Awards.com says service awards should start at year one

Awards.com has published a guide arguing that years of service programs should begin at an employee’s first anniversary, not year five, to better match today’s turnover patterns and keep recognition visible earlier. The guide also maps award types to tenure milestones and highlights lower-cost perpetual awards as a way to sustain annual recognition.

Why it matters: - Most turnover happens in the first two years, so programs that start at five years can miss the employees companies most want to retain. - Gallup and Workhuman research found employees who do not feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they will quit in the next year. - The same research found only about one in three workers strongly agree they received recognition in the past week. - Recognition was identified as one of the cheaper ways to reduce turnover and lost productivity, which the research estimated at roughly $322 billion globally.

What happened: - Awards.com released a guide, "How Companies Are Rethinking Service Anniversary Awards," on July 21, 2026. - The guide argues that service awards should start at the one-year mark instead of the traditional five-year starting point. - The company also says service awards should stand on their own instead of being folded into a performance review. - The guide recommends matching the award style to the milestone so a one-year award does not look the same as a 25-year award.

The details: - Early milestones from one to three years call for simple, warm pieces such as engraved glass or acrylic. - Mid-career milestones from five to fifteen years fit optical crystal and perpetual awards. - Long-tenure milestones of 20 years and up call for larger, more personal pieces that name a specific contribution. - Perpetual and stacking awards let employers recognize people every year at low cost. - The display piece is purchased once, then a low-cost engraved plate or block is added each year. - Employers can redirect the savings toward milestone rewards such as cash bonuses, gifts, or branded swag. - Awards.com engraves every piece free of charge. - Awards.com provides a proof before production. - Awards.com has no order minimum. - Employers can order a single anniversary award or build an entire tenure program at once. - The full guide and the years of service collection are available on the company's website.

Between the lines: - The guide reflects a broader shift from treating service recognition as a late-career formality to using it as an early retention tool. - Awards.com is positioning the award itself as part of the daily employee experience, not just a ceremonial object. - The focus on material, engraving and personalization suggests companies are being pushed to make anniversaries feel distinct, not generic.

What's next: - Employers building or revising service programs can use the guide to redesign milestones across the full tenure ladder. - Companies that adopt perpetual awards can keep annual recognition visible while preserving budget for bigger milestone gifts. - Awards.com is promoting its service anniversary collection alongside the guide for organizations planning new programs or updating existing ones.

The bottom line: - Awards.com is making the case that service recognition works best when it starts early, stays visible and scales with tenure.