Service Recognition Program
UF Human Resources sponsors the Service Recognition Program, which honors years of continuous service milestones in 5-year increments.
We are pleased to announce that, as of July 1, 2025, the Service Recognition Program has expanded to include full faculty members! Additionally, as part of the program’s expansion, staff and faculty who reach significant milestones of 25-50 years (in 5-year increments) will automatically receive a service pin, as well as a gift of their choice.
The new milestone award criteria (including service pins awarded to 25–50-year milestones) will not apply retroactively to award participation prior to July 1, 2025.
Milestone Criteria
The Service Recognition program, introduced in 2019, recognized TEAMS and USPS staff employees for five-year increments of continuous service, based on their most recent date of hire. As of July 1, 2025, the Service Recognition Program has expanded to include faculty (FA09, FA10, FA12 and FACM) with at least five years of continuous service, based on their most recent date of hire.
As of July 1, 2025, the years of service milestone criteria includes TEAMS, USPS, FA09, FA10, FA12, and FACM employment, in 5-year increments of continuous service, based on the employee’s most recent date of hire.
“Continuous service” starts from the most recent date of hire. If an employee leaves their position for any reason and is re-hired, their continuous service is recalculated from the most recent hire date. Thus, an employee who works for five years without a break in service will receive a five-year award. If the employee has a break in service and returns to work for five more continuous years, they will receive another five-year award, not a 10-year award. A “break in service” is defined as a break of more than 180 days not covered by approved leave.
Service Award Gift Selection
Employees may receive their choice from a selection of gifts from the UF Bookstore. Each month, recipients will receive an email from servicerecognition@ufl.edu, inviting them to select an anniversary gift during their anniversary month. They will have the option to pick up their gift in person at the UF Bookstore or have it shipped to an address of their choice at no charge. Employees are permitted to select a single gift selection.
As of July 1, 2025, staff and faculty employees who reach significant milestones of 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 years will automatically receive a service pin, as well as a gift of their choice. The program’s expansion to include service pins awarded to 25–50-year milestones will not apply retroactively to award participation prior to July 1, 2025.
Service Recognition Ceremony
Additionally, staff and faculty employees celebrating 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 years of service in 2025 will be honored at an evening event hosted by the Office for the Vice President of Human Resources in 2026.
UFHR will continue to work with Service Recognition Liaisons — to provide information about employees who are reaching service milestones each year and to provide other guidance about the new program. Those who have questions are encouraged to contact Verlissa Ford in UF Training and Organizational Development at (352) 273-0149 or v.ford@ufl.edu.
Please note: These length-of-service awards, in large part because they are given to employees in five-year increments, are not taxable (per IRS Publication 525 Taxable and Nontaxable Income).