WIBTAH for not accepting an award at work?

Asshole

Where I work at we have a service award that clients can give to us for really going above & beyond for them. I have been nominated for one…by my coworkers. I don’t feel that it means the same coming from coworkers as from clients.

HR says that they have been asked several times about me being allowed to receive the award prior to this. They forwarded me the applications that people have filled out to give me the award over the years for similar reasons to the person who most recently nominated me. I’ve read through all of them. None of them are about outstanding service, or being good in my field.

Instead they’re all about times when I’ve done things, a lot of them very small, to help my coworkers out when I saw that they were having a hard day. Mostly it was just basic respectful behavior. I don’t feel like anything mentioned in any of the applications, singly or altogether, that actually rises to the level of being deserving of recognition.

The thing is HR told me that the most recent coworker to recommend me wants to present me the award @ a special meeting. I’m not comfortable in receiving an award that I don’t really deserve. I’m not comfortable receiving a special presentation of said award. Is there a way to refuse the award without being a jerk but also to let my coworkers that I appreciate them thinking about me?

Posted Feb 19, 2026, 3:51 PM UTC

1055
Loading comments…