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Arapahoe County staff propose earlier, automated employee service awards with lapel pins and ‘Wish List’ fulfillment
Summary
County HR recommended shifting service recognition from a 10-year to a 5-year schedule, replacing desk plaques with lapel/anniversary pins, automating awards through a vendor called Wish List, and folding retiree recognition into HR’s process; staff estimated an ongoing $7,800 annual increase plus a one-time implementation fee.
At a study session of the Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners, human resources staff recommended changing the county’s employee service recognition program to begin at five years, automate award delivery, and replace desk plaques with wearable pins.
The proposal, presented by Dusty Sash and Patrick Hernandez of county HR, would recognize employees at five-year intervals (5, 10, 15, 20, etc.), offer lapel/anniversary pins instead of desk plaques, and use a fulfillment vendor referred to in the presentation as “Wish List” to automate award letters and delivery on employees’ anniversary dates. The presenters said the change is intended to increase timeliness of recognition and reduce per-item markup by moving to the vendor platform.
County staff told commissioners that the existing combined budget for service and retirement awards has been about $75,000. Staff said retiree parties have been funded through the treasurer’s office and that the treasurer’s office spends about $12,000 a year on those events. Under the proposal, retiree recognition would be consolidated into HR’s automated process; staff recommended increasing the retirement award to $250 and estimated the ongoing net increase to the awards budget would be $7,800 annually. Staff also reported a one-time implementation fee for the vendor of about $3,000; after clarification during the discussion they said the first-year total would be higher because of catching up two years’ recognitions and the implementation fee.
On the schedule and amounts presented, staff said the proposed service award values would be roughly: 5 years — $50; 10 years — $100; 15 years — $150; 20 years — $200; and continuing up to 40 years (e.g., $400). Staff said employees who retire would receive the $250 retirement award in addition to any service award for that year. Staff also proposed holding an in-person awards ceremony at the county fairgrounds on Sept. 16 to recognize both 2024 and 2025 anniversaries so the program can “catch up” to the earlier 10‑year cadence.
Presenters described options available through the vendor platform including digital gift cards, charitable donations, and general retail purchases (for example, through Amazon), and said the platform would send an award letter and the selected award on each employee’s anniversary date rather than holding a single annual distribution. Staff said previous vendors used a catalog model that included a large markup and that the new platform would remove that markup.
Commissioners responded positively to the recommendations. Leslie Summey, county commissioner, said, “Approve the idea to change our process in service recognition, and we are happy to do it.” Commissioners raised logistical questions about venue and travel; staff noted the fairgrounds location was selected to accommodate a larger number of attendees once the program expands to five‑year recognitions.
Next steps noted in the discussion included finalizing vendor procurement through the RFQ/RFP process, confirming the first‑year budget figures to reflect the implementation fee and the combined 2024–2025 recognitions, and coordinating with local charitable partners if employees choose to donate awards.
Ending: Staff said they will begin implementation steps following the discussion and will return with any required budget adjustments and procurement details for formal action if needed.
