Informal Process
All employees who have a concern or complaint that arises within the course of their employment are first encouraged to seek resolution of the matter through an informal process regardless of whether the employee or work-related issue qualifies for the formal Problem Resolution Procedure. Informal measures include:
- One-on-One Meetings
- Intervention by Supervisor, Manager or Department/Unit Head
- Facilitated Conversations
Formal Process
The formal Problem Resolution Procedure is available to certain employees for assistance with issues such as discharge from employment, resignation in place of dismissal, written warning, suspension, imposed probation and other actions.
Eligible employees must contact Talent Performance & Relations within five business days of the action to utilize the formal Problem Resolution Procedure for non-faculty employees.
For more information, please refer to HR Policy 608: Problem Resolution Procedure for Non-faculty Employees. This policy outlines the method UAB employees with unresolved concerns or complaints of a qualifying nature may use to seek relief through a formal grievance process, including a text alternative for the infographic pictured on this page.
The UAB Service Awards proudly honors those employees who have made a significant career commitment to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The program is designed to recognize and express appreciation to employees at each five-year milestone who have completed five or more years of service to UAB. The presentation for non-hospital employees will take place in March for those having completed the required years of service by December 31 of the preceding year.
In 2024, UAB had 1,223 employees eligible for service award recognition. We appreciate your ongoing dedication to the continuing success of the University’s mission and vision. Select a link below to meet this year's Service Award honorees with 20 or more years of service.
Select a designation group to see this year's honorees.
- 20 Year Honorees
- 25 Year Honorees
- 30 Year Honorees
- 35 Year Honorees
- 40 Year Honorees
- 45 Year Honorees
- 50 Year Honorees
Recognizing Service Award Recipients
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Recognition for 5, 10 & 15 years of service
To acknowledge active employees who reach the 5, 10 or 15 year milestone, service pins and certificates are distributed by HR to campus departments. The Employee Relations department encourages departments to present the pins and provide recognition to recipients in a meaningful way. Suggestions include...
- Present pin and certificate to recipients at a departmental meeting
- Hold a small reception for recipients in your department
- Accompany service pin and certificate with a written recognition letter or thank you card
- Create a Hall of Fame wall with photos of service award recipients
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Recognition for 20-50 Years of Service
Active employees who reach each of these increasingly impressive milestones are invited to a reception on behalf of UAB President Ray L. Watts. Recipients will be presented with a service award pin and certificate recognizing their years of service and have the opportunity to select a gift of gratitude from our selection based on the number of years being recognized.
The Service Award Program offers online ordering of gifts from CA Short. To access the ordering website, you must use the password provided to you in your service award packet. The deadline to place your order is July 31.
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Hospital Employee Service Awards
Hospital employees are presented their service awards annually. Awards for 5, 10 and 15 years of service are presented by the employee's supervisor or department head within their departments. Hospital employees with 20 or more years of service are honored with a luncheon and presentation of pins.
UAB Service Award Reception • April 8, 2025
Check out the 2025 Service Awards 360 Videos!Opens an external link.
Alabama Senate Bill 146 prohibits employees of the state of Alabama from appointing or entering a personal service contract with any person related to him/her within the fourth degree of marriage or blood relation to any job or position of profit with the state or any of its agencies. No employee shall be the immediate supervisor for or in the chain of command (i.e. participate in work-related decisions in regards to hiring, evaluation, reassignment, promotion or discipline) of an immediate family member within the fourth degree of marriage or blood relation. Please see SB146 Family Member Chart for more information. Violations may have significant consequences both within UAB and at the state level.
Exceptions to HR Policy 123: Nepotism may only be granted if a position can be structured to ensure no prohibited working relationship exists among family members. Exceptions must be requested in writing to UAB's Chief Human Resources Officer using the Nepotism Management Plan Request Form below.
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Nepotism at UAB FAQs
Select a question below to learn more.
Q: When should a department or unit submit a Nepotism Management Plan Form for approval?
Q: How do I submit a request?
Q: Would providing additional documentation be helpful?
Q: Who is required to approve the Nepotism Management Plan Form before a hire, transfer or promotion involving a family relationship will be allowed?
Q: Where can I go to review the approval status of a request I submitted?
Q: How will I know when my Nepotism Management Plan Form request has completed the approval process?
Q: How will I know if my Nepotism Management Plan Form request is rejected?
Q: When should a department or unit submit a Nepotism Management Plan Form for approval?If your department has a need to hire, promote or transfer an employee who has a family relationship with another employee within your department or unit, you must submit the Nepotism Management Plan Form online for approval.
Q: How do I submit a request?Refer to the User Guide by clicking on the Help link in the upper right corner on the Nepotism Management Plan Form App.
Q: Would providing additional documentation be helpful?Yes. A department/unit’s additional documentation can serve as support materials for understanding the reporting structure with regard to the family relationship within the area and may assist in determining approval requests.
