Opinions on Employee of the Month

[SilverBells]

As nurses, we always appreciate being recognized when we've done a good job.  However, what is the best way, really, for employers to show their appreciation?

At my workplace, we are starting an Employee of the Month program to recognize employees who go above and beyond.  Although I like the idea of outstanding employees being appreciated, I personally have reservations about such a program.  My main concern is that it might lead to animosity among coworkers who don't receive it or make some employees feel as if they aren't important.  To me, highlighting a single person doesn't really emphasize the importance of teamwork.  I spoke with a few coworkers who feel similarly. 

Anyone have a similar program at your workplace? Any thoughts? 

[Tegridy]

It just becomes a popularity contest and brown nosing contest that adds nothing to patient care or moral

[SmilingBluEyes]

I agree with others. It's a popularity contest. And some places one is named employee of the month simply because every has already.
 

It's a poor way to recognize ALL who deserve to be for their hard work and dedication.

Tell ya what. Show me how valuable I am. PAY me and STAFF appropriately and I will gladly see "employee of the month" go away.

[Davey Do]

3 hours ago, amoLucia said:

Night shift rarely acknowledged.

Au contraire mon frere.

In the space of a few months, I was acknowledged no less than four times.

However, I did work at Wrongway Regional Medical Center where MN nurses were praised for their ability to stay awake and not deep six patients.

[SmilingBluEyes]

It depends on where you are. I rarely saw a NOC nurse or other employee recognized as EOM.

[Davey Do]

2 minutes ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

It depends on where you are. 

Right you are, SBE.

Even a battered up old eagle looks good in a cage of turkeys.

[Davey Do]

In arguing the popularity premise, in my professional personal experience has found this not always to be the case.

Roofelmo, the NM of geriatric psych, was relatively new at Wrongway and sought to improve morale. As I mentioned previously, I was recognized four times in the space of a few months, but so were other staff members.

Roofelmo would post a " kudos" sheet on the bulletin board about once a month. Staff members would be praised and the reason given in a generic manner. Most saw it as a positive thing and those who didn't were usually the ones who were not recognized for relatively obvious reasons.

I was not popular at Wrongway, however, I was well known, sometimes disliked, and expected the same sort of respect of others that I showed them.

I was the first nurse at Wrongway to receive a DAISY award and the nomination came from a case management supervisor who I had never met and did not know. 

The situation leading to the nomination was one where I had been pulled to the male psych unit and medically intervened in a timely manner with a patient who would have quickly decompensated otherwise. The supervisor sang my praises not only about the intervention, but my documentation as well.

To further my argument on the popularity premise, I add the fact that I was terminated about a month after receiving the award, for bogus reasons.

I was not popular with certain administrative officials.

I support SilverBells' idea to recognize employees who do their jobs well, or go above and beyond. Recognition raises morale.

 

 

[SmilingBluEyes]

I would find a way to recognize people another way.  EVERYone needs appreciation. Many who deserve it never get employee of the month. Everywhere I went it was just that, a brown-nosing popularity contest. A lot of people got it who added nothing to the morale or cohesiveness to the team. Certainly an EOM should do all that and more.

I appreciate SB's intentions but disagree with them.

[SmilingBluEyes]

10 hours ago, hppygr8ful said:

Where I work we have employee of the month recognized from each shift and we get $100.00 plus a wall plaque and of course our picture taken with the CEO. I’ve never seen staff show any animosity towards the winner except for the few who are disenfranchised and bitter already. We all work hard and are genuinely happy when our coworkers get recognized.

hppy

Why would they be bitter, and in particular, disenfranchised?

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

1 hour ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

Why would they be bitter, and in particular, disenfranchised?

What I mean is that some people not just nurses seem to just be unhappy people in general. They may be that way for valid reasons. A long time ago I read a longitudinal study of people who divorced due to being unhappy in their marriages, ten years later about half stated they were no happier than before the divorce. I suspect this is true from people who are unhappy in other aspects of their lives.

hppy

[SmilingBluEyes]

When you say disenfranchised, I wonder. A lot of people are done that way through no fault of their own.

Those who are bitter may have darn good reasons. MAYBE if they felt appreciated, that would change. Maybe not. But it would be worth a try to give EVERY member of the team appreciation.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

5 hours ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

When you say disenfranchised, I wonder. A lot of people are done that way through no fault of their own.

Those who are bitter may have darn good reasons. MAYBE if they felt appreciated, that would change. Maybe not. But it would be worth a try to give EVERY member of the team appreciation.

I did say "They may be that way for valid reasons."  My life experiences could and did for a time leave me feeling this way - but I got help and worked hard to leave the past in it's place. It no longer defines who I am.

Hppy

[MPKH, BSN, RN]

Last unit I worked in had an employee of the month recognition program. There was a box at the front desk and you’d just drop off the name of the person/people you are nominating in the box. The manager decides the winner, with the consideration of the nominations in the box. Typically the person with the most nominations win, unless the manager has decided on a winner whose name isn’t in the box, or did not receive the most nominations.

To me it always felt like a popularity contest. The bubbly, outgoing, social butterflies of the unit almost always got the nominations. The manager’s favourites get the award.

I provide competent and professional patient care, am a good worker bee, and do my job well. I’ve always received positive feedback on my work and on my annual evaluation. I am friendly, approachable, and always happy to lend a helping hand. I am introverted, and don’t socialize like the social butterflies do. Guess who’s never gotten a nomination or award for employee of the month?