Employee Incentive Programs

We humans can be a quirky bunch. At our core I hate to say it, but we’re selfish. Not in a, “there’s a dollar on the subway platform and you’re in the way, so off you go onto the rail-line.” No, that’s just plain evil. And we don’t believe humans are inherently evil. But we do look out for ourselves for the most part. It’s a survival instinct more than anything, and one that is hardwired into most species. Even those lazy fish that stare at you from their glass confines every morning. You think they care how your day is shaping up? They want food, you give it to them, and they then wait the following day, staring at you, for the same darn thing.

Where are we going with all this? We want what we want, work for what we want, and as such require incentives to keep us moving in a positive direction. Companies know this and have designed plans to keep us motivated and moving forward. Cue up the employee incentive programs. Not overly complex here – programs that reward employees for behavior that the company would like to see more of. Let’s take a gander …

First up is a real popular one these days – bring your pet to work. Oh joy, Alex your office mate has his smelly Boxer pup, Dixon, salivating all over your new loafers and getting his snout into your trail-mix. But this is a big deal for Alex, he doesn’t have to leave Dixon stuck in his dingy studio apartment all day and can take part in a cubicle work setting. This makes Alex happy, content with his company and boss, and Alex in turn is more productive. Gold stars for all!

Another popular employee incentive program is perfect attendance. For example, employees with perfect attendance for one month receive an extra $150 in their paycheck. Those that clock in no sick days (sick or faking it) over 6 months pocket a cool $500. You get the gist. Along the same lines but on the opposite end of the spectrum are unlimited sick days. You’ve likely seen this firsthand. Some employees get sicker more than others. At times it is less behavior based and more genetic. Remember the kid that could never go outside in the winter when we were young because he always came home sneezing and coughing. Some people are more prone to getting sick and instead of penalizing it, some employers simply accept it and extend unlimited sick days. Look this one up as unlimited sick days have actually cut down on the number of aggregate sick days taken by employees in some industries. Surprise, surprise …

Another great one – yearly anniversary recognitions. Who doesn’t like to be recognized publicly? You could be the shyest wallflower in the company, but everyone likes a little praised heaped onto them now and again. Yearly anniversary recognitions not only recognize the employee for valued service, but also communicate capability and loyalty to the company. These are highly respected and valued assets in any workplace.

Lastly, a classic, so do copy this one – the boss washes the employee’s car for a month. A real doozy, the big boss recognizing a job well done, bringing some lightheartedness to the workplace, and scrubbing down the employee of the month’s car every Friday in the parking for all to see. You’re envisioning it right now, aren’t you? Not if you’re the boss you’re not!