Managing Diversity Success Stories: Honoring Employees

In the Employee Acknowledgment program funds are allocated to allow supervisors to host celebrations to honor employees receiving service awards, and expressions of sympathy are sent to employees who have suffered a loss.

This practice helps improve communication and increase employee morale in a supportive environment. Employees are acknowledged, celebrated, and supported. This program meets the needs of a diverse workforce in the following ways: There is employee input in the process. Employees identified the need and developed the program. There is a continuous feedback mechanism. This program acknowledges those employees who will receive service awards or those who have suffered a family death.

Staff identified a need to have an acknowledgment program and Facilities Services developed a formal bereavement policy by which expressions in the form of flowers and sympathy cards are sent to any staff member that suffers a family death. Family is defined in accordance with campus Personnel Policies. The program is administered by the Human Resources Managers in order to maintain the employee's privacy.

Facilities Services also acknowledges employees that receive service awards. Supervisors host a celebration for their employees that is attended by the Assistant Vice Chancellor, Director, and Supervisor of Facilities Services. It is at the discretion of the supervisor and depending on the size of the unit to include all members of the unit. Additionally, employees who receive service awards are acknowledged at the quarterly training sessions by the Vice Chancellor and receive recognition in the Facilities Services monthly newsletter. Support from the top and funding is needed to host celebrations/send cards of sympathy or flowers, etc. If funds are not available, donations could be solicited.

Management support and funds to host celebrations/send cards of sympathy or flowers, etc. Evaluation/feedback mechanisms.

Employees feel acknowledged and celebrated. The program increases morale, improves communication, and provides a supportive environment. There is employee satisfaction.

With management support and staff inclusion in the decision-making process they are able to have successful programs and feel that this recipe would also work for other departments.