Fifth Anniversary Recognition

[bjarvis]

Earlier this month, I completed five years as a full time employee of my Dear Employer (with 3.5 years as a contractor prior to that). To my surprise, there was a package waiting for me at home yesterday: a framed certificate noting my 5th anniversary, a letter from our CEO and a letter from HR directing me to a web site where I can select the anniversary gift of my choice.

The selection is surprisingly nice: I'd guesstimate the price range runs from $150 to $350. Options include golf clubs, rings, DVD players, bicycles, watches, power tools, barbecue grills, lamps, cookware sets and such. At the moment, I'm leaning towards a nice Bulova watch but I'm going to consult with the hubbies ce soir to get their advice & feedback.

Comments

gosh!

[redbearmark.livejournal.com]

we get coloured plastic pins as rewards? sigh

and you aren't set on the golf clubs? (winking)

[manley1.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's much better than what I got after five years of Harvard, which was "wait, you've been here five years? Congrats?"

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Yeah, after five years at University of Toronto, I went to lunch with the dept chair.

Academic institutions don't care much about anniversary dates for non-academics, unless its a retirement of a very long-serving minion faithful employee.

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Out in the hallway right outside my office (here in the bookstore) is a plaque recognizing long-term bookstore staffers and retirees. I'm sure most people haven't a clue who the retirees are/were.

What amazes me is the number of 25+ year employees that have been working the (likely) same job at the bookstore for all that time!

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

not actually true for non-academics at UofT, see comment below.

[pagerbear.livejournal.com]

Nobody notices such things at World's Biggest Financial Printer. They talk about it--I even served briefly on a committee that wanted to do something about employee appreciation, but I don't think anything ever happened.

And my 10th annivesary at WBFP is coming up in November.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

I'd have been content with a company lunch on the boss' account: recognition for simply surviving isn't worth a lot for me. I'd much rather be recognized for the work I do rather than the time I put in.

Actually, I'd much rather just have an increase in my vacation days.

[pagerbear.livejournal.com]

One friend of mine in Australia got a "longevity bonus" after ten years of a substantial amount of paid leave. Almost like a sabbatical.

Here at WBFP, most folks get an additional five PTO days upon reaching ten years of servitude service, but for reasons that don't bear going into I'm already maxed out on PTO days. I will get bupkes for my annivesary.

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

well, to be fair, that's precisely what you would have received at the University of Toronto: for non-acadmeics, vacation eligibility goes up with length of employment. You start off with the statutory 2weeks, and that goes up to 4 or 5 weeks by the time you've been here for a decade or 15yr.

me, I'm an academic, so I got 4wks initially and it doesn't change ever. But they ARE giving me a pin and a festive lunch for being here 25yrs, on Thursday 28 February. (even though I actually started September 81)

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

You can never have enough power tools.

[cuyahogarvr.livejournal.com]

You talk to Kent too much.....

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

No, we're too much alike :)

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Um, yes, we can.

kent4str can order more on his 5th anniversary.

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

But why wait? (insert evil grin here)

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...maybe I'll suggest that to the HR folks here. I'm so underwhelmed by HR at UNM that anything positive they would do would be a shock.

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

ENMU HR is much, much worse :P

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

I don't actually see how that is possible, but I'll let you win that point! ;-)

[urbear]

Hmph. I got a $100 clock for my 10-year anniversary at Veritas. It's more than I was expecting, but a lot less than it should have been.