employee incentives

Jeanbean · Jan 16, 2000

I work in a physician office that uses a monthly incentive program- there is a $ amt that is "at risk". You can earn anywhere from 75%-110% of this amt based on monthly evaluations and practice productivity. A large % is based on goals that we set for ourselves. These can be anything from holding a training inservice on a topic of our choice to taking on a long-term project that needs to be done. This is a good way to entice people to do more than the minimum. Also involved is a monthly eval. from the manager and docs. It ends up being an additional $1 per hour if you get 100%.

PathFinder · Jan 20, 2000

I have to believe that $ may not be an option for you, so I would encourage you to get a copy of "1000 ways to reward employees" (the title is something like that). Amazon.com should be able to assist you.

Consider "Thank you notes" -- these are simple notes stocked on the unti that ANYONE can fill out about ANY staff member and drop in a box for you. They say something like this:

Today I really appreciated what ______(name) did and I want him/her to know that someone noticed! (Describe situation briefly)__________________________________________________________________________________________So, please add thisk to his/her "kudos" for the month!

You collect these, you sort them, you "acknowledge great service" using this data, and you may even want to post a list of the comments (people Love to read about themselves!) but have them typed so that handwriting will not disclose the author!

Another "reward" could be simply offering continuing ed opportunities to your best producers -- not "sentencing" people to training who fail at simple work expectations, but actually sending your best people to conferences, or workshops!

Finally, what about motivational events -- a monthly speaker (someone local?), a monthly birthday celebration, a pot-luck dinner at someone's house (yours?), or maybe a pair of movie tickets to someone who's clearly gone the extra mile that month?

Have a great time thinking up things that will work in your setting! I hope you have great success with it!

tinkertoys · Jan 21, 2000

At our facility, we utilize "PEP Cards". They are business-card size, with blanks for the recipient's name, date, reason for special thanks, and person issuing the card. They are available to staff, patients, family members, etc. When a staff member receives a PEP card, it is turned in to the front office. On the next paycheck, the employee receives a per card "bonus"...$1 if issued on 7-3, $2 for 3-11, and $3 for 11-7 (because there are fewer real opportunities to 'earn' a PEP card on later shifts). Money-wise, it's not much, but the card itself is an immediate, specific 'Thank You'. I know several people who have not redeemed some of their cards, because the sentiment expressed was worth more to them than the cash.

laura · Jan 22, 2000

My facility just started a care bucks program a few months ago. Any one can nominate someone for carebucks for going above and beyond. They can then be used to bid for items at an auction at the monthly staff meeting.

sclaunch · Jan 22, 2000

We had a weekend incentive started but due to the budget--it is on hold. These are great ideas, I sure could use them in my unit...we have a lot of unhappy employees and we have cliques...any ideas on how to get rid of/get better attitudes of those who do not really want to be at work or gossip about others behind their "friends" back and hurt other peoples feelings. Especially when One is a perfect nurse! I'm at a loss because I am losing good nurses because of this group.

PathFinder · Jan 22, 2000

I just found an old journal -- here are some ideas I logged into it a few years ago. Money was an issue, so these are all pretty "cheap" ideas -- good luck!

Quarterly unit-elections for:

*Nicest Nurse (attitude!!)

*Mentor (teaching others)

*Looking Good! (dress code, great scrubs, etc)

Bulletin Board with:

*Current journal article of interest

*Heart stories (the "Chicken Soup" books are great for these!)

*Pictures --

--Staff members as babies/toddlers

--Magic Moments (proms, weddings, anniversary celebrations, graduations)

--Vacation Highlights & Postcards

*Inspiration (anybody can post, these get saved into a scrap book for re-use years from now.

These are all ways that you can show staff HOW to take responsibility for the environment in which they do their jobs. Hopefully others will contribute and follow your example.

Someone does need to be in charge and keep a bulletin board up to data. You also have to be committed to removing anything that smacks of cynicism -- it hurts morale, it offends your customers, & it will infuriate administration!

Good luck in your efforts.

Nancy1 · Mar 7, 2000

Originally posted by theleader:
I want to start some employee recognition programs in my LTC. Besides employee of the month, what are other facilities doing. I have a great bunch of people and feel they deserve more than monetary rewards once a year.They don't seem to have any ideas of their own.
I work in LTC, we have a carbonless copy form that anyone can write on. It is called Performance Recognition. Nurses, CNAs, Housekeeping. The staff person gets the carbon and the original goes into the employer folder so it can document for eval purposes.
We also do free lunches, breakfast, or dinner, depending on the shift that you work. We have them for holidays, job well done during survey. It is the Administrator
that determines when these occur. We did the hand out of 'I saw what you did, Great Job ticket.'This was a customer service focus. Each ticket was worth $.50 in out country store or employee cafeteria. The staff responded well to that. As an ADON, I use the freebies, pens notepads, whatever... that I get at conferences to give to a staff person that is doing a great job.
I hope this helps NA

RNsRock · Mar 12, 2000

That is a very good idea. At one of our units, the star program was initiated by one of our RNs. It is just a poster board taped to one of the walls, but here is the nice part. Right below it is a bowl with paper stars that you pick up and write something nice about your fellow workers. If anything, it shows that someone appreciates the little things that we all do. I think we all need that.

Pattybrn · Mar 16, 2000

Does any one have any ideas for Nurses Week? Our facility has decided to make Nurses week very special this year. I think we should hang banners throughout the facility appreciating ou nurses. Every day we should do something special. Does any one have any ideas?

