Years of Service
| POLICY STATEMENT |
Delta State University recognizes the importance of the contributions of loyal and committed faculty and staff to the continuing success of the University. The purpose of this policy is to outline the manner in which the University will determine an employee’s years of service and to recognize those employees who have been employed with DSU every five years beginning with the fifth year.
| DEFINITIONS |
Adjusted Hire Date: the date an employee establishes a regular employment relationship with the University, taking into account breaks in service and periods of temporary employment.
Employee: generally includes faculty and staff employees who are working on at least twenty (20) hours per week paid appointments by the University. It generally excludes adjuncts, temporary, intermittent, time-limited, graduate assistant, and student workers. For specific information on who is considered an employee, contact the Office of Human Resources.
Length of Service: the length of regular or part-time service with the University and is calculated from the original or adjusted date of hire of the employee. Length of service is generally one of the criteria used in decision-making pertaining to, but not limited to, service awards and work assignments.
Original Hire Date: the date an employee first established an employment relationship in an eligible position with the University.
Regular Employment: typically refers to service in an ongoing, regularly scheduled, benefit-eligible relationship with the University.
| PROCEDURES and RESPONSIBILITIES |
This policy applies to full-time and part-time employees, including administrative staff, support staff, and faculty, who work at least 20 hours or more per week and who have been in benefit- eligible positions at Delta State University. Adjuncts, temporary, , intermittent, time-limited, graduate assistants, and student worker service does not qualify as regular service.
Original Hire Date is the date upon which an employee is initially hired by the University. Continuous length of service is calculated from the employee’s hire date to the present with no break in service.
When a former regular university employee is rehired, the employee may be eligible for service credit for the prior employment period. If so, there will be an adjusted date of hire calculated on all previous regular service. The adjusted date of hire will be used in identifying those individuals who are eligible to receive service recognition.
Beginning with the twentieth (20th) year of service, DSU’s Service Recognition Program celebrates the long-term commitment of our DSU employees to the University. Recognizing and supporting the contributions of our faculty and staff is a critical part of fulfilling our mission.
Staff employees with total years of service in regular, benefit-eligible positions are eligible for recognition at each five (5) year milestone. The Administrative Staff Council recognizes and awards those staff employees who have five (5), ten (10), and fifteen (15) years of service. The University recognizes faculty and staff in benefit-eligible positions for years of service beginning with twenty (20) years. Thereafter, faculty and staff receive service awards in five-year intervals as eligible service accrues. Total years of service is calculated and verified by the Office of Human Resources using the Adjusted Hire Date and/or the Original Hire Date whichever is applicable.
The Office of Human Resources will identify the faculty and staff members who are eligible to receive service recognition. The Office of Human Resources will notify the Chair of Administrative Staff Council of the staff employees eligible to receive five (5), ten (10), and fifteen (15) year service recognition by April 15th. Faculty and staff members receiving twenty (20) or more years of service recognition are notified by the Office of Human Resources.
Unused leave time certified towards creditable service with the Public Employees’ Retirement System cannot be used in calculating the total years of service with the University.
Service Pins are awarded to faculty and staff according to the total length of service with the University.
- 20 Year Pin (two emeralds) for 20 years service
- 25 Year Pin (three emeralds) for 25 years service
- 30 Year Pin (two emeralds and one diamond) for 30 years service
- 35 Year Pin (two diamonds and one emerald) for 35 years service
- 40 Year Pin (three diamonds) for 40 years service.
Employees who terminate employment prior to their anniversary date are not eligible for service acknowledgement.
Employees eligible for a service acknowledgement and who are on a leave of absence receive the acknowledgement upon return to active employment.
Responsible Office and/or Policy Owner: Office of Human Resources
| RELATED DOCUMENTS |
None
| STATUS |
Active
| DATES(S) |
Policy Effective Date: 05/12/2014
Approved by Cabinet: 05/12/2014
Reviewed by the Office of Human Resources: 02/27/2019
Approved by Cabinet: 03/27/2019
