Best Way to Reward an Outstanding Employee

LPedsy on 24/04/2019 - 15:35

Hi all,

I have an employee in the R&D team that has, for the last 3 months, gone so far beyond the call of duty it's not funny.
We have recently introduced a new product to market and he has put in massive time to get prototypes ready, rework said prototypes to accommodate design changes and train production workers. He has worked through weekends and late nights to meet deadlines without overtime. He is a star and we would be pretty buggered right now without him. I'm fairly new to the management game and haven't had experience with this sort of thing. Can you guys suggest some ways that might be nice to acknowledge his efforts? We are a smallish company (30-50 staff) so I'm not going to be spending crazy money.

Education & Work

Comments

    • kingsville on 26/04/2019 - 12:48

      +1 an unexpected, once-off bonus can show the companies gratitude.
      Perhaps have a performance/pay chat in June to set up for next financial year, and drop this in then (making sure you say what they did, that it was above and beyond the call of duty, and had a big impact on firm).
      They probably don't expect it, and did the extra work out of professional pride and personal enjoyment of doing a great job.

      Alternatively, estimate how many days extra they did (that was completely was above and beyond the call of duty of a professional employee) and offer to add that to their leave balance or pay-out (their choice). But mention it is a once-off.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 24/04/2019 - 18:15
    +7

    Brojob

  • onetwothreefour on 24/04/2019 - 18:23
    +1

    Eneloops

  • elgrande on 24/04/2019 - 19:01
    -8

    My reccomendation is to NOT reward the employee. You will only be cementing your own future demise as they take over your role!

    • bargainhunter87 on 25/04/2019 - 14:12

      yeah ok mate you work your arse off for 3 months then say that

  • zoombie on 24/04/2019 - 19:34
    +6

    Give him the URL to this website. Tell him that with this URL, you are saving him tens of thousands dollars into the future :P

    • payton on 24/04/2019 - 19:43
      +13

      way to turn a star into a procrastinator who checks their phone every 10 minutes
      haha

    • ilikeradiohead on 25/04/2019 - 00:56
      +3

      *costing

  • Hellfire on 24/04/2019 - 20:04

    Cash is the best way. It shows that you really value his contribution. If that's a bit hard to swing then give him time off for the extra hours he spent, maybe 1 week of toil to be used over Christmas

  • subywagon on 24/04/2019 - 20:34
    +1

    Fire him.

  • field1985 on 24/04/2019 - 20:54
    +7

    I would give him extra week of annual leave to take at his discretion. Wont cost you anything really (one week without him) and fairly compensates him for all the unpaid overtime.

    • che_97 on 25/04/2019 - 16:36

      This to me is the best thing. The money effect wears off pretty quick (unless it’s disproportionate to wages) but time off is what I’d love.

  • ego22 on 24/04/2019 - 20:58
    +10

    30-50 staff? u dont know if u have 30 staff or almost double that?…. u should offer him your job.

    • T1OOO on 26/04/2019 - 19:42
      -1

      He means teams change at any point given requirements. He was giving a rough estimate.

      You should get a job first before you suggest to give others away.

  • happirt on 24/04/2019 - 21:00
    +1

    he is eyeing your position, better watch out if you like your job…

  • Masterpupil on 24/04/2019 - 21:05
    -1

    Flight Centre voucher. Everyone can use that for something

    • Cluster on 25/04/2019 - 01:00

      How about just more money? That's something everyone can truly use. A Flight Centre voucher must be spent at one store and on one type of goods. No good to many people.

  • Windows98 on 24/04/2019 - 21:11
    +3

    Quit and let him take your job.

    I really hope you've been working weekends and late nights without overtime. Your job would be a great gift.

    Plus it looks like you've admitted to illegal staffing practices. Very bad.

