How do you create a workplace safety rewards program?

1 Assess your safety culture

Before you start planning your rewards program, you need to understand the current state of your safety culture. How do your employees perceive safety? What are the main challenges and opportunities for improvement? How do you measure and communicate safety performance? You can use surveys, interviews, focus groups, audits, or other methods to gather feedback and data from your staff and managers. This will help you identify the gaps and goals for your program, as well as the types of rewards that would be meaningful and relevant.

2 Design your rewards criteria

Next, you need to decide what behaviors and outcomes you want to reward and how you will measure them. You can use both leading and lagging indicators to track safety performance. Leading indicators are proactive measures that show how well you prevent accidents, such as training completion, hazard identification, near-miss reporting, or safety audits. Lagging indicators are reactive measures that show how many accidents occurred, such as injury rates, lost time, or workers' compensation claims. You should balance both types of indicators and align them with your safety objectives and standards. You should also make sure your criteria are clear, specific, achievable, and fair.

3 Choose your rewards types

Now, you need to choose what kinds of rewards you will offer and how you will distribute them. You can use both monetary and non-monetary rewards, depending on your budget and preferences. Monetary rewards can include cash, gift cards, bonuses, or vouchers. Non-monetary rewards can include recognition, certificates, badges, trophies, or extra time off. You can also use a combination of individual and team rewards, depending on the nature of your work and the level of collaboration. You should consider the preferences and needs of your employees and what would motivate them the most.

4 Implement your rewards program

Once you have your rewards criteria and types ready, you need to implement your program and communicate it to your employees. You should explain the purpose, benefits, and rules of the program, as well as how they can participate and earn rewards. You should also provide regular feedback and updates on the program's progress and results. You can use newsletters, posters, emails, meetings, or other channels to keep your employees informed and engaged. You should also celebrate and acknowledge the achievements and contributions of your employees and teams.

5 Evaluate your rewards program

Finally, you need to evaluate your program and see if it is achieving its goals and improving your safety culture. You should collect and analyze data on the indicators you chose, as well as feedback from your employees and managers. You should compare the results with the baseline data you gathered before the program and see if there are any changes or trends. You should also identify any strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or challenges of your program and make adjustments as needed. You should review your program periodically and ensure it is aligned with your safety vision and values.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?