HR managers in any part of the country can adapt this Model Policy for use at their own workplace.

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide employees opportunities to recognize and acknowledge the contributions of other employees and, in doing such, also enable [organization name] to recognize the contributions of employees.  The goal of the Peer Recognition and Appreciation Policy is to encourage employees to strive to achieve top performance levels in the workplace and build a culture of appreciation.

1. Eligibility

This policy applies to all [organization name] employees and interns. Additionally, all [non-management] [organization name] employees are eligible for formal recognition under the peer nomination system.

1. Governing Legislation

Use this section to list the relevant laws and regulations. This template represents best practices only and does not ensure legal compliance. You may have additional obligations pursuant to the federal and/or provincial, state, or territory laws and regulations applicable to your jurisdiction. Consult the applicable laws and legislation and review this policy with your legal counsel before implementation to ensure full legal compliance.

1. Recognizing Employee Contribution

Building a strong company within a positive workplace is one of the fundamental components of [organization name]’s culture. We encourage all employees to informally recognize the contributions made by their peers daily.

In addition to informal acknowledgment by peers and [managers/supervisors], [organization name] also recognizes its employees more formally through recognition initiatives. Recognitions are based on peer nominations and approved by the governing Peer Recognition Committee.

• Peer Recognition Committee

The decision to recognize employees, under the Peer Appreciation and Recognition Policy is governed by a committee comprised of staff, management, and HR (describe the governing group, for example, a minimum of 3 members of the staff, one manager, and 1 HR representative). This committee can include rotating members (the same individuals do not need to serve on an ongoing basis, the committee may include any 3 members of the staff, one manager, and 1 HR representative).

Committee Mandate: To support and manage the effective governance of the Peer Appreciation and Recognition program. Members of this committee contribute to identifying the types of recognitions including topics for recognition and how appreciation will be demonstrated. This includes meetings to review and approve nominations.

• The committee will meet annually (or semi-annually) to review the processes and effectiveness of the peer recognition process and identify the types of recognitions and recognition awards and ways to promote and encourage peer recognition.
• The committee will also meet monthly to review submissions for peer recognition.
• The committee is not responsible for developing or managing the Peer Appreciation and Recognition Program budget but will consult with HR to address any financial considerations. HR is responsible for identifying and directing all financial components of this program.
• Members of this committee are eligible to receive a peer appreciation or recognition nomination and award but must recuse themselves from reviewing or commenting on their own nomination.

• Types Of Peer Nominations

All [organization name] employees can nominate their peers for recognition. Employees and the Peer Appreciation and Recognition Committee can identify various types of recognition monthly and annually. The committee will create a formal list of types of recognition with suggestions from all employees. New suggestions may be submitted on an ongoing basis and reviewed when the committee meets formally x times per year (2 – 4 times per year). A list of nomination types will be posted for all employees to review.

The following are suggestions as to the types of achievements and actions that may merit more formal recognition:

• Ongoing dedication to community service.
• Outstanding research contribution.
• Developing innovative community outreach initiatives.
• Going above and beyond to promote [organization name]’s culture.
• Outstanding performance on a specific project.
• Innovative and creative problem solving.
• Positive or morale-building attitude.
• Ongoing day-to-day contribution.
• Demonstrated improvement in a given area.
• Reliable Contributor
• Positive Impact Player
• [Add achievement or behavior.]

Having a variety of options for recognition provides opportunities to recognize different employees.

1. PEER RECOGNITION NOMINATIONS

All [organization name] employees can nominate their peers for recognition. Each nomination should include the name of the nominee, the type of recognition, and a very brief statement that supports the nomination.  Please forward all nominees, along with reasons for nominating them, to HR or the Peer Appreciation Committee:

• [Name, title]
• [Phone number]
• [E-mail address]

• Recognition Decisions

The Peer Recognition Program Committee is tasked with approving nominations. The goal of the program is to encourage recognition, as a result approval should be generous but still maintain a standard to ensure the process remains credible. Nominations that are deemed reasonable by the majority of the committee will be eligible for recognition. Multiple nominations may be recognized each month and the same employee may be nominated on multiple occasions. Each employee is eligible for a maximum financial appreciation reward (if relevant) of ‘X’ per year.

• Recognition Initiatives

[Organization name] employees, [managers/supervisors] can nominate their peers and team members for any of the following [see below for suggestions and/or insert existing initiatives]:

• [Organization name] Wall of Fame. This can be an enjoyable way to celebrate ongoing individual contribution that may be done formally as informally. For example, each inducted individual could have his or her biography and photo posted during an informal “ceremony” complete with treats for all attendees. To make the proceedings more formal, you may choose to have an annual dinner for the inductee and attendees instead.
• [Organization name] Annual Awards. The goal of this initiative is to recognize outstanding one-time or project-based achievements or individual improvements rather than ongoing contribution.
• Employee(s) of the [month/week] based on the types of recognitions previously identified. This can occur each month/week with a formal recognition event annually.
• Articles in the [organization name] website or social media.
• A gift or financial reward: All monthly ‘recognized employees’ would have their names placed in a draw for an opportunity to earn a gift or financial reward.

• Appreciation Events

[Organization name] appreciates the fact that we could not operate successfully without the contributions of our employees. To show our appreciation for your contributions to [organization name]’s success, we will host the following events throughout the year:

• [Event name, description, date of occurrence, e.g. Monthly Lunch and Learn]
• [Event name, description, date of occurrence, e.g. Annual Seasonal Recognition Event]
• [Event name, description, date of occurrence

1. SERVICE RECOGNITION

[Organization name] values employees who contribute on a longstanding basis to our success. Employees who reach x years of service [specify milestones, e.g. 1, 3, 5] will be eligible for the following [insert details of existing initiatives and/or see below for suggestions]:

• [Organization name]-sponsored event (for example a recognition dinner, outing or other shared experience). This shared event may be used to celebrate each individual’s achievements and may be formal (cross organization event such as a formal recognition dinner) or informal (department event such as a potluck or celebration treat). The goal is to highlight the individual’s contributions while strengthening the sense of community within your organization.
• Induction into [company name] Wall of Recognition. Different categories based on service levels may be created.
• A gift in recognition of the individual’s contribution (base this on a combination of the organizations company culture and individual differences, for example a donation in the name of the individual to a charity of choice along with a small gift such as a gift card to a local restaurant or favour store up

1. PROGRAM BUDGET

The [organization name] Peer Recognition and Reward Policy is supported by a defined annual budget. The total budget per year is identified each year. The budget is not to exceed [insert monetary amount] per eligible employee per year. Any amounts spent on this program above and beyond the stated budget must be properly documented and forwarded to [name/job title of the individual in charge] along with written explanations.

1. TAX IMPLICATIONS

Any items with monetary value (this can include the cost spent on a recognition event) may be considered a taxable benefit under federal tax laws. Consult your taxation authority for more information. Outline here any tax implications that may exist for employees as a result of the program.

1. EMPLOYEE DECLARATION

I,                                                          , hereby acknowledge that I have read and understand the Peer Recognition and Appreciation Policy of [organization name]. I agree to abide by the terms and conditions of this policy and ensure that persons working under my supervision abide by the terms and conditions of this policy.

___________________________________                          _______________________________

Employee Signature                                                                          Date

___________________________________                          _______________________________

Manager Signature                                                                            Date

REVISION HISTORY

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