Years of Service Awards for Employees: A Guide to Celebrating Tenure

Plan service awards that drive employee recognition and retention—years-of-service tips plus anniversary gifts like plaques, notes, PTO, trips, and parties.

Author: Michael Schwandt, Chief Marketing Officer

Most companies have a standard onboarding plan, an annual performance review cycle, and a compensation structure — the well-worn playbook for managing employees. But here’s the thing: none of those touchpoints actually say “we see you.” And when an anniversary or significant milestone quietly passes without acknowledgment, silence speaks louder than any raise.

People deserve (and love) to be celebrated! We built the Imprint Engine brand around creating thoughtful brand experiences that stay on people’s minds and in their hearts. We believe offline, tangible expressions of appreciation can completely change the way employees and customers perceive, engage with, and feel about your brand.

One of the best places to put a brand experience program to work? Recognizing employees for sticking around.

Key Takeaways

• Retention over Recruitment: It is significantly more cost-effective to retain existing talent than to onboard new hires.
• Culture Matters: Employees are four times more likely to leave due to poor engagement and culture than for better pay.
• Combat Loneliness: Recognition programs foster a sense of community, addressing the 20% of global employees who feel lonely at work.
• Diverse Award Options: Effective recognition ranges from tangible trophies and desk ornaments to experiential gifts like extra PTO or travel.
• Leadership Impact: 44% of employees value recognition most when it comes directly from high-level leadership.

Table of contents

1. What are years of service awards?
2. Why are years of service awards important?
3. 7 examples of service awards for employees
4. Frequently asked questions

What are years of service awards?

Years of service awards — sometimes called career milestones, service anniversaries, or tenure awards — commemorate an employee’s time at work and the contributions they’ve made along the way. They’re often given in five-year intervals, but who are we to dictate your appreciation cadence? These awards can come in many forms, but the intent remains the same: to engage, retain, and recognize your loyal team members. The best programs go beyond simply counting years. They call out each person’s specific accomplishments and the unique value they bring to the team.

Why are years of service awards important?

In news that isn’t new: It is more expensive and time consuming to onboard new hires than it is to retain existing employees. That fact is simple. So celebrating tenure should be no-brainer! A Gallup study observing last year’s retention statistics shows that four times as many people left their job due to “Engagement and Culture” compared with the number of people who primarily left for better “Pay/Benefits.”

People are seeking company engagement more than previous years, and they’re evidently putting it on a higher pedestal than compensation. Employees spend more time at work than anywhere else during the week. The least leadership can do is show up for the people who show up every day. And these awards are mutually beneficial. Service awards don’t just make people feel good, they actually move the needle on performance, retention, and the kind of culture people want to stay in.

Boost employee morale

Globally, one in five employees experience loneliness at work according to Gallup’s new State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report. When people feel genuinely connected at work, everything gets better — their performance, their loyalty, and honestly, their day-to-day happiness.

Service awards show employees that you acknowledge and appreciate their time and hard work. Done right, these moments of recognition build the kind of belonging that makes people genuinely want to come to work, not just tolerate it.

Demonstrate values

They joined your team for a reason, right? You introduced them to an intriguing and inviting culture that made them want to sign on as an employee. Years of service awards show employees that their efforts don’t go unnoticed and that there is plenty of recognition to look forward to.

People do expect some sort of acknowledgement of their accomplishments. These awards serve as an opportunity to demonstrate your gratitude along with your cultural values as a company.

Build loyalty

Almost 40% of employees who’ve been with a company for less than six months plan to leave within the next year. That’s a 6% jump from last year. Loyalty is evidently fleeting, so recognition awards such as years of service should undoubtedly be part of your retention strategy. Consistent, earnest, and unprompted recognition encourages people to continue contributing and most importantly, stay awhile.

This strategy works externally too: Read about how to build customer loyalty.

7 examples of service awards for employees

Years of service awards can be as intricate or as straightforward as you like! First things first, make sure you’ve thought about your promotional budget. Awards don’t necessarily have to come in the form of a traditional plaque or trophy. (Although who doesn’t love a trophy?) The award doesn’t even need to be tangible. The most effective service awards tend to nail three things: celebration (a gift the employee actually wants), relevance (a symbolic connection to your organization), and presentation (personalized delivery from leaders and peers that makes it memorable). Keep those ingredients in mind as you browse these seven service award examples we love to implement:

Desk ornament or decoration

Meaningful and high quality desk decorations can be a great way to level up your employee’s work setups. Whether it’s a clock, custom pens, or paper weights, we’ve got something for everyone. Here’s a few of our favorites:

• Desk clock
• Custom magnets
• Crystal paper weight

Commemorative framed photo or video

When you stay at a job for a long time, chances are you make some friends along the way! Give your employee a memory to cherish by framing a photo from a team event or holiday.

