medical centers, health systems, and Office of the President
     • California State University campuses
     • Department of Energy laboratories – Los Alamos National Laboratory; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
     • State of California offices