Five Year pin

When I was a young man I worked for Northwest Airlines (even before they called themselves Northwest Orient Airlines.) They had an employee recognition plan that gave a 5-year pin, and others. The 5-year pin was nice enough with a red piece of glass in the middle, but MORE IMPORTANTLY it was to be accompanied by a PERSONAL letter from the president of the airline.

When I reached my 5-years I did get the pin and the letter. In the letter the president said he took note of my 5th year anniversary and wanted to thank me "for my loyalty and devotion in WHATEVER CAPACITY YOU MAY HOLD"

That last part took the steam out of the congratulations !
 
Well, the company I work for treats employees quite well. Plenty of recognition for jobs well done, the monthly cake/beer/wine birthday party, free lunch ever other Monday, every anniversary is called out in staff meetings with a description of that person's contributions. Requests for transfers (and even promotions) are given full consideration. I could not be more pleased with this group of people. 800 employees, but it acts like a small intimate company.
 
Gees. I've been an employer. I'd have been embarassed by that. I actually wanted my folks to stay with me....
 
Ken Ibold said:
Well, the company I work for treats employees quite well. Plenty of recognition for jobs well done, the monthly cake/beer/wine birthday party, free lunch ever other Monday, every anniversary is called out in staff meetings with a description of that person's contributions. Requests for transfers (and even promotions) are given full consideration. I could not be more pleased with this group of people. 800 employees, but it acts like a small intimate company.
Click to expand...
That's how it should be.
 
My previous employer, Tandem Computers (no longer in business) had a list of items you could select from for your 10 year gift. Some took the SLR camera kit, but most of us married guys followed the wife's instructions and took the grandfather clock. I got mine in 1993 and it still keeps great time in a place of honor in the living room. As I recall, back then that clock was about $700.

My current employer gave me a watch at 5 years and a nicer watch at 10 years. I wear neither one as my wife gave me an even nicer one for Christmas a few years ago. :D I don't recall the 15 year gift, but it probably was a gift card, redeamable at my choice of location.

Tandem was exceptional in many ways, 10 year gifts being just one of them. My plan is to retire from my current employer in about 5 1/2 years. Plans subject to change, of course. I'll have just over 23 years with them at that time.
 
Me and one of my coworkers won an "innovation award." It really didn't get us anything other than a cheesy plastic paperweight with that etched into it. It was pretty much useless until one day we were trying to seat a cranky board in the machine and it wouldn't go. I suggested we hit it with the innovation award (I'm not sure if that also qualifies as being innovative, perhaps I'll submit that and get another award).
 
When I was a Lt. on the PD the records clerks talked me into taking a cake decorating class with them. A lot of people don't think that I am the cake decorating type, but looks can be deceiving. So after that I would bake a Betty Crocker cake and decorate it for the officers on my shift and bring it to work. It didn't matter what for, birthdays, years of service, whatever. I had a good time with that, and I don't think that I could have given them a certificate, or pin, or anything that would have gotten more appreciation. And even though I took the class, I wasn't that good of a cake decorator, but everyone still looked forward to their cakes. I retired six years ago and people still mention their cakes when I run across them.
 
Last edited:
I consider employment recognition nonsense as a reminder notice that it's time to quit and find another job. Kinda like an alarm clock going off in the morning..oops, time to get outta here...
 
Maxmosbey said:
When I was a Lt. on the PD the records clerks talked me into taking a cake decorating class with them. A lot of people don't think that I am the cake decorating type, but looks can be deceiving. So after that I would bake a Betty Crocker cake and decorate it for the officers on my shift and bring it to work. It didn't matter what for, birthdays, years of service, whatever. I had a good time with that, and I don't think that I could have given them a certificate, or pin, or anything that would have gotten more appreciation. And even though I took the class, I wasn't that good of a cake decorator, but everyone still looked forward to their cakes. I retired six years ago and people still mention their cakes when I run across them.
Click to expand...

dang wish i would've known that when we were flying together! :)
 
I've read this thread with great interest and it proves my decision to not hire employees was a wise one. Ungreatfull, a sense of entitlement, too much drama. I hire contract workers. Do the job, I pay you... see ya.
 
Geico266 said:
I've read this thread with great interest and it proves my decision to not hire employees was a wise one. Ungreatfull, a sense of entitlement, too much drama. I hire contract workers. Do the job, I pay you... see ya.
Click to expand...

Did you open the attachment of the award and look at it? It's an in your face insult from an employer, not an award or even being nice. About the only nice thing they did is identify her by name and not as Employee ID #8615481. A 3 year old could do better with crayons and it would at least mean something. If an employer spits in someone's face, they shouldn't expect the employee to be grateful for it.
 
fgcason said:
Did you open the attachment of the award and look at it? It's an in your face insult from an employer, not an award or even being nice. About the only nice thing they did is identify her by name and not as Employee ID #8615481. A 3 year old could do better with crayons and it would at least mean something. If an employer spits in someone's face, they shouldn't expect the employee to be grateful for it.
Click to expand...

Union employee?
 
As an employer with 70 or so full time employees, I guess I'm not doing a great job on recognition.:( I agree that a self-printed certificate is insulting. We tend to recognize after 20 years. I did have a big BBQ luncheon for my most senior employee, a service advisor, for his 40th anniversary. We had his wife, kids and grand kids plus the entire staff. I gave him $500.00 in cash and I think he enjoyed the recognition.:D I have a couple more coming up on 40 years next year and my general manager retired after 39 1/2 years and we held a party for him on a Sunday afternoon when the dealership is closed, same as we did for the parts manager (41 years) $5000.00 check and the comptroller (38 years) new Crown Victoria.:yikes: She was my dad's right hand for 38 years.:D
One thing I have learned is that just because someone works at the same place for a long time, it doesn't always mean they are loyal, just means they like cashing the checks.:mad2:
 
Where I work they have a monthly newsletter that marks anniversaries (yearly). I got a 'crystal' paperweight after 10 years.

