Employee Rward and Recognition Scheme
Renfrewshire Council · 5 February 2026
Back to Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board — 5 February 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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1 PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ To: Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board On: 5 February 2026 __________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Finance and Resources ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Employee Reward and Recognition Scheme ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Our ‘People Strategy’ places a strong focus on creating a positive and inclusive workplace, where recognition and reward play a vital role in supporting engagement and organisational success. To ensure our approach remains relevant and effective, officers have undertaken a comprehensive review of our reward and recognition practices. This review examined current arrangements, identified areas for improvement, and considered best practice from other organisations. 1.2 Guided by feedback from the 2025 Council Employee Engagement Survey, Employee Engagement Forums and Trade Unions, Officers have developed a new, modernised scheme that reflects the evolving needs and expectations of our workforce and promotes a culture where achievements are valued and celebrated. 1.3 This report therefore seeks approval from members to implement our new scheme which aligns with the Council’s People Strategy and strengthens our Council values. 1.4 The new scheme will refresh the existing Living Our Values programme and replace the legacy employee and long-service retirement awards with a more contemporary and inclusive approach. This approach is designed to celebrate behaviours that demonstrate our values and help create a workplace where everyone can thrive. 1.5 The new reward and recognition scheme will be delivered through the Council’s existing employee benefits platform. This will enable both peer-to-peer and manager-led recognition, as well as long-service awards.
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2 PUBLIC The scheme also introduces an annual Council-wide awards celebration, which will feature six categories: 1) Living Our Values Award 2) Young Person Award 3) Leadership Award 4) Positive Impact Upon the Community Award 5) Chief Executive Award 6) Workforce Innovation Award 1.6 These categories capture all feedback provided during the review and are designed to celebrate individuals and teams who create a positive impact day to day. 1.7 Appendix 1 provides full details of the scheme. Subject to Members’ approval, Officers will work with services to finalise and implement the scheme, which is scheduled to launch in the spring. Communications will be issued to all managers and employees through established channels. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 Members are asked to: • Approve the new Reward and Recognition Scheme, attached at Appendix 1. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 Our People Strategy is designed to build a modern, inclusive, and high- performing workforce by fostering continuous learning, collaboration, and innovation. While the recent Employee Engagement Survey results show that many employees feel appreciated and regularly recognised by their managers, there is a clear opportunity to strengthen and broaden how we recognise and reward contributions across the organisation. 3.2 Feedback from the Employee Engagement Forums and Trade Unions highlight that timely and meaningful recognition, particularly from senior managers, has a significant impact on how valued individuals and teams feel. Recognition, whether financial or non-financial, should be an ongoing part of the employee experience, not limited to annual events. Regular communications through established channels will spotlight and celebrate achievements, reinforcing a culture where success is visible and appreciated. 3.3 While recognition already takes place across the organisation, existing schemes such as our Living Our Values, employee awards, and retirement awards have been in place for many years and are limited in scope. They do not fully reflect the diverse contributions of employees, or the expectations highlighted through engagement feedback.
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3 PUBLIC 3.4 A new scheme is expected to improve engagement and morale, reinforce behaviours aligned with organisational values, and promote fairness and inclusivity. It will provide equal opportunities for recognition, support retention and attraction of talent, and encourage collaboration and innovation across services. 4. Principles and Overview of The New Scheme 4.1 The new Reward and Recognition Scheme is underpinned by principles of fairness, accessibility, and timeliness. It is designed to be simple and inclusive, ensuring recognition is meaningful, visible, and reinforces behaviours that contribute to a positive and high-performing workplace. 4.2 Recognition will be delivered through the Council’s employee benefits platform. This provides two main routes: peer-to-peer recognition, where colleagues can acknowledge everyday contributions that make a positive difference, and manager-led recognition, which allows managers to make formal awards for exceptional performance or behaviours that reflect our values. Where appropriate, manager-led recognition can include a financial reward, delivered instantly through our employee benefits platform as an e-gift card redeemable at a wide range of retailers. Long-service milestones will also be recognised through the platform, ensuring consistency and visibility across the organisation. 4.3 The scheme also includes an annual awards celebration to showcase achievements and recognise outstanding contributions. Employees will be able to nominate colleagues or teams through a simple online process, and nominations will be assessed by a panel comprising a Trade Union representative, a senior manager, and a member of the Employee Engagement Forum. Panel members will review nominations against published criteria, confirm shortlists, and select winners. Finalists will be celebrated at the event, with winners receiving formal recognition as part of the Council’s commitment to valuing excellence. Their achievements will also be highlighted through internal communications to showcase the positive impact they have made. 4.4 Eligibility for recognition applies to all employees, and nominations can be made for individuals or teams. Clear criteria will guide peer acknowledgements, manager awards, and annual award shortlisting to ensure consistency and fairness. All processes, including access to the employee benefits platform and nomination forms are designed to be accessible, with alternative routes available for employees who have limited digital access. Recognition and nomination data will be managed in line with data protection requirements, and panel members will declare any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves where necessary. 4.5 Governance will be provided by the People & Organisational Development team, which will set criteria, provide guidance to managers, and monitor usage through regular reporting and audit trails. Financial awards will operate within agreed service budgets and published thresholds.
