# Policy AM-204-32 Employee Recognition Program Published by the Baltimore City Department of Legislative Reference. ## Policy AM-204-32 Employee Recognition Program Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-204-32 (2026) scope This policy establishes the guidelines for the Employee Recognition Program. This program is designed to: This program applies to all permanent employees of the City of Baltimore. overview The Employee Recognition Program establishes three categories of recognition for City employees: Service Awards, Recognition Awards and Achievement Awards, and Safety Awards. Each City agency shall establish and administer internal procedures, including announcements, forms, and posters for the program. Whatever plan an agency uses to make nominations must be reported to the Department of Human Resources (DHR). Each agency manager and employee shall participate in the program to insure equity and fairness in the distribution of awards. Each agency head will appoint an Employee Recognition Program Coordinator, hereinafter referred to as the Agency Coordinator. DHR will administer the Employee Recognition Program. service-awards The purpose of these awards is to recognize 10 or more years of employment at 5-year intervals. Employees will receive service pins for the completion of 10 years of service and each succeeding 5-year interval. At least once each year an agency ceremony may be held whereby employees reaching the required years of employment will receive service pins. Special certificates will also be awarded by the agency head to employee attaining 30 or more years. Awards for 45 and 50 years will be presented at the City’s Annual Employee Recognition Awards ceremony. Criteria – Service Awards Eligibility for service awards requires an entry date, which establishes the length of employment. The City’s payroll system will be the only source for determining length of employment. Procedure – Service Awards 1. In February of each year, the DHR will transmit to each agency the names of all City employees who have reached the employment requirement for the preceding calendar year. 2. The agency will order the appropriate number of service pins from the City warehouse system for each eligible employee. 3. Employees will receive their service pins and/or certificates in an agency-scheduled and sponsored ceremony no later than September 30 of each year. 4. Employees with 45 or more years of employment will receive special service certificates at the City’s Annual Employee Recognition Awards ceremony. achievement-awards-and-recognition-awards The purpose of these awards is to recognize outstanding individual service to the City. The Achievement Awards are the highest awards granted by the City in recognition of sustained and exceptional service. They are awarded to two (2) employees regardless of occupational category. Achievement Award winners will be selected from among those nominated for Recognition Awards. A total of 11 awards (two Achievements and nine Recognitions) will be presented by the Mayor at the City’s Annual Employee Recognition Awards ceremony. Annually, each agency may nominate employees to be considered for Recognition Awards. Each agency may nominate no more than two employees per occupational category for Recognition Awards. The Recognition Awards are given to only one employee in each occupational category. The occupational categories are listed below: Public Safety: Classes in which workers are entrusted with safety of the public, security and protection from destructive forces. Examples are police officers, fire fighters, guards, sheriffs, school police, parking control agents and similar classes. Education: Classes in the Department of Education whose workers are in major educational programs requiring specialized training and State certification. Administrative/Office Support: Classes in which employees are responsible for internal and external communication, recording and retrieving data and/or information and other paperwork required in the office. Examples are office assistants, data entry operators, accounting assistants, administrative coordinators, office supervisors and similar classes. Supervision/Management: Classes in which employees set broad policies, exercise overall responsibility for execution of these policies or direct individual departments or special phases of an agency’s operations. Examples are department heads, bureau heads, assistant directors, superintendents, division chiefs, project managers and similar classes. Engineering and Inspection: Classes in which employees design and/or evaluate parts of major construction projects and ensure that construction complies with the design and specifications. Examples include engineers, inspectors, survey technicians and similar classes. Professional Services: Classes which require specialized and theoretical knowledge which is usually acquired through college training or through work experience and other training which provides comparable knowledge. Examples include personnel and labor relations workers, social workers, psychologists, nurses, lawyers, accountants, systems analysts, librarians, and budget analysts and similar cases. Human Services: Classes in which one-on-one services are given to members of the public. Examples include counselors, recreation assistants, home health aides, educational assistants and similar classes. Technical/Skilled Craft: Classes which require special manual skill and a comprehensive knowledge of the processes involved in the work through on-the-job training or an apprenticeship program. Examples include mechanics, electricians, carpenters, pipefitters, cooks, water and waste water technicians, stationary engineers, typesetters and similar classes. Service/Maintenance: Classes in which workers perform duties which result in and contribute to the comfort, convenience, hygiene or safety of the general public or which contribute to the upkeep and care of buildings, facilities, and grounds of public property. Examples include chauffeurs, truck drivers, heavy equipment operators, bus drivers, custodial employees, building repairers, groundskeepers, food service workers and similar classes. Criteria – Achievement and Recognition Awards To be eligible for an award, the employee must have, for at least the two consecutive calendar years immediately prior to the determination of award eligibility: Awards An employee will receive the following amount of Permission Leave if selected for these awards.