Q: Who is required to approve the Nepotism Management Plan Form before a hire, transfer or promotion involving a family relationship will be allowed?The electronic form is designed to automatically route to:
- The department/unit’s WAM approvers (based on Hire Doc Type). However, additional approvers outside of the WAM approver workflow may be added as needed.
- HR Talent Performance & Relations
- UAB Chief Human Resources Officer having final approval responsibilities.
Q: Where can I go to review the approval status of a request I submitted?The requestor can view the status of a form awaiting approval on the forms dashboard by locating the approval request email in your inbox and navigating to the UAB Forms Dashboard or by going to the myUAB Portal and selecting the UAB Forms option.
Q: How will I know when my Nepotism Management Plan Form request has completed the approval process?The requestor’s forms dashboard will be updated to show the form has been approved.
Q: How will I know if my Nepotism Management Plan Form request is rejected?If a request is rejected, returned to the requestor or canceled during the approval process, the requestor will receive an email stating such, along with any comments the approver has added.
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Nepotism Contacts
Still have questions?
- Contact HR Talent Performance & Relations: HRrelations@uab.edu or 205-934-4458
- Contact your HR Consultant
Having technical issues?
- Contact: uab.edu/AskIT
The UAB Values in Action Program continues the long-standing legacy of recognizing outstanding, non-faculty employees for their dedication, hard work and contributions toward the university’s success. This program features two awards, the UAB VIP Award and the President’s Award for Excellence in Shared Values, which are considered to be the highest honors reserved for staff at UAB.
UAB VIP Award
The UAB VIP Award is awarded quarterly to UAB non-faculty employees whose work has exemplified and embodied one or more of the UAB Shared Values that propel our institution — Collaborate, Act with Integrity, Respect All and Excel. Generally, three honorees are selected per quarter or twelve for the year.
President’s Award for Excellence in Shared Values
One of the UAB VIP Award honorees, who has consistently demonstrated UAB Shared Values in an outstanding manner, with a positive impact to the UAB Community, will be selected by the UAB President for the annual President’s Award for Excellence in Shared Values.
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Criteria for Selection
The UAB VIP Award criteria include the following:
- Non-faculty employees employed with UAB.
- Must be in good standing with the university.
- Consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to one or more of UAB’s Shared Values in the course of their work.
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Access and Engagement
The selection committee for the UAB VIP Award program is committed to promoting success in the review and selection of recipients for this award. We strive to make sure everybody counts, every day, and that we actively seek varied perspectives in our decision-making, including when recognizing our staff.
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Recognition of Award Recipients
UAB VIP Award
- Letter of Recognition from the UAB President
- Personalized plaque signed by the UAB President
- Order a Gift valued up to $250
- A gift from UAB Visual and Performing Arts
- A gift from the UAB Athletics Ticket Office
President’s Award for Excellence in Shared Values- Letter of Recognition from the UAB President
- Personalized plaque signed by the UAB President
- Order a Gift valued up to $500
- A gift from UAB Visual and Performing Arts
- A gift from the UAB Athletics Ticket Office
- Monetary award
Nominations
All nominations must highlight at least one of the UAB Shared Values and describe how the nominee has demonstrated that value — the more details the better. The nomination must clearly demonstrate that the nominee meets the selection criteria and eligibility requirements. A selection committee comprised of individuals from across the campus or hospital shall review the nominations and select three honorees for that quarter's UAB VIP Award.
Submit a nomination
First Quarter 2026 nominations must be received by Wednesday, January 28, 2026.
Nominations do not roll over from one quarter to the next; feel free to resubmit a nomination for consideration.
HR Updates
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Deadlines and information on vacation accrual rollover for exempt monthly employee
Any vacation accrual balances in excess of the total maximum accrual for exempt monthly employees will rollover to sick accruals on January 1, 2026, in accordance with HR Policy 301: Vacation. The rollover will reflect approved time off requests...
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HR announces selection of Assistant Vice President, Benefits & Wellbeing
Lisa Meddock will join UAB Human Resources as Assistant Vice President, Benefits & Wellbeing, effective January 12, 2026. Meddock has more than 15 years of leadership experience, during which time she has gained a deep understanding of the design...
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2025 UAB Security & Fire Safety Report now available online
The 2025 UAB Annual Security & Fire Safety Report is now available online. To access it, you can go to the UAB Police Department website at uab.edu/police and click on “Read the 2025 UAB Annual Security & Fire Safety (Clery) Report” on the sidebar, or...
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Best practices for submitting time-off requests in CTA
UAB Human Resources has compiled a few tips and best practices for submitting a time-off request in Campus Time & Attendance (CTA). Whether you're planning a vacation, taking a personal day, or requesting partial time off, following these simple tips...