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4 PUBLIC Success will be measured through platform usage data, nomination volumes, and feedback from engagement forums, with criteria reviewed annually to ensure the scheme remains relevant and effective. 4.6 Subject to approval, the scheme will launch in the spring. A short onboarding phase will focus on enabling peer recognition and manager awards, followed by opening the nomination window for the annual celebration. Communications will be issued through established channels to ensure employees and managers understand how to participate and where to find support. 4.7 If members approve the implementation of this new scheme, Officers will provide a progress report towards the end of the year. This update will provide members with an overview of how the scheme has been embedded, usage levels across services, and feedback from employees and managers, ensuring continued oversight and allowing any refinements to be considered as part of ongoing improvement.
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5 PUBLIC Implications of the Report 1. Financial – Budget provision for platform-based financial rewards has already been agreed by the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board (12 September 2024). The current spend on retirement awards will be reallocated to fund long-service awards, making this cost neutral. Any discretionary, manager-led awards will be contained within agreed service budgets and published thresholds. 2. People & Organisational Development – The scheme supports the Council’s People Strategy by reinforcing values-based behaviours and making recognition timely, visible, and inclusive. People & OD will own governance, set criteria, support managers with guidance, and monitor usage through reporting and audit trails. 3. Community Planning – No direct implications. The scheme is expected to enhance employee engagement and service culture, which in turn supports delivery against Community Plan outcomes. 4. Legal – No direct implications. The SME HCI Ltd platform is being changed from Vivup to Perkbox and this process requires to completed prior to launching the Reward and Recognition Scheme. Recognition and nomination processes will operate in line with existing employment and information governance frameworks, with declared conflicts of interest for panel members. 5. Property/Assets – None. The scheme does not require changes to the estate or physical assets. 6. Information Technology – No new corporate IT systems are required beyond use of the existing employee benefits platform. Officers will work with ICT as needed to ensure secure access and appropriate support for users with limited digital access. 7. Equality & Human Rights – The approach is designed to be inclusive and accessible, with clear criteria, alternative access routes for colleagues with limited digital access, and transparent decision-making to ensure fairness. Annual review of criteria will help identify and address any differential impacts. 8. Health & Safety – None directly from this report. 9. Procurement – None directly from this report. Platform procurement approvals were previously secured; ongoing use will follow standard procedures and existing frameworks as required. 10. Risk – Low. Governance by People & OD, clear published thresholds, and routine reporting/audit reduce delivery and compliance risks. An annual criteria review provides further assurance that the scheme remains proportionate and effective.
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6 PUBLIC 11. Privacy Impact – Recognition and nomination data will be handled in line with data protection requirements, with anonymised reporting where appropriate. Panel members will declare conflicts of interest and recuse themselves as needed. A DPIA has been carried out. 12. Climate Risk – None direct. Digital-first recognition reduces the need for printed materials and supports sustainable practices. 13. Children’s Rights – None. 14. Cosla Policy Position – None direct. The scheme aligns with sector good practice on workforce engagement and recognition and may inform future contributions to COSLA workforce networks. _________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers Appendix 2 – 2003 Retirement Award Scheme ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Fiona Sinclair, Organisational Development Adviser, People & OD, Finance and Resources
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1 OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE 9 26 17 22 ipline Employee Reward and Recognition Scheme February 2026
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PUBLIC Contents 1. Background 3 2. Principles of the Reward and Recognition Scheme 3 3. How We Recognise and Reward 4 4. Annual Award Categories 4-5 5. Summary 6
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PUBLIC 1 Background 1.1 Our People Strategy aims to build a modern, inclusive, and high-performing workforce through continuous learning, collaboration, and innovation. Our recent Employee Engagement Survey highlighted that many employees feel appreciated by their managers and are regularly recognised for their efforts. That's great news, but we recognise there’s always room to grow in how we support and acknowledge our people. 1.2 We want to ensure that when someone goes the extra mile, their efforts are genuinely seen, valued, and celebrated in ways that feel meaningful to them. This will help create an even more positive and supportive workplace for everyone. 1.3 This new scheme will focus on celebrating positive behaviours that reflect our values and help shape the kind of workplace we all want to be part of. 2 Principles of the Reward and Recognition Scheme 2.1 This scheme will reinforce our values by enabling managers to recognise and reward excellent work, supporting a culture of continuous improvement. Investing in recognition demonstrates our commitment to living our values and positively shaping our culture. 2.2 We’ve designed the scheme to be inclusive, accessible, and sensitive to the diverse experiences of our workforce. • All employees will have the opportunity to recognise when someone has gone above and beyond at work or positively impacted their experience using Celebration on our employee benefits platform and app. This is a non-financial recognition. • Managers can formally recognise and reward individual employees or teams for living our values and going above and beyond in their role using the Celebration financial rewards and recognition scheme on the employee benefits platform and app. • An annual awards celebration will take place when all services come together to recognise and reward our people based on the different categories described below. This will replace the current retirement award and Chief Executive annual employee award schemes.