Type

Achievement Award

Recognition Award

Days Awarded

5

3

No. of Persons

2

9
All leave must be used in whole day units by the end of the calendar year in which the award is received. The agency is responsible for ensuring that no more than the number of days awarded are used. Procedure – Achievement and Recognition Awards 1. A good or outstanding performance rating under the performance evaluation system. 2. A satisfactory employment record with no documented rule violations or disciplinary problems. 1. The agency may nominate no more than two employees for Recognition Awards in any of the eight categories listed above other than Education, which is limited to Department of Education employees. All nominations must be made on the Employee Recognition Program Nomination Form (28-1408-5166). 2. The Recognition Award for Education is limited to teachers and administrators in the Department of Education. Not more than 10 nominations may be submitted, with one from each of the major programs or organizational units within the department, as determined by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. 3. The agency coordinators will submit the names of nominees with the nominating documents to DHR by March 1 of each year. 4. DHR will submit the nominees' names to the City Award Panel comprised of a representative form the Mayor’s Office, three agency heads, and two union association presidents. 5. The City Award Panel will select the Recognition Award recipients from the nominees submitted by the agencies. The Achievement Award winners will be selected from nominees for the Recognition Awards across all occupational categories. 6. The award recipients will receive their awards at the City’s Annual Employee Recognition Awards ceremony. There may be an existing, agency program which could produce a number of potential nominees, e.g., a City agency administers an Employee of the Month Program. The agency may choose to select from among recent winners of agency awards, or may elect to accept special nominations once a year for Recognition Awards. Each agency has the latitude to create and administer a selection process that considers employees in the most effective and equitable manner. safety-awards The purpose of these awards is to promote safety awareness and the overall prevention of accidents. It is envisioned that the Safety Program will contribute to the overall reduction of citywide job related injuries through the recognition of safe behavior by employee groups. Criteria – Safety Awards To be eligible for a Safety Award, the employee group must have: Awards One work crew or group including the supervisor will receive the following amount of permission leave and a Safety Award certificate:

Type

Safety Award

Days Awarded

Up to 15 days for the group, with a

Maximum of 1 day per employee.
All leave must be used by the end of the calendar year in which the award is received. The agency is responsible for ensuring that no more than the number of days awarded are used. Agencies must insure that supervisors and employees clearly understand the group designation to assist in determining and tracking lost time, sick time, discipline and work injuries by the work group or work crew. Units with the highest number of “staff days” accident free (or with the greatest improvement rate over the last 12 months) would be recognized each year at the agency’s annual awards ceremony. Positive efforts to improve safety, such as safety suggestions or volunteer safety work, will also be considered in determining the award recipients. DHR may establish additional Safety Awards based on type of occupation or work sites. Procedure – Safety Awards 1. A minimum number of safety violations in the last 12 months. No member may have received a letter of warning or suspension for unsafe practices. 2. Minimum job related injuries according to agency records for the work crew. 3. Minimum lost time due to job-related injuries. 4. Minimum number of sick days used by the work crew, including the supervisor. 5. At least two members in the work crew. 6. A superior record of productivity for the work crew. 1. The agency coordinator will establish a plan for submission of nominations to an agency safety awards panel. Safety officers will be standing members of the Panel for Safety Awards). Prior to agency implementation, whatever plan the agency uses to accept nominations must be approved by DHR to ensure maximum participation of employees at all levels. All nominations must be made on the Employee Recognition Program Nomination Form (28-1408-5166). 2. The agency coordinator and the agency award panel will select the Safety Awards nominees and submit them to the agency head for final approval. Each agency may nominate one work crew for the City Safety Award for every 500 employees. 3. The City award panel will select the Safety Award recipients from the nominees submitted by the agencies. 4. The award recipients will receive their awards at the City’s Annual Employee Recognition Awards ceremony. awards-ceremony Service Awards for employees with 45 or 50 years of service, Employee Recognition Awards, Achievement Awards, and the Safety Awards will be issued at the City’s Annual Employee Recognition Awards ceremony. The Department of Human Resources will plan the event with assistance from the agency coordinators. The program may be funded at least in part by selling tickets to the public and employees. Monies for the award ceremony may also be raised by other fund raising activities. non-selectee-awards Agency heads may honor the employee(s) not selected for a citywide award by whatever method is appropriate. Such an award will give nominees a chance to know of their nomination and allow other employees to congratulate them. *History: April 3, 2000*