• Custom picture frame
• ‘Home’ Video: Record and edit a video compilation of each team member congratulating their tenure and sharing their favorite thing about working together.

Traditional award

Trophies, plaques, and other traditional awards are thoughtful and sometimes unexpected ways to honor an employee for their years of service. Add their nickname or accomplishments to the award to make it extra special!

• Traditional plaque
• Stone plaque
• Unique trophy

Handwritten card

Most of us hold onto the cards people actually took time to write. Most people (76% of them, actually) save handwritten thank you notes. That’s because they’re genuinely meaningful! Write a letter of recognition that calls out specific achievements or contributions that make the honoree an asset to the company.

According to Deloitte, 44% of employees value recognition from higher levels of leadership the most, so go the extra mile and have your high-level leadership folks do the writing, then get signatures or additional handwritten messages from others on their team.

Extra PTO

A lot of companies increase employees’ allotted PTO each year of employment or in five-year increments to reward tenure. Smart move. You can also award extra PTO days as a lump-sum gift so they can plan a family vacation or an extended weekend to commemorate their milestone year. Pro tip: pair the PTO with a handwritten note explaining why they’ve earned it. That way it feels intentional, not just like an HR checkbox.

Experiential gifts

It’s not uncommon for companies to commemorate major milestones like ten years of employment with a paid trip or sabbatical leave. If a trip is out of budget, or to commemorate shorter tenure milestones like five years, concert tickets, sporting event tickets, or airfare credits are great experiential reward options that won’t collect dust or go to waste.

Parties and ceremonies

Presenting an award during an all-team meeting or after-hours party makes the tenure celebration visible to everyone in the organization. This not only amplifies the honoree’s pride and sense of belonging, it inspires their coworkers to strive for the same level of recognition. During the event, have a company leader present the award and highlight the employee’s achievements. But don’t stop there. Invite peers to share their own words of recognition, and consider including a printed keepsake with personalized messages from the team. For major milestones, involving family or close friends can turn a company event into a genuinely unforgettable moment.

FAQs

What do you give an employee for 20 years of service?

Twenty years is a career-defining milestone. The gift should feel like it. Recommendations include experiential rewards (paid trip, sabbatical, curated experience), a custom traditional award with a specific callout of contributions, a high-quality personalized desk piece, extra PTO as a lump sum, and a handwritten letter from leadership, noting that 44% of employees value recognition from senior leaders most (Deloitte). The best 20-year awards combine a tangible keepsake with a public moment of recognition.

When should you give years of service awards?

Most companies recognize service at five-year intervals (5, 10, 15, 20, 25), but starting earlier is smart. Suggested cadence: Year 1 as a welcome milestone (noting that nearly 40% of employees under six months plan to leave within the year); Years 3 and 5 as the first major retention checkpoints; Years 10–25+ as major milestones deserving proportionally bigger recognition. The key isn’t the “right” interval, it’s consistency. A predictable cadence tells employees there’s something worth staying for.

How do you set up a years of service award program?

A step-by-step framework covering six actions: (1) Set milestone intervals, (2) Define budget per milestone (with link to existing promotional budget article), (3) Choose award types scaled to tenure, (4) Build a presentation plan (who presents, where, when), (5) Make it personal — call out specific contributions, not just years, (6) Systemize it with HR platform flags or calendar reminders. Need help building it? Let’s talk! We help teams design service award programs that employees actually look forward to.

Foster employee loyalty and meaningful recognition with Imprint Engine

The best way to engage your team is by making them truly feel seen and connected. And life is too short to let another anniversary slip by uncelebrated. At Imprint Engine, we design, produce, and deliver service award programs end-to-end — from custom awards and curated gift kits to global fulfillment through our IEX platform. No juggling vendors. No dropped milestones. Just one integrated team making sure every employee feels the recognition they’ve earned. Let’s build your program together.