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PUBLIC 3 How We Recognise and Reward 3.1 There are different ways we will recognise and reward our employees. 3.2 Peer to Peer Recognition: Celebration is a peer-to-peer recognition tool accessible via our new employee benefits platform on any work or personal device and via an app (available on iOS and Android). This tool allows all employees to say, 'thank you' and recognise when their colleagues have gone above and beyond or positively impacted their working day. This is non-financial recognition. 3.3 Service Recognition: Service managers can financially reward employees or teams for living our values using the Celebration dashboard. Employees will instantly receive their reward via the Celebration app and can select an e-Gift card redeemable at over 8000 retailers, both in-store and online. 3.4 Council Long Service Recognition: We will recognise those employees who have achieved long service with Renfrewshire Council at key milestones. Those who achieve key milestones of 20 to 40 years of service will receive the following awards: 20 years will receive a £200 voucher. 25 years will receive a £250 voucher. 30 years will receive a £300 voucher. 35 years will receive a £350 voucher. 40 years will receive a £400 voucher. 3.5 Annual Awards Celebration: An annual awards event will take place, to recognise our employees who have gone above and beyond in their role. Our employees will be invited to nominate a fellow colleague for one of the following award categories, detailed below in paragraph 5.1, using a nomination form available in Business World. 3.6 A panel will be established to review entries for the award categories. The panel will consist of a Trade Union Official, Director / nominated Head of Service and a member from the Employee Engagement Forum. Panel members will review nominations against a set criterion and decide on a short-list of 3 finalists per category, with the worthy winner announced on the day. The winner from each of the categories below will receive a certificate and a trophy. Our Chief Executive will personally visit all 6 award winners at their place of work to congratulate them, learn more about their roles, and hear firsthand about the valuable contributions they make.
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PUBLIC 4 Annual Award Categories 4.1 We will celebrate behaviours that align with our values and recognise and reward employees and teams who embody these principles. Based on feedback from our Employee Engagement Forums, we propose the following categories for the annual awards: i. Living Our Values Award: Recognises individuals or teams who exemplify behaviours that align with our values. ii. Young Person Award: Recognises employees under 25, including apprentices, who go above and beyond in their roles. It celebrates young people who work hard, make a positive impact, and inspire those around them. iii. Leadership Award: Celebrates individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership by inspiring others, taking initiative, communicating with influence, acting with integrity, and championing cultural change. iv. Positive Impact Upon the Community Award: Honours those who have made a meaningful difference in the community by listening, responding thoughtfully, and creating lasting, positive change. v. Chief Executive Award: Recognises individuals or teams that consistently delivers exceptional performance, contributes to our success, and demonstrates a strong commitment to delivering Best Value for the Council. vi. Workforce Innovation Award: Celebrates creative thinkers and problem- solvers who bring fresh ideas and improvements that help us work smarter and better together.” 5 Governance 5.1 To support the successful implementation of our Employee Reward and Recognition Scheme, the People & Organisational Development team will establish clear and consistent criteria for managers to follow when rewarding employees. This will help to ensure fairness, transparency and alignment with organisational values. The People & Organisational Development team will regularly run reports to monitor usage and maintain an audit trail, providing assurance that the scheme is being applied appropriately across the organisation.
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PUBLIC Summary What Are We Rewarding Who Can Reward Beneficiary Frequency Celebration Positive impact upon working day Going above and beyond Anyone Anyone Any time Service Awards Our values Authorised service managers Anyone as per agreed criteria Any time Annual Awards Ceremony Living Our Values Award Young Person Award Leadership Award Positive Impact upon the Community Award Chief Executive Award Workforce Innovation Award Everyone can nominate a colleague or team Finalists of each award category Annual Long Service Award Long Service Milestones BAU All employees who meet service criteria Annual
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