two uc davis employees talking and laughing with one another

Employee Recognition and Rewards Programs

Recognizing the best in our employees

Units within FOA offer department-wide programs to celebrate the contributions of UC Davis employees and recognize excellence. Some staff members work directly with the campus and others more indirectly, but regardless of position, each person has an opportunity to make an impact.

Read more below about the different employee recognition and rewards programs offered.

The Customer Service Champion Award

The Customer Service Champion (CSC) Award program is hosted by Administrative Services and is proud to recognize employees of Finance, Operations and Administration who have gone “above and beyond” in serving their customers.

Award Highlights:

  • Occurs monthly
  • Personalized certificate awarded
  • Spot Award (optional)
  • Anyone can nominate an employee from FOA for this award
  • Recipients chosen to attend monthly event with Vice Chancellor

Nominate an employee for a Customer Service Champion Award today!

On The Spot Award

On The Spot Awards allow FOA departments to recognize FOA employees who have demonstrated above and beyond service excellence and employee engagement for a particular task, issue or customer.

Awards Highlights:

  • Frequency: As appropriate
  • Gift and Recognition: $25, $50 or $75 gift card (annual maximum $75 per employee)
  • Eligibility: All FOA Employees

Process

  • Departmental staff can purchase awards through AggieBuy or use a Purchasing Card to purchase an award.

Staff Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Award

The STAR Award is administered by FOA HR and provides recognition for employee or teams that have demonstrated one or more of the following performance standards:

  • Exceptional performance: Demonstrated and sustained exceptional performance that consistently exceeds goals and work expectations in quantity and/or quality.
  • Creativity: One-time innovation that results in time/dollar savings, revenue enhancement, and productivity improvement; and/or ongoing innovative / creative activities that benefit organizational systems, protocols, and/or procedures.
  • Organizational abilities: Exhibits extraordinary skills in leadership resulting in the accomplishment of significant departmental or divisional goals and objectives; effective project management, which could include developing a project and/or implementing a project with substantial success; and/or demonstrating organizational capability leading to a greater level of effectiveness.
  • Work success: Significantly exceeding productivity, customer service, or similar goals, including demonstrating superior interactions with managers, peers, supervisors, subordinates, the University community, and/or clients and customers served.
  • Teamwork: Acting as an exceptionally effective and cooperative team member or team leader for a team that has significantly exceeded the goals/objectives of the department/unit.

Frequency

  • On request

Gift and Recognition

  • Cash award, taxes will apply.
  • No single STAR Plan cash award may exceed 10% of the employee’s base salary or $10,000, whichever amount is lower.
  • Cumulative STAR Plan cash awards paid to an employee in a Plan year may not exceed 10% of the employee’s base salary or $10,000, whichever amount is lower.

Eligibility

  • Career and casual restricted PSS employees and MSP employees
  • Clerical Unit (CX) employees

Nomination and Selection

The STAR Award Nomination Form (PDF) must be used for every nomination and must be submitted to FOA HR for consideration: 

  • Individual Award Nominations: Individual employees may be nominated based on one or more of the performance standards in the STAR Plan. Input will be required from the employee’s manager/supervisor if someone other than the employee’s manager/supervisor is nominating.
  • Team Award Nominations: Team Awards may be granted to teams of employees who meet one or more of the performance standards set forth in the STAR Plan for work on a project within the same department or for work on the development and/or implementation of inter-departmental projects. Input will be required from the team leader and each employee’s supervisor/manager if someone other than the manager/supervisor is nominating the team.
  • The process for all STAR Plan cash awards require endorsement of the employee’s immediate supervisor and approval of the next level manager. STAR Plan cash awards over $500 also require department head approval. STAR Plan cash awards over $500 and up to $4,999 also require deans or vice chancellor office approval. STAR Plan cash awards above $5,000 require the approval of the Chancellor.
  • All STAR award nominations must be sent directly to FOA HR Director Nancy Hernandez for review and coordination of approvals. Once approved, the FOA HR team submits the award directly to the HR Shared Services Organization (SSO) for processing. Awards are typically paid within 1-2 payroll cycles following the date of submission to the SSO. 

STAR Award Nomination Form