Staff Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Awards may be granted in FY 20-21. The award amounts in the guidelines are modified for FY 20-21 to reflect the impact of the pandemic on UCLA’s operations. The intent of the award program this year is to recognize those staff members who have made exceptional contributions, going above and beyond regular work expectations to support the campus and their respective organizations.
The Guidelines are consistent with Staff Policy 34, Incentive and Recognition Award Plans and provide a basis to recognize staff members for their achievements and outstanding contributions to the department, organization, and/or the campus.
STAR Plan eligibility requirements for policy-covered staff (PSS and MSP) are described in the Guidelines. Highlights are noted below:
- Awards are in the form of a lump sum and may range from $250 to $2,500. No exceptions will be granted for awards in excess of $2,500. (The XSL Earn Code should be used to process all cash awards that fall within the STAR Plan.)
- Total annual award expenditures are limited to 1% of the payroll base of eligible filled positions. (Please see Section VII of the Guidelines.)
- To receive an award, eligible staff must be on pay status for at least six months and have successfully completed their probationary period, if applicable; they must be on pay status at the time of the payout to receive an award.
- Please note that represented employees in the Clerical Unit (“CX”) and UCLA Skilled Crafts Unit (“K4”) are eligible for STAR awards under the same terms and conditions that apply to policy-covered employees.
- All awards require specific documentation of performance and achievements that are the basis for the award. Only those employees who have achieved a performance rating of “meets expectations” or better are eligible to receive an award. Please utilize the CHR Award Nomination Form for the necessary documentation of award approval.
Campus departments may contact CHR Compensation Services for questions. Guidelines for the David Geffen School of Medicine, which must be consistent with the above parameters, are issued separately by UCLA Health Human Resources.
