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View Full Version : Employee Morale at your work?



cherpintow
03-08-2007, 12:42 PM
I'm doing a project on some of the unique practices companies engage in to improve employee morale in the workplace. This could be a wide range of things, but I'm looking for more of the creative approaches companies use (specifically in Calgary) to do this. I'm thinking I'll maybe get 1 serious response out of 10 but even that will help. Also, if you can say what company you work for so I can do some research. Thanks.

Kona9
03-08-2007, 12:50 PM
Catered Breakfasts on Fridays

Once a month a "specific" or "theme" party is thrown either in house, or at an establishment.

Annual paid golf tournaments

Recognized birthdays.

Easy going atmosphere at ALL times.

I work at a small engineering firm related to the oil and gas industry.

I would leave the name, but I'm not sure I would have impressed co-workers if you "did some research"

Good luck in your project.

Doctor
03-08-2007, 12:53 PM
Relaxed atmosphere
Flexibility with time off
Good pay
Weekly Pay (To me it's a nightmare on personal finances
Free coffee
Lunch once a week

I also implemented a bi-weekly 'forum' where everyone can throw out ideas and address concerns.. much like a safety meeting.

89coupe
03-08-2007, 01:18 PM
Casual dress
Flex days
Flexible hours
Bonuses
Stock Option plans
Yearly raises

I think those are the main ones everybody wants these days.

Gravy_83
03-08-2007, 02:06 PM
um at my work everytime we get rated against other companies they have food for us and the supervisors go around and bring us food to our stations, no matter how we do they usually give us gift certificates for wherever we want in the city. Also give out prizes and stuff once in a while. other than that the morale is pretty low unless its about the time we get rated against other companies but we get rated quite often a few times a year in canada and a few times a year in the states and a few times overall

Isaiah
03-08-2007, 02:14 PM
When I was working for Rogers in Toronto, they had casual fridays, staff incentives, quarterly bonuses, and recreational days where you could bring friends and family to company sponsored events. It definitely increased employee morale and helped create a positive work environment and team building.

l8braker
03-08-2007, 02:16 PM
Originally posted by cherpintow
I'm doing a project on some of the unique practices companies engage in to improve employee morale in the workplace. This could be a wide range of things, but I'm looking for more of the creative approaches companies use (specifically in Calgary) to do this. I'm thinking I'll maybe get 1 serious response out of 10 but even that will help. Also, if you can say what company you work for so I can do some research. Thanks.

I did a similiar project for my MGMT project. Where i work (large O&G company) the morale is great. I've worked at many different downtown companies and its interesting to see how each company is run and how employees are treated.

I think the #1 thing is employee recognition. When an employee does something, they want to be recognized for it. That doesn't mean give them gifts or whatever, a simple e-mail, phone call, or quick chat with the person does wonders.

At our company, every few months an e-mail is sent out by our group leader detailing what everyone is up to and how the group as a whole is doing. To see your name with your accomplishments really means something. We also have weekly meetings with food, drinks (O&G remember) where we contribute and talk about what is going on. They do give out gift certificates, and what not, but in the end the face to face recognition is what matters.

I remember we did this personality test with our group (Insights) as a big group and it was an absolute blast to be there with everyone , laugh and goof off..... Hope that help, if you need anymore details PM me.

QuasarCav
03-08-2007, 02:16 PM
Not here.

spiceboy
03-08-2007, 03:04 PM
Here's how it is at my workplace:
1) 0-2% annual raise in addition to a "inflation adjustment" of 2.5% over the last 4 yrs
2) No bonus.
3) No stock option even though we are a public company
4) Expect you to put in a lot of OT (unpaid)
5) We have lunch and learn sessions that require staff to bring their own lunches

Morale = High. Why? Coz the higher management becomes a public enemy and thus staff are unified and want a piece of the execs! :-P

TimG
03-08-2007, 05:42 PM
I work in high tech:

. company lunch every month

. free beer ~once a month

. free coffee... and it's good coffee

. dress code = jeans + t-shirt

. decent bonus plan

. health benefits

. flexible with hours

. T4 slips given out on January 2 :D

. President is laid back and easy going.

