Summary: |
The University encourages an Employee Recognition Program to enable the prompt acknowledgement and reward of individuals or groups of employees who achieve high standards of performance in the workplace. This is achieved through both monetary and non-monetary means and the University recognises the importance and benefits of both these rewards, and as such the Employee Recognition Program aims to utilise a mix of these schemes to acknowledge high standards of performance in the workplace.
Monetary rewards such as academic promotion, accelerated and additional incremental progression, retention allowances, higher duties allowances, transfers and secondments have policies specific to these schemes and managers and supervisors should refer to these for additional information. In particular, the Employee Recognition Program promotes non-monetary rewards and recognition for employees. These schemes include: Cost Centre Awards and Acknowledgement - consisting of a public presentation, letter of appreciation or similar at an appropriate faculty/sectional gathering. This may or may not include the presentation of the following: - A personal gift or small incentive to the value of less than $300 (including GST), eg movie vouchers, gift baskets, perfume, corporate gifts - if these items are provided on an ad hoc and irregular basis; or
- A work related item with an unrestricted value, eg mobile phone (only if used primarily for work), briefcase, electronic diary or similar, computer software, notebook/laptop computer, conference registration costs
Public Acknowledgement - formal public recognition of particular efforts and achievements including: - written feedback/congratulations, eg emails to the faculty/section or wider University community;
- congratulations/acknowledgements at Committee meetings;
- publication in faculty/section newsletters and/or websites; or
- University publications including USQNews.
Formal University Awards for Excellence - annual awards for both academic and professional employees. Managers and supervisors should, as an integral part of good management practice, promptly acknowledge high standards of performance within their section through the use of such initiatives. Additionally, the Corporate Travel Office offers a range of personal gifts and small incentives available at no cost to the work area. Managers, supervisors and employees are encouraged to peruse the range of gifts available (including vouchers, small electrical and personal care items, bottles of wine, beer and spirits, chocolates, gourmet kitchen products etc) and make recommendations for the awarding of a gift or small incentive using the employee recognition program reward/gift claim form in recognition of exceptional employee performance. |
People work harder if they are recognised for doing so! It comes back to how important people feel their contribution is, are they noticed and is there a shared experience of achievement. People need to have a sense of related validation – ‘I feel great about what I do, I make a difference and others know about it’. The impact of recognition on employee turnover is remarkable. In one case study, the Big Four accounting firm KPMG found that employees who were presented just one tangible award during a year were half as likely to leave as those who had not received a recognition award. Things to keep in mind when you are considering an employee recognition program are: Make sure the gift is the best form of recognition/appropriate for the individual employee. Consider how to communicate the recognition of the employee – as this can often increase the reward an employee receives from the recognition if their colleagues are aware of their acknowledgement. |