Guidelines for employee recognition program gifts

As part of University's employee recognition program, employees may receive a non-monetary reward such as a personal gift or small incentive up to the value of $300 (inclusive of GST) to acknowledge individuals or groups of employees who achieve high standards of performance in the workplace. 

Through arrangements with the Corporate Travel Office, a range of gifts are available to recognise and reward employees as an accompaniment to acknowledgement of exceptional performance. These gifts are generously made available at no cost to the University.

What type of gifts are available?

Examples of gift items include:

• Vouchers (Myer, Bunnings, Coles, Target, Harvey Norman)
• Ipods
• Small electrical and personal care equipment (eg hair dryers, straighteners, kitchen appliances, DVD player, CD radio, foot spa, sandwich makers, toothbrush, heat massager, shavers, bathroom scales)
• Bottles of wine, beer, champagne, spirits
• Leather goods and accessories
• Movie vouchers
• DVD vouchers
• Linen
• Chocolates
• Pens
• Gourmet kitchen products

What can the gifts be used for?

The range of gifts available to accompany the Employee Recognition Program may only be used to acknowledge exceptional performance on an ‘ad hoc’ or ‘spontaneous’ basis, ie they may not form part of a regular reward program (such as ‘employee of the month’ or similar formal excellence award programs) – this is to ensure compliance with ATO requirements.   Gifts may also not be used as 'farewell' items for departing USQ employees as the intent of the program is to build employee engagement amongst current employees.

Recognition should occur when an employee performs ‘over and above’ normal job and performance expectations. The reason for the reward must align with either:

• Displaying excellence in a behaviour that demonstrates one of the University’s values, ie
• Respect for the individual; 
• Success for students; 
• Social responsibility; 
• Free intellectual inquiry; and 
• Excellence, innovation and creativity; OR 
   
• Displaying excellence in a behaviour or activity that demonstrates USQ’s brand, ie 
• Fulfilling lives; OR
   
• Exceptional performance related to achieving one of the University’s corporate goals and strategies, ie 

  Gifts can be awarded to an individual employee, or a group of employees. However, when a group of employees are to be rewarded, it is preferable for the gift to be in a form that can be celebrated as a team (eg the one voucher of a larger amount to spend on food/drink for a celebratory gathering etc).

  How are gifts accessed?

  Any employee may reward another employee for exceptional performance with a gift as part of the Employee Recognition Program – this can be within the work area or in another work area.  Prior to making this recognition however, it is expected that the nominator contact the recipient’s manager/supervisor to confirm that giving the reward/gift is appropriate (eg that there were no other employees involved in the activity who should also be rewarded, whether this could be presented at a work area gathering for public acknowledgement etc).

  After obtaining the support of the relevant manager/supervisor, the person recommending recognition of the performance through the presentation of a gift completes the employee recognition program reward/gift claim form (DOC 85kb).  The form should then be brought to the Corporate Travel Office, after telephoning to make an appointment, and a selection of gift made. The presentation of the gift and/or certificate should be made at an appropriate faculty/sectional gathering.

  For further information on the personal gifts available through the Corporate Travel Office, please contact Liz Newberry.

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