Skip to main content
UC Riverside
Human Resources

Helping employees maximize their potential

Rewards and Recognition

Ray of light icon

Recognizing Our Employees

Rewards and Recognition Programs

Rewards and recognition provide an effective way of encouraging higher levels of performance from employees. Taking time to recognize employee achievements lets them know that they are valued and are an important part of UC Riverside. Recognition is a great esteem builder and can help create workplace loyalty and build a sense of community.

UCR recognition programs have been created to give managers and supervisors the tools they need to effectively recognize and reward the accomplishments of their staff.

Explore Staff Assembly Awards
View the Retirement Gift Program

Quick Links

Programs

The administration of the program is a collaborative effort. Human Resources coordinates the program for staff while Academic Personnel coordinates the program for faculty and other eligible academics. 

Chancellor’s Recognition of Staff & Faculty Service Program

The Chancellor’s Recognition of Staff and Faculty Service Program recognizes eligible employees for their dedication and service.  Awards honor their contributions to UCR students, the university’s mission, and the community. Each service award bears the University of California, Riverside insignia and features a distinctive design commemorating the employee’s service milestone.

Staff Service Award

Each eligible staff member will receive the following:

  • An award based on their years of service — review the Staff Recognition Awards Levels
  • A gilded emblem with the UCR insignia
  • A letter from the Chancellor
  • A service award certificate presented at a general Staff Assembly meeting

For questions regarding the Staff Service Award, contact Demetrius Patrick at demetrius.patrick@ucr.edu.

Faculty & Eligible Academic Personnel Award

Employees in eligible nonstudent academic titles who accrue service credit will receive the following awards:

  • An award based on their years of service — review the Staff Recognition Awards Levels.
  • A gilded emblem with the UCR insignia
  • A letter from the Chancellor

Service Awards will be delivered to the faculty/academic member's department chair or supervisor in the month that they reach their service award level.

For questions regarding eligibility, Please send an email to the Academic Personal contact email address.

Awards Luncheon

Those staff, faculty and eligible academics reaching 30, 35, and 40-year service award levels*, will also be invited to attend an annual service award luncheon.

*Number of eligible months is calculated based on employment service credit which includes the total number of qualifying months of employment service at the University, its DOE Laboratories, and the State of California. Amount of UC Retirement Program (UCRP) service credit may be different from employment service credit. UCRP service credit can be found by logging in to the At Your Service website.

Employment Service Credit (ESC) is calculated in a different manner as compared to Retirement Service Credit (RSC), as follows:

  • ESC is automatically calculated by the Payroll/Personnel System (PPS) based on pre-defined logic. Employees who are on pay status for 50 percent or more in a month automatically accrue one month’s service credit.
  • RSC is calculated at UCOP based on actual hours on pay status. Employees who are on pay status for the entire month receive 100% retirement service credit. Employees on pay status for half of the month receive 50%.

Non-Cash Employee Recognition

Policy-covered and represented employees (including career, contract, per diem, limited and casual restricted appointments) may be provided non-cash awards in recognition of noteworthy work-related accomplishments. Non-cash employee recognition awards are meant to be occasional and therefore must be presented to an employee on an infrequent basis. An employee should not receive more than three such awards in a calendar year. Such awards must be presented on a basis that does not favor highly compensated employees. Examples include: 

  • Gift card/gift certificate up to $75
  • One-month parking permit up to $270
  • One-month transit pass up to $270

These awards are governed by UC Policy BFB-G-41 “Employee Non-Cash Awards and Other Gifts and are allowable under IRS regulations as non-taxable "de minimis" gifts if provided within the policy restrictions and limitations. 

Staff Assembly Sponsored Recognition

Staff Assembly sponsors both formal and informal recognition programs.  These programs allow the efforts of talented staff to be showcased.

Outstanding Staff and Staff Who Make a Difference Awards
Get Recognized Peer Recognition Program
  • Peers can nominate fellow staff members for the work they do that makes UCR a great place to work.  Each month, the Staff Assembly Recognition Committee selects a recipient from the submitted nominations. Those selected will be recognized at a lunch along with other winners. For details, visit the Get Recognized Peer Recognition Program webpage.