Reaching a long service milestone is a fantastic achievement and to show our appreciation, we are pleased to offer an award scheme that recognises those colleagues who have worked with us for 10, 15, 20 and 25 years.
Long service recognition
The Long Service Award is a monetary award that is paid via your salary. We hope that colleagues enjoy using the money to mark the occasion or purchase a long awaited treat!
Colleagues will receive the following amounts:
- 10 Years: £50
- 15 Years: £75
- 20 Years: £100
Please note that these awards are subject to standard deductions.
When will I receive my award?
Following feedback, the relevant amount will now be paid to you when you reach one of the above milestones.
For example, if you will achieve 10 years' service with Oxford Brookes University in April, the award will be paid within April’s pay slip.
What do I receive for 25 years' service?
Due to HMRC legislation, we are no longer able to reimburse the purchase of a gift or the cost of a celebratory meal.
You will instead receive a payment of £345 within your pay slip when you reach this milestone (as per the other awards).
This payment includes the award amount of £225 and the celebratory meal contribution of £120. Please note that the amount is subject to standard deductions.
Colleagues are able to utilise this award in whatever way they wish to. For example, you may choose to use the full amount to purchase a treat or contribute less than £120 to a celebratory meal.
Celebration event for 25 years' service
We also hold an event for colleagues who reach 25 years' service to say thank you for their dedication.
This is hosted by the Vice-Chancellor and offers an opportunity for colleagues to celebrate this milestone with VCG colleagues and Directors. Cake and light refreshments will also be served.
An invite to this event will be sent directly to colleagues.
Why have I not received the full award amount?
As per HMRC regulations, the award is subject to standard deductions including tax and National Insurance. This reduces the amount of the award that you are able to spend.
Why have I not received my Long Service Award?
If you believe that you are due an award, however payment is not visible on your payslip, please contact pdteam-operations@brookes.ac.uk.
Awards are provided for continuous service only. Where colleagues have left and rejoined the University, an award is provided for the current period of service.
How do I know when a team member is due to reach a long service milestone?
Faculties and Directorate PVCs and Directors will receive a list in August for the forthcoming academic year. Information on colleagues that are due an award will then be cascaded to the relevant line managers.
The data is carefully checked by our Operations team to ensure that the right people receive the right award. If you notice any issues, please contact pdteam-operations@brookes.ac.uk as soon as possible.
Please note that Faculties and Directorates are responsible for acknowledging service milestones within their areas.
To support you with this, we have developed templates and resources to recognise long service.
How can I recognise the 10, 15 and 20 years' service milestones?
Alongside the data for the forthcoming year, we will also provide access to the latest award letter templates, along with template ecards. These resources can also be accessed below:
Letter templates
Managers may also wish to purchase their own card (and most importantly, cake) to acknowledge the occasion. You may wish to announce the achievement during a team or departmental meeting.
I am unsure what to include within a card/letter.
Our LSA thank you resource provides suggestions on what to include in a thank you message for long service.