Long term service awards and benefits

[ginlover1]

Hi all,
Hoping I can pick your brains! I am doing a project on long term service awards at companies and also what benefits they offer their employees. Relativey big companies, around 500-1000 people. Then again, i'm interested in what all companies offer regardless of their size.

Anyone got any feedback? Especially on elements that may be taken for granted, but actually easy and cheap for a firm to introduce but makes an employee feel valued??

Thanks in advance :)

[TheDrsDocMartens]

My husband gets a better birthday 'freebie' after 5 years/10 years. They also get discounts /free xmas party after certain lengths of service (hotel chain). I've worked public sector and got increase in annual leave.

[ShotsFired]

Anecdotal but I believe John Lewis staff get a 6 month paid sabbatical after 10-15-20(not sure) years service.

[Tiggeryoubastard]

I got a medal. Earlier it was incremental pay rises.

[pegomassive1]

Work for a big company we get loads actually
Opportunity for those in customer service to be nominated for helping a customer/colleague and go an all expenses paid holiday
Sales staff incentives of a holiday and all expenses paid trip to London meal in 5*restaurants show etc
Tickets to sports events free
Use of the company box in sporting events
Private medical insurance
There's actually a lot more and it's a great place to work but don't want to out self

[chewingawasp]

Vouchers for long service eg £250 for 25 years, £300 for 30 years etc. Also get private medical insurance and can win various awards for good service or good improvement ideas.

[Gizlotsmum]

We get vouchers for 20 yrs, 30 and every 10 years above that. A celebratory day and meeting with chairman and certificate . It used to include additional leave. However we get additional days leave after 2, 5 and 10 years. We have an internal reward system which can be vouchers, scratch cards or just recognition.

[Gracey79]

We get vouchers at 10 20 30 and 40 years if you make it to 40 years you can choose a month off or a months pay extra. You also get £500 for a party with your colleagues

[MYA2016]

I work for at the uk head office of a well known international company.
2 years = payrise
5 years = better pension
10 /15 years = cerificate only (!!)
20 years = a months salary

[HermioneWeasley]

Speak to OC Tanner - they do amazing stuff helping companies to celebrate careers.

[FinderofNeedles]

I'm in the public sector. There are annual increments as you go up each pay scale (until you reach the top of your scale), and those on higher grades get a few days extra annual leave. That's it ... The organisation won an award a couple of years ago, and all staff were granted 1 day's extra leave that year, regardless of grade or length of service. There are no long service awards in any shape or form, as these could be construed as age discrimination apparently!

They have recently introduced medals for contributions. Anyone can nominate any individual or team for a medal in recognition of 'living the values'.

Have you considered setting up a survey and asking people to complete it?

[MadeForThis]

Large telecoms company. 5 years - hamper. 10 years - uk hotel break

[PippaFawcett]

My DH's workplace is contemplating removing long service related benefits - or phasing them out - because they don't think long service in itself is worth rewarding. HR is rumoured to have said, 'the people who have been here the longest are some of our most problematic employees!'

[CMOTDibbler]

We get paid a day extra for each year of service as an annual bonus which is nice. I believe it replaced getting an actual day off as some people had so much leave!

On milestones you get a lame gift (crystal paperweight, pen, engraved brandy glass) which is a bit of a point of contention as our US colleagues get to choose something from a catalogue so actually get something vaguely useful.

[EBearhug]

An engraved paperweight thing for - I think it was 15 years, rather than 20. I don't think the company had existed long enough for anyone to make 20 (some have now. Don't remember them getting anything for 20.) A colleague in the Netherlands got a glass jigsaw, on account of it not having been packed very securely.

[Aug2468]

Used to get voucher at 10, 15, 20, 25 years service
eg
£200 voucher at 20 years

All long service awards have stopped now, evidently due to cost

[EnquiringMingeWantsToKnow]

Extra day of annual leave for each year's service after 5 years - not sure what the cap is. I really appreciate it, and it's really simple to implement.

[Katy92]

We get an extra days holiday up until 5 years and nothing after that!

[BadToTheBone]

5 years, extra day holiday, £50
10 years, extra 2 days holiday, £100
15 years, extra day holiday, £250
20 years, extra 2 days holiday, £500
30 years, extra day holiday, £1000

Very big company, nationwide with several offices. The extra day holiday is permanent, not just for that year, up to a total of 32 days.

[daisychain01]

We get an extra days leave after 15 years.

Also if you can make it to 30 years, you get to throw a party and invite 20 colleagues which is lovely. I've only ever been invited to one of those, as they are rare.

And of course you get all the usual gumph like an email of recognition and added to the rollcall of long servers.

[MissCalamity]

We get an extra days holiday after 5 years service.
10 years service £250
15 years service £500
20 years service £750

There have been a few employees going for 25 years so I don't know if that's gone up to £1000

[topcat2014]

HMRC rules permit about £50 per year service to be given tax free - but this has to be after long service, rather than short intervals.

However, this should be in the form of gifts rather than cash.

Thus a gold carriage clock for 20 years for example.

[WeAllHaveWings]

Previous employers have always done something around holiday entitlement, either an increase in annual entitlement or a one off extra week off.
The also gave a gift of your choice to value of £200-£500 (depending on number of years), a special bottle of the companies product (whisky/gin), and a meal either with colleagues or family (your choice).