Put on another pot of coffee, take a deep breath of the autumn air and get your nose to the grindstone. If you think no one’s going to notice whether you work through your lunch hour to meet that deadline or that you strive for that extra yard, think again.

A new program, Models of Excellence, supported by Human Resources’ Quality of Worklife Programs, will give cash rewards to individual employees and teams of employees who inspire others with their hard work, their ability to get things done and their ability to increase efficiency where they work.

“One of the reasons we wanted to start something like this is because the accomplishments of the Penn staff are very exciting,” said Jack Heuer, vice president for human resources. “As we continue to develop as individuals, we must learn from the success of others.”

Selected by fellow staff, administrators or faculty, or even self-selected, these models of excellence who make the final cut will receive a cash prize of $500. Others who make noteworthy contributions will receive an Honorable Mention award and a cash prize of $250.

Nominees will be judged and assessed by a Selection Committee, which includes administrators, the provost, deans, faculty and a graduate student. The number of awards given each year will vary, depending on the number of candidates who are truly deserving, the awards prospectus indicated.

This year’s awards apply to achievements between July 1, 1998, and Nov. 22, 1999. Staff members gave the awards a thumbs up. Doug Roberts, a research specialist at the vet school, said the program “was a pretty good idea,” but doubts that he would work during lunchtime.

All nominations must include a description of the individual or team’s outstanding contribution to the University and two other University references in labeled, sealed envelopes from individuals familiar with the work cited. One reference must be from the nominee’s supervisor or the nominated team’s manager.

A celebration in honor of the Models of Excellence and those accorded Honorary Mentions will be held in the winter.

Nominations should be submitted to: Models --Human Resources, 527-A 3401 Walnut/ 6228 by Nov. 23. Detailed information about the criteria and selection process is on the Quality of Worklife Web site.