I guess for some, the whole recognition thing is important. I honestly don't care.
 
I have read this thread with great interest. It's both amusing and instructive to read what employees want and expect from their employers.

In my first business, I went way over the top with employee recognition. I had come from a corporate background where employees were "human resources" to be used like coal, or any other fossil fuel, so I was intensely aware of how bitter that treatment left me. I resolved to be the ideal boss.

So, we did lots of fun things, like hiring a limo to take everyone to the Christmas party. And the party included open bar, a meal at the finest restaurant, all after seeing "A Christmas Carol" at a ritzy live theater.

And gifts. Lots of recognition gifts.

What did this generosity get me? Resentment that I could "afford" to do such things for my employees, both from contractors and suppliers. One of my primary customers noted it, after one of my idiot employees raved to them about the "lavish" Christmas party. They, of course, used this against me in price negotiations later on... Lesson learned.

Did these spiffs buy me any employee loyalty? Did they work harder or treat me any better? Not that I could discern.

In my second business, I scaled everything back, and just did little parties at Christmas, with gifts and hand written notes of appreciation for a job well done.

What did this get me? Nothing. I don't recall ever hearing a thank you, nor did I see any qualitative or quantitative improvement in their efforts. But I did it for years, anyway.

My third business was our first hotel, and a whole new game. I again went over the top on parties, with lavish catered meals and gifts. Everyone had a nice time, but did it get me anything, as an employer? Other than making me feel good, and draining my checkbook, I'm afraid the answer is "Nope". I still faced the same headaches, heart aches, and liability that comes along with hiring and firing people.

So, I'm now in my fourth business. Since the Great Recession, our funds have been greatly depleted, so the days of hiring limo rides are behind us, I'm afraid. Our staff isn't suffering, however, and we do little things for them when we can. Our Christmas parties are pretty low key, and I now favor shorts and sandals on the beach over black tie affairs -- and everyone seems happy.

After all these years, do I think for a minute that my good nature and fine treatment of my employees buys me anything but a warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach? Ah, nope. As an employer, I have been screwed by employees every possible way, from laziness to outright theft, from quitting without notice to personal slander -- and everything in between. Much of this was done by people you would never DREAM could treat anyone so shabbily.

Until you own your own business you would never guess how hard it is to find good help. After 22 years of it, I now fully understand the businesses that treat their employees like "human resources".

Sent from my Nexus 7
 
Last edited:
I get a weekly recognintion from my employer, a paycheck.
 
With just a few minor edits, I could have written what Jay did.
If you throw a nice Holiday party or give a nice bonus for a good year, you better throw a better party and give a bigger bonus next year regardless of how the business is doing or the morale goes down and stays down way faster than it went up or stayed up last year. Two good parties and bonuses nets you lower morale when you "cheat them out of it" next time.

Up until 2009 I gave ever increasing bonuses and lavish parties. I just can't do it any more and all I get is resentment.

Like Jay, when I first opened, I wanted to treat my employees better than I was treated when I worked in the corporate world. I gave big raises and my vacation policy was extremely generous. I was giving people 4 weeks vacation after 5 years. (remember, this is a small business with 8 employees; when one is out it is hard on the rest). I realized I couldn't keep that up and now I have an employee with 10 years sulking because I have not increased her vacation in 5 years.

Jay Honeck said:
I have read this thread with great interest. It's both amusing and instructive to read what employees want and expect from their employers.

In my first business, I went way over the top with employee recognition. I had come from a corporate background where employees were "human resources" to be used like coal, or any other fossil fuel, so I was intensely aware of how bitter that treatment left me. I resolved to be the ideal boss.

So, we did lots of fun things, like hiring a limo to take everyone to the Christmas party. And the party included open bar, a meal at the finest restaurant, all after seeing "A Christmas Carol" at a ritzy live theater.

And gifts. Lots of recognition gifts.

What did this generosity get me? Resentment that I could "afford" to do such things for my employees, both from contractors and suppliers. One of my primary customers noted it, after one of my idiot employees raved to them about the "lavish" Christmas party. They, of course, used this against me in price negotiations later on... Lesson learned.

Did these spiffs buy me any employee loyalty? Did they work harder or treat me any better? Not that I could discern.

In my second business, I scaled everything back, and just did little parties at Christmas, with gifts and hand written notes of appreciation for a job well done.

What did this get me? Nothing. I don't recall ever hearing a thank you, nor did I see any qualitative or quantitative improvement in their efforts. But I did it for years, anyway.

My third business was our first hotel, and a whole new game. I again went over the top on parties, with lavish catered meals and gifts. Everyone had a nice time, but did it get me anything, as an employer? Other than making me feel good, and draining my checkbook, I'm afraid the answer is "Nope". I still faced the same headaches, heart aches, and liability that comes along with hiring and firing people.

So, I'm now in my fourth business. Since the Great Recession, our funds have been greatly depleted, so the days of hiring limo rides are behind us, I'm afraid. Our staff isn't suffering, however, and we do little things for them when we can. Our Christmas parties are pretty low key, and I now favor shorts and sandals on the beach over black tie affairs -- and everyone seems happy.

After all these years, do I think for a minute that my good nature and fine treatment of my employees buys me anything but a warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach? Ah, nope. As an employer, I have been screwed by employees every possible way, from laziness to outright theft, from quitting without notice to personal slander -- and everything in between. Much of this was done by people you would never DREAM could treat anyone so shabbily.

Until you own your own business you would never guess how hard it is to find good help. After 22 years of it, I now fully understand the businesses that treat their employees like "human resources".

Sent from my Nexus 7
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top