  • Omitsukasa on 24/04/2019 - 21:23
    +3

    At least pay him what he's owed for God's sake. Pay him the overtime and acknowledge his contribution. That way he feels you're fair… and it IS fair. Not just some movie tickets or gift he probably doesn't value. I've had horrible managers who only reward staff with $ incentive for achieving sales kpi but not pay for overtime, which happens most days. What a bunch of sharks.

    • Mokr on 26/04/2019 - 10:25

      In an professional job its expected that employees work past overtime

      • apptrack on 26/04/2019 - 19:04
        +1

        If we continue to accept it, according to Fairwork its illegal.

  • diddy50 on 24/04/2019 - 21:24
    +2

    Pay him for the work he put in.
    That would be great, all that overtime with no pay.

  • Mrgreenz on 24/04/2019 - 21:30

    Give hime some paid training

    Give him a bonus equal to the effort he put in

    • runtoparadise on 25/04/2019 - 07:23

      I second this. Offer him paid training to a week long course of his choosing - that should be BAU and happen every year if you actually want to keep him. I would in addition offer to send him to one of your main industry conferences as his actual reward.

      At the end of the day it sounds like he personally made up for your understaffing (either in terms of people or skills) in order to meet these deadlines, deadlines which were created by other people who did not have the competence to schedule, resource or execute the project within these deadlines. That is an unfair situation for a company to put a sole employee in and as such if the workplace had any integrity they would offer to pay him overtime for all of the extra hours. Time in lieu does not pay the mortgage and should only be resorted to if the business is genuinely having cash flow issues.

      Or the easiest reward is a promotion. Sounds like he deserves it.

  • Dabbler68 on 24/04/2019 - 21:34
    +3

    Recognition in front of others is the first step. Then make an experience like a weekend somewhere that is memorable and will always be remembered as a gift from the company. This doesn't need to cost a lot.

    Focus on what his contributions achieved rather than the effort put in, then others can't just put in extra hours and justify the same benefit. After all, it's the achievement that matters, not just the hours.

  • tabz on 24/04/2019 - 22:21
    +3
    • Public recognition firstly.
    • Time in lieu for all the extra time he's put in.
    • Delegate more responsibilities to him, not in a way that says "here's all this extra work", but more like "I trust you to take on more senior tasks". e.g. Something that will make him accountable for something important.
  • Salty Pretzel on 24/04/2019 - 22:34
    +4

    Give him a week or 2 off, paid.

  • Godric on 24/04/2019 - 22:56

    More money

  • hotdish on 24/04/2019 - 23:19
    +3

    A week of extra leave is a must. Extremely under rated form of bonus.

  • taoz on 24/04/2019 - 23:29

    add 2-3 weeks to his annual leave quota.
    allow him to cash leave out also if desired.

  • justwii on 24/04/2019 - 23:42
    +1

    Indirectly let him know about this post, see what he will comment about LOL.

    • holdenmg on 25/04/2019 - 03:17

      If they don't already know about OzB, probably not ready for Management. lol

  • holdenmg on 25/04/2019 - 00:41
    +1

    Clone them.*

    It is Win/Win all the way.

    Don't worry about the law, consents or paperwork…

    Start with a hair (or mouth swab for "Ancestry DNA") and go from there.

    Tip:
    Refer to your real staff member as "#1" otherwise you'll get confused real quick.

    *Disclaimer
    Might not be legal… no cloning Liberal, Nats, One Nation, Clive Palmer's or anyone else with Political Aspirations set on world domination 101. lol

  • Cluster on 25/04/2019 - 00:59
    +5

    At my former workplace the management rewarded the R&D department for 2 months of overtime to 10pm+ every night with: a few days off and take away pizza for those staying back to 10pm. The young employees were suitably impressed. The older ones saw what an absolutely sh!tty deal this was and were furious. 4+ hours of overtime every day were rewarded with maybe $5 of pizza. Go management, woohoo!

    Your employees will harbor grudges for a long time if you don't reward them, but if you ask them directly they'll be all sweetness and light. They won't tell you, but will suddenly leave one day. Speaking from experience.

