Dangling The Carrot?

[Dutch Dawg]

The picnic thread got me to thinking about intrabuilding contests between driver groups etc.. and the ultimate reward of logo'd clothing or whatever the trinket of the month was/is.

Hey, I'll tell you right off the bat it's 'SOUR GRAPES' for me when it comes to this, as over the years I've never won/earned or whatever you wanna call it anything through any safety contest organized like this. I've just always had the fortune to be grouped with someone that fails to meet the guidelines. I'm sure in the big picture somewhere, someone in the heirarchy thinks these things up and believes these are nothing other than a raging success because they've raised awareness or something.

Does your building continue to use this method and do you feel the rewards are beneficial or do they contribute in part to resentment by the 'loosers' thus negating benefit?

[westsideworma]

Originally Posted by Dutch Dawg

The picnic thread got me to thinking about intrabuilding contests between driver groups etc.. and the ultimate reward of logo'd clothing or whatever the trinket of the month was/is.

Hey, I'll tell you right off the bat it's 'SOUR GRAPES' for me when it comes to this, as over the years I've never won/earned or whatever you wanna call it anything through any safety contest organized like this. I've just always had the fortune to be grouped with someone that fails to meet the guidelines. I'm sure in the big picture somewhere, someone in the heirarchy thinks these things up and believes these are nothing other than a raging success because they've raised awareness or something.

Does your building continue to use this method and do you feel the rewards are beneficial or do they contribute in part to resentment by the 'loosers' thus negating benefit?

yeah we do this a lot at our building, sometimes they follow through, other times it just seems like they're dangling that carrot as you said.

[RUiNed In Trace]

Chasing the carrot here. We go through the contest phases here as well. My loop won a bunch of them, still have yet to see any of the prizes. Haven't see a hair of a gift certificate and two breakfasts we were supposed to have. That was almost a year ago.

[longlunchguy]

No prizes given away here, although I have been nominated as "The Disgruntled Employee of the Month"

[soberups]

I personally find the whole idea of "safety contents" to be a bit childish and insulting. It isnt school spirit week and I'm not in 4th grade any more.
I see a lot of money being spent on breakfasts, awards, T-shirts etc. and it seems to me that it could be put to better use....like retrofitting older package cars with power steering and 3 point seatbelts. I would rather not have to spend 10 hours a day fighting the equipment than to recieve a water bottle with a UPS logo on it.

[wornoutupser]

My building had a $500.00 Home Depot card offered as a safety drawing prize at the end of the year. It was promoted all year-if you were not injured then you were still in the drawing.

Guess what? In December it went bye bye-the center manager shut up about it even though he promoted it to the driver group all year.

Can I join the disgruntled employee club??

[rod]

Originally Posted by wornoutupser

My building had a $500.00 Home Depot card offered as a safety drawing prize at the end of the year. It was promoted all year-if you were not injured then you were still in the drawing.

Guess what? In December it went bye bye-the center manager shut up about it even though he promoted it to the driver group all year.

Can I join the disgruntled employee club??

the manager didn't happen to do a $500.00 remodel at his house did he?

[Dirty Savage]

Originally Posted by longlunchguy

No prizes given away here, although I have been nominated as "The Disgruntled Employee of the Month"

Yeah, you were nominated if only because I OWN this award.

In all seriousness, though, I've received lots of free stuff. Just this week our clerk handed out free movie passes to all the drivers. It was a gift we received for having no late air as a centre the previous Monday. Hey, I'll take it.

[dillweed]

Originally Posted by Dutch Dawg

The picnic thread got me to thinking about intrabuilding contests between driver groups etc.. and the ultimate reward of logo'd clothing or whatever the trinket of the month was/is.

Hey, I'll tell you right off the bat it's 'SOUR GRAPES' for me when it comes to this, as over the years I've never won/earned or whatever you wanna call it anything through any safety contest organized like this. I've just always had the fortune to be grouped with someone that fails to meet the guidelines. I'm sure in the big picture somewhere, someone in the heirarchy thinks these things up and believes these are nothing other than a raging success because they've raised awareness or something.

Does your building continue to use this method and do you feel the rewards are beneficial or do they contribute in part to resentment by the 'loosers' thus negating benefit?

