Service awards

How are years of service calculated?

Years of service are calculated from your initial hire date and include all time worked in regular, temporary, and casual roles. If there are breaks in employment (for example, an unpaid leave of absence, or if you resign and are later rehired), your service before and after the break is added together, but the time away does not count toward your total service. Time away for medical and/or legislated leaves is included in your total years of service.

Do my years as a contractor (such as associate faculty or business partner) count toward service awards?

Only years as a regular employee are counted toward service awards. While we greatly value the important contributions of contractors, associate faculty, and partners, this time cannot be included as it is not considered employee service under CRA rules.

Does taking a leave affect my years of service?

It depends on the type of leave. Time away for medical or legislated leaves does count toward your total years of service. Other breaks in employment, such as unpaid leaves of absence or time between resigning and being rehired, do not count — but your service before and after the break is added together.

What if I’ve worked here more than once? Do my years of service add up?

Yes. If you return after a break in employment, the time you worked before and after will be added together. The break itself, however, does not count toward your total years of service.

I’m celebrating a milestone year of service. Why wasn’t I contacted?

Because milestone recognition involves a manual review of records, occasional errors can happen. If you believe you’ve reached a milestone but haven’t been contacted, please let us know so we can confirm your information.

What service milestones are recognized?

We celebrate employees who reach 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 years of service — and every five years after that.

When are service awards presented?

Milestones are recognized each year at our Celebrating U event, where we celebrate employees together as a community.

Does my milestone year change my vacation or benefits package?

No. Service award milestones are separate from your vacation entitlements and benefits.

What if I prefer not to be recognized publicly?

We aim to make recognition personal and meaningful. You’ll have the chance to share your preferences in advance of the celebration.

How will I know if someone on my team (or a colleague) is celebrating a milestone?

At the start of each year, managers receive an email listing the employees in their area who are celebrating service milestones. The message includes the date of each milestone, and we encourage managers to note it in their calendars so they can recognize and celebrate their team members. 

It’s also important to remember that not everyone enjoys public recognition, so we encourage managers and colleagues to check in with employees about their preferences and celebrate them in a way that feels meaningful to them.

I’ve been listed as a cheerleader. What does that mean?

If a colleague celebrating a milestone has named you as a cheerleader, it means we’ll connect with you to help kick off their recognition on the Recognition Hub. The Hub is our virtual yearbook (hosted on Padlet) where colleagues can share stories, memories, kudos, and kind words. As a cheerleader, your role is to make sure the person being celebrated has at least one message waiting for them when the Hub goes live — helping set the tone for others to join in.