Originally posted by RNsRock:
That is a very good idea. At one of our units, the star program was initiated by one of our RNs. It is just a poster board taped to one of the walls, but here is the nice part. Right below it is a bowl with paper stars that you pick up and write something nice about your fellow workers. If anything, it shows that someone appreciates the little things that we all do. I think we all need that.

MEG4 · Jun 25, 2000

Originally posted by sclaunch:
We had a weekend incentive started but due to the budget--it is on hold. These are great ideas, I sure could use them in my unit...we have a lot of unhappy employees and we have cliques...any ideas on how to get rid of/get better attitudes of those who do not really want to be at work or gossip about others behind their "friends" back and hurt other peoples feelings. Especially when One is a perfect nurse! I'm at a loss because I am losing good nurses because of this group.

I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. I STARTED MY POSITION AS NURSE MANAGER IN OUR ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY 5/14/00, AND BASICALLY WALKED INTO THE LIONS DEN. THESE WORKERS WERE FED UP WITH ALL THE PRIOR MANAGERS. STAFF IS ALWAYS COMPLAINING THAT SO AND SO DID THIS OR DIDN'T DO THAT. I KNOW YOU WILL ALL UNDERSTAND WHEN I SAY IT HAD TO DO WITH THE BUDGET AND MONIES AVAILABLE TO THESE PRIOR MNGS. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TRY TO GO IN AN TAKE SOME KIND OF CONTROL OVER IT ALL, BECAUSE I WAS MET BY ALOT OF RESISTANCE, AND I CAN'T BLAME THEM; HOWEVER...........IT ONLY TOOK ME ABOUT 2-3 DAYS TO REALLY PICK OUT THE BAD, AND I MEAN BAD, EXTREMELY RESISTANT "BAD APPLES". THESE ARE THE ONES THAT THINK THEY KNOW IT ALL AND THINK THAT THEY SHOULD TELL YOU HOW IT SHOULD BE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN THERE LONGER. I FOUND IMMEDIATELY AND LITERALLY WITHIN A WEEK OF STARTING THAT I HAD TO SPEAK WITH THEM AND DID. BASICALLY I GAVE THEM FAIR WARNING ABOUT THE ATTITUDES, TEAMWORK ETC. I LET THEM KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS I WAS SEEING, AND THE CONSEQUENCES IF NOT CORRECTED AND MY EXPECTATIONS! I HAD THEM SIGN THAT THIS IS WHAT WE WENT OVER AND THEY UNDERSTOOD THE EXPECTATIONS REQUIRED OF THEM. THAT WAY IF THEY MESS UP OR DO NOT FOLLOW THROUGH IT'S ON PAPER. I MADE AN AGENDA FOR EACH PERSON I SPOKE WITH BEFORE I CALLED THEM INTO MY OFFICE. THEN WHEN DONE WITH ALL OF THESE STAFF, I HELD I BIG MANDATORY MEETING TO INFORM THE STAFF AND GET INPUT AND IDEAS ETC., AND CONCERNS. THIS REALLY HELPED. IF I KEEP THEM INFORMED, IT MAKES THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE THEY ARE "IN". AS YOU MIGHT HAVE GUESSED I DID HAVE TO LET GO 3 OF MY STAFF. IF A STAFF MEMBERS NEGATIVE/BAD ATTITUDE STARTS AFFECTING THE OTHER STAFF, THEN IT'S AFFECTING THE FACILITY AND PATIENTS, RESIDENTS, FAMILY ETC. ETC....ETC.... AFTER HEARING COMPLAINTS FORM MY STAFF ABOUT THESE NEGATIVE STAFF, I REALIZED HOW MUCH IT WAS ACTUALLY GETTING IN THE WAY OF THEIR WORK, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO COME TO WORK AND WORK WITH JANE DO BECAUSE OF HER NEG. ATTITUDE. IT WAS MY JOB TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR THE REST. I DID. IT HAS BEEN 95% BETTER, MORE WORK PRODUCTIVITY, SMILES ETC. I WOULD DO IT AGAIN IF NEEDED. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO CLEAN HOUSE. I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS.......THOSE STAFF THAT WE SAY ARE THE "MOST NEGATIVE PEOPLE ON EARTH" ARE LOOKING FOR ONE THING,...THAT IS LEADERSHIP!!! TRY IT, NEXT TIME YOU ARE APPROACHED BY STAFF THAT APPEARS TO BE FRUSTRATED/NEG., (BASICALLY THEY ARE ASKING YOU TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO AT THAT MOMENT), THEY WANT AND NEED DIRECTION. YOUR THE BOSS, GIVE IT TO THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!

I KNOW IT'S LONG, BUT HOPE IT HELPS :-)

PPL, BSN, RN · Jun 26, 2000

How about gift certificates to fun type places to eat, Applebees, Chili's, etc., whatever you have local or close to your area? You could have a drawing. I'm wondering about the possibility that a business might even want to donate, say a $20 to $25.00 gift certificate to further your cause and increase their advertising? Everybody likes to eat out occasionally. We rec gift certificates to a grocery store once a year, but I think a restaurant is more festive/fun, more of a prize. Also, it has been my experience that staff like those little tack pins designated for their area of expertise. These are inexpensive and something to put on their uniforms. Good luck.