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Independent Contractors need Recognition too!

by admin | Jun 4, 2021 | Employee Incentive Program, Employee Programs, Employee Recognition, improve employee engagement, loyalty program, Motivate Employees

Earlier this year, legislation was introduced in Congress that would have effectively banned independent contractor classifications under federal labor law. Those in the incentives, rewards & recognition marketplaces would have been adversely affected.

Good News: Independent Contractor Status Rule Under the Fair Labor Standards Act is Withdrawn

On May 5, 2021, the Department of Labor announced a final rule withdrawing the “Independent Contractor Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act” final rule (Independent Contractor Rule). The withdrawal was effective immediately upon publication in the Federal Register on May 6, 2021.

This is a welcome withdrawal for all industries that use independent contractors, and it’s an excellent time to review incentive, reward, and recognition programs for independent contractors.

Preparing for Post-COVID Employee Trends

These four employee trends are predicted:

Remote work is here to stay
A blended workplace of both in-office and remote may be the future
Learning and development are top employee priorities
Employee burnout is a threat to the health of your workforce

A targeted incentive, recognition, and reward program for independent contractors is one way to prepare for each of these predicted trends:

Independent contractors may have already been working remotely and keeping engagement levels up takes a concerted effort.
A properly structured reward & recognition program can include opportunities for learning new skills, accessing new information, and testing or other assessment tools.
Likewise, an effectively designed incentive and recognition program can incorporate safety and wellness goals as well as offering travel or stress-relieving options that can help contractors recharge before they burn out.

Recognition = Retention

While many companies are focused on retaining key employees, independent contractors maybe even more inclined to look for new opportunities. Appreciating, recognizing, and rewarding achievement is a key factor in employee retention; the concept is the same for independent contractors.

Contact us to learn more about how you can retain your top independent contractors through an effectively designed recognition program!

Read the Incentive Federation Inc.'s bulletin: Final Rule: Independent Contractor Status Rule Under the Fair Labor Standards Act is Withdrawn

The Impact of Employee Engagement on Wellness & Safety

by admin | May 7, 2021 | Employee Safety Program, Employee Wellness, improve employee engagement, Safety Programs, wellness program, Workplace Safety

Our CEO, Brian Galonek, gave the Keynote Address to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) virtual conference, outlining the strategic path to employee engagement, and how increased engagement impacts safety and wellness.

Even industries that are primarily run by machines are managed by human beings who created and operate those machines. In any industry, human beings will perform at higher levels when effectively motivated and engaged.

Most managers are not born motivators; they need training and tools. Managers can account for up to 70% variance in team engagement, yet only 14% of organizations provide managers with those tools.

Engagement and Wellness & Safety

The links between wellness and safety include:

Obesity leads to sleep apnea
Sleep apnea leads to tired driving
Tired driving leads to accidents
The absence of a company-sponsored wellness program lowers morale
Lower morale leads to less team building & increases turnover
High turnover stresses other works and leads to less safe work

The World Health Organization reports that 36% of an individual’s health is determined by personal behavior. Wellness programs provide an opportunity to improve engagement and reduce health-related costs. Employees spend huge chunks of time at work. Recognizing and rewarding employees for changing behaviors that they can control helps to reduce company insurance costs and sick days and ultimately improves the health of the employee.

Some of the ways in which companies can engage employees through wellness programs can include things like offering rewards for taking quizzes after presentations or offering points (that can be redeemed for prizes later) for viewing videos on stress-relief practices such as yoga or meditation.

Proactively engaging employees is also a means of improving safety. In addition to recognizing and rewarding easily measured events like accident-free periods, there is an opportunity to reward employees for sharing “near miss” stories. Often hearing about how an accident almost happened but was avoided is valuable information. A structured employee recognition program that encourages sharing this type of information will improve safety and build engagement.

Where to start?

Presenting the costs of less healthy or safe workplaces vs. the financial benefits of increased engagement to management as they relate to wellness and safety is a good place to start:

$176.9 billion: the cost to the U.S. employers and individuals from work-related deaths and injuries
3,783: the number of unintentional fatal work injuries each year
100,000,000 days: total time lost to work injuries

Properly designed employee incentive, reward, and recognition programs enjoy a 4:1 return on investment; that alone may capture the attention of any C-Suite.

It’s important to partner with an experienced firm that can ensure that the programs are effective, that the company goals are met, and all of the benefits of an engaged workforce are maximized. Management teams that attempt to design employee programs in-house may experience unintended consequences that are avoided with guidance from an incentive professional.

To get started incorporating employee engagement strategies into your wellness and safety programs, contact us today!

The Difference between Corporate Gifting and Employee Incentives

by admin | Apr 20, 2021 | corporate gifts, corporate logo merchandise, Employee Incentive Program, Employee Reward and Recognition Programs, improve employee engagement

Because we’re in the business of helping companies improve business, we are especially skilled in structuring effective employee programs that improve engagement, increase sales and achieve other metrics and improve business in general. (There are many reasons why improving employee engagement is beneficial.) This recent article suggests that some company leaders may be unclear about the difference between corporate gifting and properly structured employee incentive, recognition and reward programs.

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The Strategic Path to Employee Engagement

by admin | Apr 7, 2021 | Disengaged Employees, Employee Appreciation, Employee Recognition Programs, improve employee engagement, Motivating Employees, rewarding employees

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What Does ESG Mean to Your Business? Part 4: Prosperity

by admin | Mar 19, 2021 | ESG, improve employee engagement, reward and recognize employees, Rewards and Recognition Program

ESG refers to business leader’s focus on Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance in relation to their long-term plans. What can a focus on ESG mean to your business or profitability, and how can companies use employee engagement tactics to further the cause?

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