    • holdenmg on 25/04/2019 - 03:14

      Vote 1 - Pizza
      :+)

    • SuperMid on 25/04/2019 - 17:55

      2 months = 40 working days. say you normally finish at 5pm, but work OT until 10pm, thats 5 extra hours per day. 40 days x 5 hours = 200 hours of OT. 200 hours X roughly $30 an hour = $6000 pretax dollars

      not a bad deal for some pizzas. unless they were hella gourmet crazy insane good pizzas.

  • superb on 25/04/2019 - 05:28
    +5

    When employees have to stay behind to put in extra effort to meet unusual circumstances/ beyond call of duty, then getting some takeways/pizza is not really a reward but would just keep them going.

    If the work done is extraordinary and is acknowledged by peers, rewarding such efforts would be a good incentive and an example for others without affecting overall morale. What the reward is would be a combination of budget/value to employee.

    The bigger problem is that the company is not assured that the services of the employee are retained even after this incentive. As this is not the case of a hardworking employee but someone with specialized and creative skills, some steps should be taken in working out a career plan for the employee so that they are not head hunted.

  • gromit on 25/04/2019 - 08:21
    +8

    Received a few of these over the years. So here is my take on the various rewards. Firstly what you should do is some mental maths in how much extra work he has done and what that is worth to the company then split that value with him however you feel is fair.

    Negatives
    Gift cards (@#$@#$#@ off), these are irritating as all my hard work resulting in you selecting where I can purchase or eat something.
    Dinners or lunchs - meh gone and forgotten in an hour with nothing to show for it.
    movie or event tickets — meh, if I wanted that I would have gotten it myself
    trophies/awards/plaques — you have got to be kidding me. you cheap ass bathplugs. these are the rewards I despise
    presents and gifts - avoid, even if you can find the right hobby or things he likes you have to know exactly what he needs or wants and chances are this is a lot of work for something he can get himself if you just give him the cash and option.

    Positives
    Holidays - great, shows effort and thought of management (had hayman island, Vietnam and gold coast myself, location and length not critical but it showed appreciation)
    Bonus/money/raise = always appreciated if done right. Just don't be overly cheap. if he worked an extra 100 hours and you give him a $100 bucks he can quickly be calculating that you value his hard work at about $1 an hour, not a good look
    Extra Days off - always greatly appreciated, especially if you let them choose when they want to take them (got one of those this Friday)
    Expense - option to buy whatever you like and expense back to the company, almost as good as cash, far better than a dumb ass gift card.

  • dumvamp on 25/04/2019 - 09:10
    -1

    Gift him a Bikie!
    That way when things turn sour with the other staff later he can deal with it himself.

  • [Deactivated] on 25/04/2019 - 09:33

    Anybody else who has been doing a thankless job or rewards don't match efforts kinda job here yet still keep giving their best efforts and go out of the way as a duty due to moral and social responsibility? I feel just stupid or maybe my bar is too low.

    • Love a bargain on 25/04/2019 - 13:30

      You still do the best you can because you want a good reference from your current boss when you find a better job.

  • Lastchancetosee on 25/04/2019 - 09:33
    +4

    Promotion with higher pay. He's proved his worth and commitment. Now the company can do the same.

  • Okayy on 25/04/2019 - 09:48

    Some companies fire such people

    • Bidet Mate on 25/04/2019 - 10:21

      Why?

      • DarthAntz on 25/04/2019 - 13:44

        save $2000-$4000 in promoting them, and you've learned enough from them to take your business forward.
        It's now OPs role to do what he did.
        Plus he's only been there 3 months, thats not enough/much for severance and holidays paid out.

        Its a cruel, cruel world

        • Bidet Mate on 25/04/2019 - 14:57

          Jeez Mate, thats bleak>..

        • Vote for Pedro on 26/04/2019 - 19:30

          This 👆 is why we have to Change The Rules.

          • DarthAntz on 26/04/2019 - 20:21

            @Vote for Pedro: When you're in charge, you make the rules. I think you're going to see this once in your working life.

