Local Level Reward Programs

Looking for a way to recognise your employees and colleagues for their day-to-day work? Recognition is most effective when it takes place on a regular basis and in a variety of different ways and forms an important part of the University’s Performance Development Framework.

When delivered appropriately and consistently, rewards can assist to improve both performance and morale across your work unit.

Some different approaches can be taken to local level rewards:

Informal Reward Ideas

Informal Rewards are spontaneous and personal appreciation of the efforts of individuals and/or teams. They provide an effective, low-cost way of recognising achievements and encouraging higher levels of performance.

This approach provides for recognition at any time for contributions to the goals of the University and work unit and/or to acknowledge individual or team accomplishments. The timing of reward and recognition is very important and its impact is best when it occurs as close to the actual activity as possible.

We asked staff at the University what forms of reocgnition they most appreciate. Here are some of their informal reward preferences:

  • Frequent informal praise
  • Secondment/exchange opportunities
  • Some flexibility in my schedule
  • A chance to work on a project
  • A supervisor implementing some of my ideas
  • Mentoring opportunities

In the attached document are 25 ideas to help you embed employee reward and recognition into your everyday work:

Need some more? Recognition is an important performance conversation and supervisors who have attended workshops on the Peformance Development Framework over the past number of years have contributed to the a list of non-monetary ways to recognise and reward staff.

Remember, informal reward strategies are every day activities that form part of good leadership and management practice!

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Business Support Rewards

From time to time you may find it more appropriate to provide individual staff or teams with a reward to recognise their achievements.

There are however a few issues to consider first:

  • Budgetary and other business constraints
  • Fringe Benefits Tax
  • University Statutes

Fringe Benefits Tax

Managers should exercise caution in providing certain fringe benefits to staff as there are potential taxation implications.

Do you wish to provide your staff with a reward but are unsure of what incurs FBT and what doesn't? Below is a guide to assist you in this regard:

Examples of rewards that do not incur FBT include:

  • Pen sets, electronic organisers, a briefcase, calculators
  • Professional books
  • Stationery
  • Payment of professional membership fees (must be work related eg: CPA membership for accountants)
  • Subscriptions to work related publications journals
  • QANTAS Club membership
  • Newspaper subscriptions - eg: The Age, Finanical Review
  • Work related clothing or project uniforms (University logo must be displayed)
  • Work related conference payment (payment of conference fees and airfares)
  • Mobile phone predominantly used for work purposes (initial cost, rental and call costs)
  • Morning/afternoon teas to celebrate significant work-related achievements (policy)
  • Work related software
  • Payment of education course fees (must be a full fee course) where there is a connection between the course and employment
  • Flowers (as long as minor and infrequent and less than $300 in value)
  • University Book Shop voucher (as long as the purchase is for work related goods)

Examples of rewards that do incur FBT:

  • Functions held outside the work premises
  • Tickets to events (eg: football, movies, theatre)
  • Meal or accommodation vouchers
  • Non-work related gifts such as books, CD's and homewares
  • Workplace lunches

If you are considering providing a reward that incurs FBT, you must be mindful of ‘reportable fringe benefits amount’ which appears on employment payment summaries (see link for further information). Careful consideration and discussion of such a reward should occur with the employee to ensure any such implications are determined prior to any commitment being made.

University Statutes

University statutes prevent the use of University funds for purchases that are extravagant or personal:

  • Extravagant purchases are defined as ‘spending much more than is necessary or wise; wasteful’. Judgement is required with each purchase to avoid extravagance.
  • Personal purchases are purchases incurred directly by the individual. To ensure the University complies with regulations, purchases should not be made by the individual, other than when prior approval has been made by appropriate delegation.

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Monetary Reward Policies

Professional staff

There are a number of monetary reward policies that may be utilised to reward and recognise professional staff achievements. Monetary rewards may encompass the following:

Academic staff

Academic Staff have access to:

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