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Exemplary Service Awards > Performance Management > Managers > HRS Home

Exemplary Service Awards

Exemplary Service Awards are one way managers can recognize and reward employees who demonstrate outstanding service or performance.

Exemplary Service Awards Overview

UT Austin managers and supervisors may nominate eligible employees to receive up to 32 hours of administrative leave per fiscal year for specific services or activities that demonstrate exemplary service or performance. The awards must be made in eight-hour increments, except awards to part-time employees may be made in increments proportional to their appointments.

Eligibility

Classified, administrative and professional employees who have been employed by the university for at least 12 continuous months are eligible to be nominated for the award. The award is not available to faculty, teaching assistants, assistant instructors or students employed in positions that require student status as a condition of employment.

Nomination and Selection Process

Managers and supervisors may nominate any eligible employee from their units for an Exemplary Service Award, following this process:

• The manager must complete a Exemplary Service Award nomination form [PDF], describing the employee's exemplary performance and recommending a number of leave hours to be awarded. The manager then submits the completed nomination form and the employee's most recent performance appraisal to the department/unit head.
• The department/unit head will review the nomination to ensure that the nominee is eligible to receive an award and the activity described reflects truly exemplary performance. Then the department/unit head will forward the nomination documents to the associate vice president for Human Resources.
• The associate vice president for Human Resources will review the nomination and forward it with a recommendation to the president.
• The president will accept or reject the recommendation and communicate the decision to the associate vice president for Human Resources.
• The associate vice president for Human Resources will communicate the decision to the department /unit head who then notifies the employee if the award is approved.

Use of Leave

The employee must use the administrative leave within 12 months and before using any annual leave. If the employee transfers to another university department, any unused administrative leave will also transfer. An employee will not be paid for unused administrative leave upon separating from the university.