. Free tickets to The Stampeed

. pretty much have free reign to do what i want without being micromanaged to hell.

. we get a feeling of satisfaction when we see our products helping people with their quality of life (one of our product lines is used in physiotherapy/medical/rehab applications)

edit

. 3 weeks of vacation

Crymson
03-08-2007, 07:03 PM
My company has a strict policy of doing just enough to not piss anyone off, grudgingly sactioning the occasional event with alcohol.

Get this -- if you want to go to the Golf tourney, you have to PAY AND you have to TAKE THE DAY OFF as a vacation day. Now that is some cheap ass bullshit.

We get and EMAIL sent out the week before Christmas, tenderly reminding us, that full office hours are in effect on the last day before the Christmas weekend, and new years eve AKA "don't leave at lunch, we're watching"

The only thing that boosts "morale" is the fact that a large chunk of our workforce is younger folks, so we have a good time at the office and plan our own events -- but that's pretty much the only saving grace.

We NEVER have casual dress, unless it's some kind of United Way Scam, and the week of Stampede.

IT's not the worst, but it's certainly not the best.

cherpintow
03-08-2007, 09:20 PM
Those are some great responses. Will definitely incorporate those into the report. Thanks.

Toms-SC
03-08-2007, 09:23 PM
Awful, I work at Silly Hall for a small IT unit of 9 people. Due to the politics of the area on the constant back stabbing most of the department is ready to walk out.

SlowLude
03-09-2007, 12:51 PM
Ha! The only reason the morale is high is because everyone that works there are new and don't know any better!



Originally posted by spiceboy
Here's how it is at my workplace:
1) 0-2% annual raise in addition to a "inflation adjustment" of 2.5% over the last 4 yrs
2) No bonus.
3) No stock option even though we are a public company
4) Expect you to put in a lot of OT (unpaid)
5) We have lunch and learn sessions that require staff to bring their own lunches

Morale = High. Why? Coz the higher management becomes a public enemy and thus staff are unified and want a piece of the execs! :-P

Lex350
03-09-2007, 03:30 PM
1) accountability throughout the ordanization...top down.

2) Deliver on promises

3) Communicate with the staff. Keep them informed.

4) Have a set time of the year where all reviews must be done.

5) Company social club (casino night, Rodeo night @ the Stampede...etc)

6) If it is a sales organization, celibrate the wins with the whole company

ole dsm
03-09-2007, 05:01 PM
morale is ok

the benifits are good
paid travel to and from work
above average wage
expence account
company trucks/quads(personal use)
100% medical /dental
company matched rrsp contributions
stock options
2 weeks in and 2 weeks out
pimped out camp
vacation pay
yearly bonuses
company intranet
regular internet unlimited use
monthy events(hockey, pup crawl etc.)



most of the guys think they are getting ripped off!.
ow its an O&G company

bspot
03-09-2007, 05:41 PM
We get the biggest morale booster I've ever had at a company... 1st and 3rd Fridays off every month.

Million dollar christmas parties.

Other sporadic parties, on had Cirque de Soliel, one had the Barenaked Ladies and some other big band I can't remember right now.

A fridge full of free pop and juice.

Free booze get togethers for the whole company twice a year.

Casual fridays, for the ones we actually have to work.

zieg
03-09-2007, 05:53 PM
We set a sales goal at the beginning of each month, and if we achieve it, we all get a couple hundred bucks. :thumbsup:

japancar
03-09-2007, 06:17 PM
One of the attractive points of working for my company is our company mission and vision statements, and the way we deal with our clients. It sounds funny, but the atmosphere of the workplace is enjoyable when you're company focus is "don't screw our clients". In the export business, that's a very easy thing to do.

Another benefit, again more relating to the country, is that we're all Canadian except for our Japanese staff (who speaks awesome English). Many people working in Japan have an issue with cultural-neglect (working with so many people who can't relate to you're own culture is fun for a while, but the novelty wears off fast. Any new-comer to Canada will fully understand this).