            The nail that sticks out get hammered back in

            • Vote for Pedro on 26/04/2019 - 21:59

              @DarthAntz: Yeah, that’s rubbish. You’re comments demonstrate the need for workers to stick together and unite to rebalance the equation.

              For far too long it’s been a race to the bottom. The decline started with Reith and culminated in ‘workchoices’.

              This current mob just continued the erosion of workplace rights and a fair go.

              I mean what can you expect when Cormann admits that keeping wages low is a feature of their economic management. Meanwhile, cost of living is going through the roof.

              We’re all trying our hardest to get by without pr#cks of employers treating workers like sh#t.

              • DarthAntz on 27/04/2019 - 22:24

                @Vote for Pedro: I don't agree with the comments I'm making either, you make a good point. I'm sharing these comments on the matter because they are real and it does happen.
                I think it's better to understand the perspective and how it happens, rather than get bitter about it.
                You have to see from an employers perspective in all matters.
                Don't worry about politics. They've got less control than you think, and do it for the attention. Worry more about yourself and the potential you can create for your situation.
                One day you'll go from apprentice to master. You fail the master if you stay an apprentice.

                • Vote for Pedro on 28/04/2019 - 10:53

                  @DarthAntz: Yes. It is reality. You’re right.

                  I certainly understand the employers perspective, rest assured. There are many good employers, but many unscrupulous ones as well.

                  You’re right as well about politics, but it does set the framework and the legal ‘balance’. That’s why it’s also important workers on the ground stick together and deal with dodgy business practices. The old saying “United we bargain, divided we beg” still rings true.

                  We can sit back and just cop it or get involved, get active and leave it better for the next generation.

                  I, for one, know which I choose. ☮️

  • 9674784 on 25/04/2019 - 10:50
    +3

    Not to toot my own horn but I was this employee in a former life.

    My manager came to me, sat me down and gave me a small pay increase. It wasn’t much but it still helped and the biggest compliment was actually my manager recognising my hard work.

  • TenguTech on 25/04/2019 - 11:05
    +4

    Giving someone a reward is will depend on why they did it. Dollars are always nice, but are not everything.

    Think about why the person put in the extra effort:

    • Are they looking for a raise? (yes, ok, everyone wants a raise, but it is not the only reason you do things)
    • Is it something they are passionate about? A pet project they don't want to see fail?
    • Are they trying to prove something to management? to other employees?
    • Are they worried about looking bad if the project fails?
    • Does life outside work suck, and they don't want to go home?
    • Or something else?

    Think about the employees motovation. What they might be trying to achieve. And how to keep them engaged.

    • Are they looking for monetry compensation or rewards?
    • Are they looking for more responsability? More influence in the company's direction? Or the ability to put forward their own ideas?

    Yes, more questions than answers. I am just trying to make you think about what sort of reward the person might be looking for, or appreciate. Or I could be over analysing :)

  • Jebus on 25/04/2019 - 11:36

    He has worked through weekends and late nights to meet deadlines without overtime

    As long as he's being paid the correct rate for all the overtime work he's already putting in then I think the only thing required in this situation is to acknowledge his efforts while also admitting fault for production timelines being unrealistic. You shouldn't reinforce this work ethic as something expected of all employees, and you MUST admit that production will be reviewed to make sure this kind of overtime is not required in the future.

    Long term though his efforts should be used as evidence to give him a raise/promotion/more responsibility as he clearly values the quality of the final product over other things.

  • khued on 25/04/2019 - 11:41
    +1

    That star is a workaholic…996 is the ONLY fitting reward!

  • acoma on 25/04/2019 - 11:41
    +1

    Recognise their work to them privately. If you do it front of everyone, be prepared for some staff to feel slighted. No doubt you have other employees who have also put in a great effort but are not in the limelight, so to speak. Our company stopped giving out minor rewards( Gift cards, etc) as it was seen as unfair to other employees who did great work but were not noticed by management.

