That is tacky.
I have a discretionary budget of several thousand dollars I use for gift cards and lunches and dinners for my employees. The LOWEST amount of gift card I hand out is $100.
I can’t even imagine a raffle for rewards and recognition. You did great! Here’s a CHANCE to get something in return…exact opposite effect from the desired outcome.
We have all kinds of ways to recognize employees. Managers have discretionary budgets, HR has their own program for employee-employee, manager-employee and so on. The only raffles we have are to support certain celebrations like ice cream socials, picnics etc. They raffle off gifts from local companies or even a paid day or two off.
A friend of mine is a Critical Care Nurse, and he was recently recognized by hospital management for having so many positive reviews on patient surveys. His supervisor called the staff together to announce that Joe was receiving a gift for his excellent performance, and mentioned that they could all expect similar recognition if they also showed superior performance.
He handed Joe an envelope. Inside was a gift card from California Pizza Kitchen. When my friend asked the supervisor about the amount that had been placed on that gift card, he whispered, “TEN DOLLARS!!”.
I don’t even think that covers the cost of a pizza there. Good pizza, but also expensive. There’s one in Boston at the Pru I visit every once in a while.
No, it doesn’t even cover the cost of a pizza.
And, bear in mind that this took place at one of the many locations of the largest hospital chain in the state. In 2014, the last year for which I could find figures, the CEO of this “non-profit” hospital chain made $21.4 million.
My friend drives a 10 year old Rav-4, because that is all that he can afford. I am quite sure that the hospital’s CEO is not driving a 10 year old Rav-4.
If I was handed a lottery ticket for a 10 dollar subsidy for a pizza it would hit the trash bin PDQ.
Back in the late 70s I went to work for a dealer just a couple of months before Xmas. They announced a big dinner for the employees at the best steak house in town and that bonuses would be handed out. Being a just hired newby I wasn’t expecting anything. I was stunned to get 300 dollars in cash in an envelope.
Long timers got a grand.
They even wanted to know in advance whose wife or girlfriend was going to be present. My girlfriend (still my wife now) drove up from OK City to attend. They were all given gift bags with about a 100 dollars worth (70s money…) of high end cosmetics. Doubt that would happen anywhere today.
A few weeks ago, one of my longtime colleagues retired
I gave him a $50 gift card to a decent restaurant chain. I figured it should be enough for an appetizer, main course and a drink.
A few days later, the now retired former colleague came by, to pick up his final paycheck, and also to say to thanks to the guys that had given him gift cards. He said he’d already eaten at the restaurant, and there was enough left on the card for him to eat a second time. I guess he didn’t go for the lobster or prime rib . . .
There was a special on PBS a couple decades ago which was based on this book on “Great US companies”, and what made them great.
One company they covered was a circuit board plant in FL. This was during the time when circuit board manufacturing was flying out of the US to Korea and China. Yet this company survived and was making very good profit. The employee turn-over rate was almost unheard of (less then 0.5%).
He treated his employees right. Everyone was treated with respect - no matter what your job was. He was genuinely concerned on your wellbeing. Wages were at the high-end of that type of manual labor work. At the end of each year he split the profits with the employees. Some years the profit wasn’t very high because he had to reinvest in the company to keep up with technology. But other years his small 200 people company made $10,000,000. He would take $5,000,000 for himself (since he was soul owner). And then split the rest ($5,000,000) evenly with each and every employee…no matter what your title or salary was…they each got the same bonus. In this case $25,000 bonus to each employee. And some other years…he would split the whole profit with employees. He wasn’t greedy. He said he already made more money then he could possibly spend in his lifetime.
That was an extreme example you mentioned . . . but a good one
It would be great if more companies followed that guy’s example
Yea…I agree. I’ve never worked for one that extreme.