GiftCard Partners Blog

According to the 2012 Workforce Mood Tracker from Globoforce employee recognition programs are on the rise, and for many employees the presence of these programs can dictate their satisfaction with their employer. The statistics from this study are staggering, and further cement the importance of employee recognition programs as part of the investment employers make in their staff.

Thinking you can’t afford an employee incentive and rewards program? Incentives don’t have to be expensive and you can pair them with the financial needs of your employees. A recent study from researchers at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) suggests that employees could “choke” if the stakes or rewards are high. They  liken this performance phenomenon to a sports event in which people become afraid of losing their reward. “It is a somewhat unexpected conclusion. After all, you would think that the more people are paid, the harder they will work, and the better they will do their jobs -- until they reach the limits of their skills”, states Science Daily. However, these researchers have found that the more that is at risk, the more performance could be hindered, therefore demotivating and working against larger company goals. Digging deeper, their  research also revealed that “performance improved as the incentives increased -- but only when the cash reward amounts were at the low end of the spectrum. Once the rewards passed a certain threshold, which depended on the individual, performance began to fall off.” This speaks volumes about “knowing thy employee”. Interesting science that is easily parleyed into the concept of providing more incentives, in smaller amounts, like gift cards. Gift cards can be purchased in bulk in any increment, but cards like
SUBWAY,
Boston Market, and
CVS at $20 or $30 per gift card offers your employees small incentives that they can really use. They will grab lunch on the way to their summer destinations, bring dinner home for the family and stock up on sunscreen and first aid for the season. Source:
ScienceDaily Online – Science News

The following infographic from
mashable.com shows how obesity, growing ever more prevalent in workplaces across the country, can cost your company valuable money and resources. Implementing health and wellness programs for employees using small incentives, such as gift cards to assist in living a healthy lifestyle, such as the
CVS/Pharmacy Select Card  or a GNC gift card can save your company money and keep your employees healthy, productive, and happy in their jobs. Check out the information below to help prevent obesity in your office.
 

According to a new survey from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans there is more reason than ever to provide health and wellness programs with incentive benefits for your employees. According to the survey for every $1 companies invest in health and wellness programs for employees, $3 is saved in health care costs. 70% of U.S. employers are currently running some form of a health and wellness program, and 83% of all employers running programs saw a return on investment. It is not surprising that health and wellness programs see unprecedented return on investment. Employees get healthier, happier, and feel more supported by their employers. These factors all lead to increased happiness at work, retention rates, and productivity. To incentivize employees to reach health and fitness goals use small rewards such as gift cards
, or extra time off. It’s a great way to show employees you care, not just about the job they do for the organization, but for their long term well-being. To learn more about the report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans check out this tip in 
Time Magazine or article in 
Baseline Magazine 

Chances are, you have European employees, customers, business partners, resellers, or affiliates in Europe. Rewarding those constituents for a job well done or recognizing that they’ve gone above and beyond is important to keep them engaged in their work, loyal in their business dealings, motivated in their camaraderie, and incented to succeed.
Maxchoice is GCP’s newest corporate incentive and loyalty program offering. With these premium international vouchers, also known as super-certificates, you can engage, motivate and reward your corporate incentive program participants – abroad and in the states. These premium international vouchers are redeemable at more than 550 top retailers, leisure and service providers throughout Europe. Participating retailers and merchants include IKEA, Marriot, Debenhams, Amazon, and hundreds more. Check out our
temporary maxchoice microsite for ordering information.