Employee Safety Awards Program - Goals and Budgets
The goals of your safety awards program are the driving force to a successful employee recognition program.
To define a strong set of goals for your program, start by asking senior management what they're expecting from the program.
Read on to for program setup tips and ideas.
Some potential goals for your Safety Program could include the following:
- reduced health care premiums due to fewer injury claims
- decreased workman’s compensation expenses
- reduced equipment costs by reducing careless behavior
- Or simply maintain the company's superior safety record
Set an effective safety recognition program budget:
A successful safety program can actually pay for itself by reducing the amount paid out to injury claims. Each organization has to determine the value of an employee who works accident free, and then use that value to help set a safety awards budget. Questions that should be addressed when determining a budget are:
- How long will the program run (monthly, quarterly, annual)
- How many participants are expected
- Which behaviors are rewarded, and set a value for each
- How often can a participant be rewarded for safe behaviors
- What materials are needed to promote your safety program
If possible, do not to cut corners when allocating money for your safety awards program. Gains from these programs can be greater than the cost of the program.
What actions or milestones should be recognized in your program?
Most successful safety programs reward employees for proactive behaviors as well as those meeting monthly or quarterly benchmarks. Proactive behaviors include:
- making suggestions for a safer environment safer
- catching an employee doing a task safely
- attending a safety training session, or
- taking the lead and hosting a monthly safety meeting.
Recognizing employees who also sustain or improve their safety record is equally important, for example, employees (or teams) who go accident free for a set period of time. Listing all recognizable safety behaviors is the first step to determining the reward value for such actions.
What should be used as incentive rewards?
Giving cash rewards for safe behavior may be simple, but it is not an effective solution in a safety rewards program. When you are creating a safety recognition program, remember that employees look at cash rewards as bonuses or part of their salary, and over time, becomes expected and loses its motivational value. There are more tax benefits to Merchandise awards over Cash Awards as well. Please see this article for more information: "Cash or Merchandise for Employee Awards"
For a very easy, and affordable solution when your program has fixed awards and time frames, consider Gift Catalog Award Packets Ther's many award levels available to fit all budgets, and they help create excitement because employees can choose their own gift.
For ongoing safety recognition programs which provide many small awards for various activities throughout the year, consider Point-Programs - A Points-based system can be used to support your safety program, plus many other types of recognition programs at your company, all within the same low-cost platform. Points are redeemable for a wide selection of great merchandise.
For help planning a successful and sustainable safety recognition program that brings excitement and better safety to your workplace, please click the link below and we'll forward complete information and sample employee award packet.