  • ozbjunkie on 25/04/2019 - 11:49

    Work out how much overtime he did. Offer that amount as a bonus.

    Discuss the employee's future goals within the company. Tell him his efforts are noted, and they are exactly what will get him further in the company (if that's true).

  • [Deactivated] on 25/04/2019 - 12:29

    Pay rise or equity. But neither will happen as most companies are cheap when it comes to this kind of thing; even a 10k bonus is practically a rounding error to a company of this size.

  • MessyG on 25/04/2019 - 13:18

    Promotion, bonus, or payrise.

  • [Deactivated] on 25/04/2019 - 13:41

    Get the employer to ask the employee directly what they want.

  • Taro Milk Tea on 25/04/2019 - 14:13

    $$$$$ - that's all that matter and he'll be happy.

  • [Deactivated] on 25/04/2019 - 14:57
    -2

    Public acknowledgement outweighs any gifts.

    Host a dinner for the staff to celebrate your champ and have a nice gift like a custom mug with inscriptions to make the acknowledgement tangible. Maybe add tickets to something you know the person likes.

    "Thanks for going above and beyond. Manager, 2019".

    This does three things.

    1. Public acknowledgement, tangible acknowledgement, and gift.

    2. Staff gatherings are great for fellowship.

    3. Provides impressionable staff with something to strive for and look forward to.

    • [Deactivated] on 25/04/2019 - 16:22

      "nice gift like a custom mug with inscriptions"

      This is worthless and insulting. If I wanted, I could make my own 'mug with inscriptions' for ten bucks somewhere. This kind of suggestion is typical of the crap companies do that costs them nothing, and capable and valuable employees are very aware of this. Employee should be rewarded financially in relation to how much value they have created for the company.

      "Staff gatherings are great for fellowship."

      People will see that working hard gets you rewarded with a worthless mug and maybe some other gift that costs the company nothing compared to the value created by the employee.

      God am I glad I'm self-employed these days. Couldn't stand that empty / meaningless 'award' company back when I was an employee, and definitely wouldn't stomach it at all now.

      Do these kind of things, and the 'champ' will soon be looking elsewhere for a job where their skills are actually rewarded in a tangible way.

      • [Deactivated] on 25/04/2019 - 23:18

        We are a smallish company (30-50 staff) so I'm not going to be spending crazy money.

        How do you propose doing something on a budget?

        All you're saying is - it's not good enough.

        If OP gives them a payrise, it is permanent. Even if performance decrease or the business stops growing, the liability is there.

        An employee would scoff at $0.50/hr increase but it cost the employer $1,000 a year and it is ongoing.

        No wonder simple gestures and subtlety is lost. Better not to do anything less an act of generosity be scoffed at or worse, causes offence.

        • [Deactivated] on 27/04/2019 - 20:58

          Better not to do anything less an act of generosity be scoffed at or worse, causes offence.

          How much money did the employee make the the company, or will they make the company, with the work they've done?

          And it's not about the number of employees. It's about how profitable the company is. Plenty of '30-50' employee companies make millions of dollars in profit a year.

          "subtlety" - nice way of saying "being cheap"!

      • funnysht on 26/04/2019 - 10:14

        Not always might make other employees jealous etc

  • NorfolknGlue on 25/04/2019 - 15:55

    Give him your job =)

  • berger on 25/04/2019 - 16:18
    +2

    10% pay rise. He sounds like he is valuable. So keep him there

    Other options, change his income to salary, and reduce his hours 2-3 a week. He may value family/job if he has a shirt day a week.

    Offer to pay his rego/insurance when they are due next, or do it for the entirety of his employment with your company. It’s a business cost!

    Pay for his phone bill monthly. As above business costs can be claimed

    Comission based on the profits from the new product?

    If word gets out they are a great employee. He may get poached!

    • Imhereforcomments on 27/04/2019 - 18:17

      How are they business costs? They are all fringe benefits given to the employee and over 2k will attract FBT.