You are not a loser, my friend. As long as you are safe, healthy and happy those trinkets mean nothing.

[filthpig]

This year in our center they made a purchase with our "safety Money" of hoodies with the UPS logo on them. I thought this was a pretty cool purchase. Something to wear when it was too cold to just be in shirtsleeves, but too warm for the coat. Wrong. We were promptly told we couldn't wear them while on duty. I threw mine away.

[browniehound]

Originally Posted by dillweed

You are not a loser, my friend. As long as you are safe, healthy and happy those trinkets mean nothing.

Dill,
I agree. Good post!

[BURMDPsupe]

Originally Posted by dillweed

You are not a loser, my friend. As long as you are safe, healthy and happy those trinkets mean nothing.

The "trinkets" are symbolic of a "thank you." Far too often, and I've been guilty of this, we fail to recognize our people. Sometimes all you really need is the "good job, nice work" compliment. In all of my years, including those outside of UPS, I've never encountered a person that didn't like positive attention.

M-

[soberups]

Originally Posted by BURMDPsupe

The "trinkets" are symbolic of a "thank you." Far too often, and I've been guilty of this, we fail to recognize our people.

I get all of the "thanks" I need every Friday on a little blue-and-white piece of paper with numbers on it.
In many ways I find "trinkets" to be insulting...especially when the money spent on them could instead be applied towards more relevant and meaningful gestures.
UPS made a business decision...that the life of its employee was not worth the $30 extra it would have cost to equip its older package cars with a 3-point seat belt. There isnt anything else to say. To then turn around and hand me a water bottle, a T-shirt, or a coffee mug with the "UPS" logo on it does not in any way change this simple, brutal statement of how little UPS actually "cares" about its people.

[dillweed]

Originally Posted by BURMDPsupe

The "trinkets" are symbolic of a "thank you." Far too often, and I've been guilty of this, we fail to recognize our people. Sometimes all you really need is the "good job, nice work" compliment. In all of my years, including those outside of UPS, I've never encountered a person that didn't like positive attention.

M-

UPS isn't always the best place to get positive attention. As dawg wonders, are those who don't receive trinkets losers?

Our safety PCMs are indeed insulting. They ask a safety question and the same ones wave their hands and shout out the answer. In reward for acting like a trained seal they are thrown a baseball cap or t-shirt. If the cm has an extra he just tosses it into the crowd and watches the boobs dive for it. He seems to think he's God Almighty when he does this.

We all know the answers and work as safely as possible. I'd trade all the trinkets in the world for a pain-free shoulder.

[looper804]

Originally Posted by filthpig

This year in our center they made a purchase with our "safety Money" of hoodies with the UPS logo on them. I thought this was a pretty cool purchase. Something to wear when it was too cold to just be in shirtsleeves, but too warm for the coat. Wrong. We were promptly told we couldn't wear them while on duty. I threw mine away.

Why throw it away.You could have worn it when you worked on your family car.

[rocket man]

ITS attempt to divide a center and break the union bond one wins we all win..thats the way corpate looks at and when we do bad corprate blames all above. we all lose.

[feeder53]

I, first do not blame anyone else...I have in the past with other companies received my safety awards on time and there was no contest....5,10, 15 an 20 year safety award. I do not look for any of these things as I get paid well to do my job. If I get one fine...if not I still have my paycheck. I do not take on baggage that belongs to another person...I am responsible for only what I do so if someone else gets one I would be first in line to congratulate them.

[Average at Best]

Originally Posted by Dutch Dawg

Does your building continue to use this method and do you feel the rewards are beneficial or do they contribute in part to resentment by the 'loosers' thus negating benefit?

Our center does this, but only as group rewards. As in, the center goes without an injury this month, everyone will get a trinket. All it does is foster an environment where people hide their injuries instead of reporting them because of the peer pressure generated by those that really, really want a cracked plastic thermos that was made in China.

[satellitedriver]

Originally Posted by dillweed

You are not a loser, my friend. As long as you are safe, healthy and happy those trinkets mean nothing.

The best safety award is making it home safe and sound.
Good post, Dill.