Spot Awards

1. Individual Spot Awards

   Individual employees may be nominated for a or Spot Award based on one or more of the established performance standards. Input will be required from the manager/supervisor if different than the nominating individual.

   Established performance standards include:

   1. Exceptional performance: Demonstrated and sustained exceptional performance that consistently exceeds goals and work expectations in quantity and/or quality.
   2. Creativity: One-time innovation or creation that results in time/dollar savings, revenue enhancement, productivity improvement; and/or ongoing innovative/creative activities that benefit organizational systems, protocols, and/or procedures.
   3. Organizational abilities: Exhibiting extraordinary skills in leadership resulting in the accomplishment of significant departmental or divisional goals and objectives; effective project management, which could include developing a project and/or implementing a project with substantial success; and/or demonstrating organizational capability leading to a greater level of effectiveness.
   4. Work success: Significantly exceeding productivity, customer service, quality of care or similar goals, including demonstrating superior interactions with managers, peers, supervisors, subordinates, the University community, and/or clients and customers served.
   5. Teamwork: Acting as an exceptionally effective and cooperative team member or team leader for a team that has significantly exceeded the goals/objectives of the department unit.
2. Team Spot Awards

   Team Awards may be granted to teams of employees who meet one or more of the performance standards set forth above for work on a project within the same department or for work on the development and/or implementation of inter-departmental projects. Input will be required from the team leader and supervisor/manager if different than the nominating individual.

• PPSM (PSS or MSP) employee in one of the following appointment types:
  • Career
  • Partial-Year Career
  • Contract (where eligibility is incorporated into the terms of the contract)
  • Limited
  • Casual Restricted (student employees)
  • Per Diem
• Successful completion of a probationary period, if applicable
• On active pay status or on an approved unpaid leave
• Received a "meets expectations" or better overall rating on most recent annual performance evaluation (PPSM 23 requires that written performance evaluations be completed annually).

  Employees who have not yet received an annual performance evaluation may be eligible for an award if their manager confirms on the nomination form that they are "meeting expectations."

Limitations:

• An employee may not receive a Spot Award if the employee is a participant in an incentive award plan that prohibits the receipt of a recognition award.
• An employee's receipt of a Spot Award under the STAR Plan does not establish any right or guarantee that the employee will be eligible for or entitled to an award in any subsequent Plan year.
• Senior Management Group (SMG) members are not eligible for awards.
• Exclusively represented employees are eligible for recognition awards under the Plan only if the applicable collective bargaining agreement authorizes participation in the STAR Plan.

• Spot Awards may be awarded at any time during a STAR Plan year (i.e., fiscal year) to eligible employees.
• Spot Awards should be processed as soon as possible after the completion of the project or task, generally within three months of the accomplishment.
• Spot Awards are $400 regardless of the percentage of time of the employee's assignment. The amount of the award is taxable. Part-time employees are eligible for the full amount of the award, if all other eligibility criteria are met.
• An employee may receive up to two Spot Awards per fiscal year.

• Spot Award nominations should be submitted to the Recognition Award Administrator for the nominee's department, using the Berkeley STAR Nomination Form.
• Managers, Supervisors, peers, or other campus individuals may nominate staff for Spot Awards.

  Note: If the nominator is not the supervisor or manager OR the nomination is for an employee in another Control Unit, the completed nomination form should be submitted to the Recognition Award Administrator for that unit. This individual can contact the employee's supervisor so the nomination can be reviewed for eligibility.

• The Recognition Award Administrator reviews the nomination for eligibility.
• The decision maker(s) designated by the Dean and VC have approval authority for Spot awards.
• If the award is approved, the Recognition Award Administrator provides an award letter template and a certificate to the nominee's supervisor to be presented to the recipient.
• Awardees receive an award letter, a certificate, and the $400 award (less taxes) in an upcoming check. These documents should be presented to the employee at the same time.