On a customer satisfaction side, our guys see the benefits of hard work to make a client happy. A happy client means a happy boss (me) which means a small bonus. After all, we're a service company and are nothing without happy clients.

ashee
03-12-2007, 01:41 AM
"Team Builders" which are monthly outings usually to a bar/resurant for drinks, member appreciation days, weekly up-to-date meetings, summer baseball tournament, continuing education opportunites, financing seminars...

Whitetiger
03-12-2007, 01:44 AM
50% of staff are thinking of leaving. :rofl:

TimG
03-13-2007, 07:59 AM
One thing that is a pet peeve of mine is that there is this invisible wall between the sales & marketting and the business development people and the R&D people. i don't believe that this is something that is only happening in the company that I work at, either.

BigMass
03-13-2007, 08:30 AM
This is what i'd like to see (will never happen)

8 hour work day including lunch

every second Monday off (everyone gets Fridays off)

Casual dress

Better lighting to suit computer use (darker room with individual desk lamps if you need more light).

Flexible work time

Cubicles more suited and arranged towards privacy instead of wide open

Unrestricted internet access

paid parking

occasional catered lunches and breakfasts.

Strict anti-overtime policy unless it's a real emergency. If your schedule always requires your employees to work overtime you have failed as a manager. You need to take responsibility for your failure not the employees.

Employee shared profits on individual jobs in the form of cash payouts at the end of the job.

TimG
03-13-2007, 08:56 AM
corporate gym membership would be nice, too, as well as a medical plan that covers glasses.

topmade
03-13-2007, 10:08 AM
- No perks whatsoever
- There was the odd lunch that you had to pay for
- 1 free popsicle on quarter end
- Have to pay to park inside AFTER 6:00pm when the streets are free
- Constant bitching and nagging to do better when you are already working your ass off
- You work 10-15-20 minutes over your lunch to finish your work and they start bitching when you are 1 minute late from lunch. YES 1 minute, I shit you not, I couldn't beleive it when they started messenging me to bitch at me 1 minute past my lunch when I worked a good 15minutes into it to finish some work.
- Expect you to work 12hr shifts when they ask, and don't like it if you say no.
- Will question you when you take a shit break, but will go on their coffee/smoke breaks with other smokers.
- You do 100 things good with no recognition, but the 1 thing they see wrong they will point it out and half the time it's just them being stupid.
- Weekly meetings that wasn't anything but a goong show with them pointing out all the little things they didn't like.

Moral was crap, turnovers high, and they actually questioned why people were quiting.

These are things of how NOT to treat employees and why I quit.

I work at a nice company now with good perks like some of the ones pointed out here already.

3g4me
03-13-2007, 10:27 AM
health benefits, games at the office, (fooseball, pool), paid lunches, lunch and learn, relaxed atmosphere, casual fridays, friday afternoons off in summer, unresticted internet, bonuses, x-mas party, Stampede partys. All of these would and do boost my morale.

jmc
03-14-2007, 11:57 AM
Originally posted by BigMass
This is what i'd like to see (will never happen)

8 hour work day including lunch

every second Monday off (everyone gets Fridays off)

Casual dress

Better lighting to suit computer use (darker room with individual desk lamps if you need more light).

Flexible work time

Cubicles more suited and arranged towards privacy instead of wide open

Unrestricted internet access

paid parking

occasional catered lunches and breakfasts.

Strict anti-overtime policy unless it's a real emergency. If your schedule always requires your employees to work overtime you have failed as a manager. You need to take responsibility for your failure not the employees.

Employee shared profits on individual jobs in the form of cash payouts at the end of the job.
Those are great.. I'll add some more "These is what i'd like to see (but will unlikely to happen)"
Several raises and bonuses per year
32 hour work week (1 flex day per week)
8 hour work day any time between 6am-7pm (as long as you put in 8 hours, you can work 6am-10am,away 10am-2pm,back 2pm-6pm,etc.)

craigcd
03-14-2007, 12:57 PM
On of the biggest perks that I wish i had, that i have had at previous jobs is every 3rd Friday off rotating through all employees.