  • TheBird on 25/04/2019 - 16:34

    Stock options, vested over scheduled intervals, tied to performance milestones.

    Mentor them to become one of your leaders.

    Pay for training of their choosing.

  • bobby1234 on 25/04/2019 - 17:05
    -2

    option 1: ask him what he would like

    option 2: ask him why he did it.. (felt obligated, loved doing it, just likes the challenge, not enough experience staff etc) and then base the reward on that… (give him a pet project, hire someone to support him etc)

  • SuperMid on 25/04/2019 - 17:15
    +3

    a good hardworking employee we should retain, give him a pay rise you say? nah, lets just give him a pat on the back, and then act shocked when he resigns.

  • coolroy on 25/04/2019 - 19:58

    All expenses paid weeks Holiday for Him & his other half to a suitable country he would like to visit.
    Make sure you add limousine pickup from airport to Hotel & back, this always hits the spot.
    Make sure breakfast & or club lounge access is included & give him a small bonus on top so he can really enjoy his Holiday.

  • digitalbargain on 25/04/2019 - 21:34
    -1

    Lots of good ideas above.

    But don't forget a old fashioned handwritten note of appreciation from you/your boss (hard to believe but not everyone is motivated by a bigger paycheck or bonus.. sure would be nice too I'm sure)

    • berger on 25/04/2019 - 23:20

      I would put that note in the bin and jump on seek! Probably update my LinkedIn too!

      • digitalbargain on 25/04/2019 - 23:30

        Yeah most people probably do their job just for the money..

        but the type of passion for work the OP described may be the type that works for love of what they do

        Not saying don't remunerate for it, but a kind message outlining how the person has helped may mean a lot to them

  • Charybdia on 26/04/2019 - 06:27
    -1

    Reward them with more work and tighter deadlines.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/04/2019 - 06:50
    +1

    Make sure you acknowledge them soon. You don’t want to lose that person.

  • myusername on 26/04/2019 - 08:31
    +1

    payrise or promotion it's that simple.

    really don't understand why you had to make a post asking.

    good management wouldn't need to be asking this question

  • diddy50 on 26/04/2019 - 08:49

    If he is the engine that has kept this project running etc.

    What have the other team members done?
    What did you do to keep this project running?

    Thinking outside the box, was delivery and scheduling of the project that far behind or non realistic?

    Think about that for future works and projects. Who stuffed up?

  • funnysht on 26/04/2019 - 09:50

    I think so promotion etc. Ppl work hard some do it anyway but in general most ppl hope to get something back. Once they do they continue to work hard and show loyalty

  • pray4me23 on 26/04/2019 - 11:09

    "A $1 investment in his family/wife is like $200 investment in him."

    Great question. As a business owner who is researching the best sales/marketing strategies, I highly recommend you read a book called Giftology by John Ruhlin. He teaches how to give the right gift to the right person at the right time.

    Best podcast about this: https://jasonswenk.com/gift/
    Book on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Giftology-Increase-Referrals-Strength…
    Best speed reading tips 'How to Speed Read - Tim Ferriss' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwEquW_Yij0

    Following info from the podcast page:

    4 Things You Should Never Send to Clients

    Branded Swag: Sending clients that cool branded gear you have is doing way more harm than it is good. Sure, every marketing book ever tells you that you literally need to brand everything, but gifts are supposed to be about the recipient, not you.

    Apple Products: Do you want to send that prospect an iPad? John wants you to know something before you do — everyone has an iPad! Don’t send clients swag that they’re just going to end up regifting.

    Food: John has two reasons that you shouldn’t give clients food:
    If you send clients something like a paring knife, they’re going to use it a bunch of time throughout their life and think about you each time. But with food – once they eat that gift, you’re irrelevant
    There are too many diets! Is your client Paleo? Gluten-free? Kosher? There are tons of diets, allergies, and restrictions. Giving food as a gift is risky.

    Gift Cards: Do you know what gift cards say? I’m too lazy to get to know you!

    1 Group of People To Gift To

    Let’s say you want to nurture a relationship with a CEO with gifting. Should you send your gift to him? Not according to John. You should send a gift to his wife, kid(s), pet(s), or assistant(s) instead. You want to make everyone around him a sales advocate.

    Think about it. That CEO gets tons of gifts all the time, but his wife or his assistant doesn’t reap the same benefits. A $1 investment in his wife is like $200 investment in him.

    Bonus: When Not to Send Gifts!
    Don’t let your gift sit next to 500 other gifts. There’s a reason John never sends gifts on Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries. No matter how great your gift is, you don’t want to be competing with 50 other people. Suddenly the gift you poured your heart into is now lame.

  • chuckles89 on 26/04/2019 - 12:16

    does your company do bonuses? if so then he can be rewarded then at bonus time. but praise and recognition is definitely something that is highly regarded in many companies too. some time off in lieu also would be great.
    It is great to see management recognising the efforts of staff.

  • Swim1976 on 26/04/2019 - 13:41
    +1

    if budget is a concern then lunch with CEO/owner/exec leadership team etc can be a not to expensive option, informal time with people he wouldn't usually get to interact with is a great way to know your work is being appreciated by the higher ups.

    a paid trip to a conference that's related to the industry you work in - can have benefit back to the business if they bring back new knowledge or connections.

    less formal you could upgrade their workgear - latest model phone and laptop, telling them that they need to have the right/latest work tools as they're contribution is so important.

    an above average wage increase at annual review time, mention that it is in recognition of the contribution.

  • MelCheapo on 26/04/2019 - 16:03
    +1

    You could start by both thanking him and then apologising that he had to do so much overtime. Then make a commitment to him that in the future that you wont take advantage of his good nature and loyalty and will give appropriate time to product development so that he can have a work life balance. You could take a moment to remember all the times he told you he couldn't complete a given stage in time and respect him next time when he says the same. If you had him performing other duties, acknowledge to him that he only worked the extra hours because you wouldn't find someone else to perform his duties and the next time around you will free him up more.

    After all of that give him a prezzie, the memory of the gift may fade, but a sincere and well thought-out acknowledgement of his efforts wont.

    Good-luck!

  • berger on 26/04/2019 - 16:27
    +2

    Another popular forum discussion with little to no input from the OP.

    • Windows98 on 27/04/2019 - 09:46
      +1

      Yep. Hundreds of replies and only one OP reply.

      I assume that given this employee worked for free (illegally), the OP was looking for a cheap/free gift that wouldn't break his companies piggy bank. And after seeing the replies of thousands of dollars gifts or to pay him his fair wages, he's decided to give the poor bastard and village cinemas gift certificate he found at the bottom of his desk and a pat on the back

  • Cusack on 26/04/2019 - 18:14

    $3K-$4K travel voucher which pays for 'experiences and memories'. It's much better than plain cash which normally disappears into savings or spent responsibly on bills or material bs anyway.

  • Plug on 26/04/2019 - 19:24

    Beware of singling him out though as other employees will get jealous. It might also isolate him a bit. Whatever it is make it discreet and largely unpublicised.

  • This Guy on 26/04/2019 - 20:27

    Termination and an excellent referral /s

  • pistachio on 27/04/2019 - 02:05

    Give him bonus.

    As a employee, I hate receiving movie tickets, gift cards etc.

    Cash is the best present.

  • Seedy seed on 27/04/2019 - 08:17

    Hookers and blow. You could have them jump out acake at a team meeting!

    Seriously though, sounds like he is a good worker, ask where he wants to go with the company and offer to help him get there, costs nothing and makes him feel appreciated nd like he has career progression.

  • edskii on 27/04/2019 - 09:18
    +1

    Rolex Daytona as a bonus

  • freakatronic on 27/04/2019 - 10:22

    Rolex Milgauss.

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