Nice to be able to look forward to an extra day off.

Tik-Tok
03-14-2007, 01:03 PM
The morale at my work is awesome... of course getting paid full time wage to work 25-30 hours a week will do that anywhere.

Crymson
03-14-2007, 01:09 PM
Plummeting even further at my work.

We read press release of record profits and stunning preformance, and then find out that our bonuses are nearly cut in half from last year, and options are being granted at significantly over the current share price.

woot woot.

WWJAI
03-14-2007, 01:30 PM
Originally posted by topmade
- No perks whatsoever
- There was the odd lunch that you had to pay for
- 1 free popsicle on quarter end
- Have to pay to park inside AFTER 6:00pm when the streets are free
- Constant bitching and nagging to do better when you are already working your ass off
- You work 10-15-20 minutes over your lunch to finish your work and they start bitching when you are 1 minute late from lunch. YES 1 minute, I shit you not, I couldn't beleive it when they started messenging me to bitch at me 1 minute past my lunch when I worked a good 15minutes into it to finish some work.
- Expect you to work 12hr shifts when they ask, and don't like it if you say no.
- Will question you when you take a shit break, but will go on their coffee/smoke breaks with other smokers.
- You do 100 things good with no recognition, but the 1 thing they see wrong they will point it out and half the time it's just them being stupid.
- Weekly meetings that wasn't anything but a goong show with them pointing out all the little things they didn't like.



:rofl: I was laughing the whole time i read this.

My work doesn't get perks neither but it's not a career job. I get a year-end bonus and management doesn't really do much. No one cares if you come late or like to sit on your ass and talk to other employees for your whole shift as long as you get a little bit of something done each day. There is a huge work shortage due to poor wages and the environment looks like garbage. Like god sakes, who cares if you rent the place, you should at least renovate to make the place look enjoyable and clean to work at. And they wonder why no one comes back the next day after they get hired.
:nut:

I think work environment is very important cause no one wants to work in a dump,:nut:.

CaptainReboot
03-14-2007, 10:39 PM
Perks:
- Come and go as you please, as long as you put in your 8 hours
- wide open Internet
- parking in reserved company stalls on weekends and afterhours
- golf days for the guys, spa days for the ladies
- team building events
- stampede party
- cell phone paid for
- occasional lunches for accomplishments
- work overtime, come in late or leave early another day

but I have an idiot boss, so that kind of evens things out.

theken
03-14-2007, 10:44 PM
it was gay before and now a bunch of us got laid off so its gayer now, cal frac well services, joke

Crymson
03-15-2007, 08:44 AM
Cal frac is doing layoffs? Uh oh. Thats an interesting "beginnign of the end" indicator.

chefc
03-15-2007, 11:06 AM
The company i am working for is suck
underpay ( at least 30% less the market even though it is an engineering firm)
expect you to work longer without overtime not even bank hr
bonus is so less mean to nothing to me (100-1000 per half year)
always push you to work more they don't want to hire or cannot people for that salary
don't even want to pay for recycle paper (lot of paper for plot off (print out HVAC company)
you have to bring your own drink except free water

Tik-Tok
03-15-2007, 11:24 AM
My wife has a VERY good quarterly bonus system.

Basically a set % of profits is set aside for the bonus

ANY screw ups that cost the company money, is taken out of the bonus (unclaimed speeding tickets in company vehicles, screw ups on clients files that were given a refund on that can't be blamed on a single person, etc.)

The rest is distributed according to how much you earn normally

Then a further % is taken off for personal screw-ups, as in if you were were found directly responsible for a screw up that resulted in $100 refund to a client, you get $20 taken off your personal bonus cheque.

The bonus cheque comes with a letter stating what you did and what was taken off, this way people see EXACTLY what they messed up on and it hurts them financially, so they try not to do it again.

Depending how busy it is, how many times you screwed up, it usually comes out a little more than a normal paycheque, so It's like getting 4 extra paydays a year.

For my wife, it's about $3500-4000 yearly after taxes, not bad for a secretary :D