This is NOT about letting bosses off the hook when it comes to the bucks. Raises are great. But if you didn’t get a raise, is there something instead of a raise worth asking for? Well, there just might be. At least for now.
While we’d all like a decent raise as often as possible, sometimes there are real budget constraints. And even the best of bosses are stuck doling out a paltry 3% across the board — or some equally unsatisfying number. Or worse yet, no annual increase at all in tight times.
But that doesn’t mean the boss stops here — although all too often they do. “Sorry. Not my fault.” “Would love to show how much we appreciate you. But my hands are tied.” Really? Completely tied? Probably not if they think creatively. Even if more money is out for now.
Didn’t get a raise? What might help.
There are many creative ways to show employees some love that have nothing to do with money. And again … more money is really really good. Still, until that glorious day comes — when funds flow more freely again and some real raises are possible — I suggest a system of “ILORs.” (In Lieu of Raises.)
ILORs are an addition to any Perks the employee already has. And can be handed out when a job is well done. Or after a good review. Or even if someone goes out of their way to do something nice for co-workers. A company could make it into something people look forward to — good for morale and employee engagement.
What do IORs look like?
The exact structure of the ILOR system is of course up to the company. And can be tailored to match specific behaviors a boss wants to encourage. Some ILORS might even come from write-in nominations in acknowledgment of a good deed or task well done. Or maybe even within categories like “Solution Guru” or “Got My Back” that people vote for a few times a year!
There’s no limit to the possibilities. An ILOR can be almost anything that would be viewed as a reward. Especially if you didn’t get a raise. And I challenge bosses everywhere to start thinking about adding ILORs to your organization.
So to help get the thinking started, here are a few that certainly would have made me happy:
Some possible ILORs
- Late Start Cards – Allows the employee to come in 2 hours late on any day/week of their choice.
- Early Out Card – Allows the employee to leave early on any day / week of their choice.
- “There is a Free Lunch” Card – Employee can invite any co-worker to lunch and the boss pays.
- 1/2 Day Off Card – Lets the employee come in 4 hours late or leave 4 hours early on any day of their choice.
- Summer Fridays Off Card – Lets the employee take off a specified number of Fridays in the Summer. Can also be 1/2 days on Fridays, allowing the employee to leave after 4 hours.
- Extra Day Off Card – Simple but effective.
- Chance to Schmooze Card – Gives the employee a chance to sit with the boss and just discuss his or her ideas openly. Without the boss guiding the agenda. Or making a face.
- Two-Hour Lunch Card – I guess that’s pretty clear.
- Mini-Bonus Card – Entitles employee to a small cash bonus that any company can afford (like $200).
And here are a few more:
- Gift Certificate – Entitles employee to a small amount of purchases at some store or restaurant. And company can even negotiate with the store/restaurant to get freebies or discount.
- Project Card – Entitles employee to work on the company project of their choice. Or maybe even to design one of their own.
- Free Ride Card – Gift certificate for use of a limo for 2-4 hours.
- Get Out of “Jail” Free Card – If the employee screws up, they just present the card. And know they won’t be yelled at. Or made to feel bad in any way.
- Serendipity Walk Card – Entitles bearer to a 1 or 2-hour walk during the workday to clear their head. And think about nothing or anything. Plus, helps release tension. And hopefully sparks creativity. Personally, I think these should be handed out often!
- Ticket to shows, concerts, films, etc. – These don’t cost all that much. And they really make great ILORs.
Basic ILOR rules
Cards must be turned in when used. And time off can’t happen during any critical meetings, of course. But maybe they could become a nice extra when someone didn’t get a raise. Or got turned down for a promotion. Or just had a rough few days.
Other ways if cards feel sappy.
As I said, this is only a small sample of possibilities. Employers can certainly come up with lots of cool stuff of their own. In whatever format works for them. And if cards feel too sappy, there are other ways.
The important thing would be to hand these out for reasons that are clearly understood. And of course care should be taken to award these fairly — and not only to boss favorites.
The main point is that even if an employer can’t give out hefty raises, there are still ways to reward employees. A boss doesn’t have to feel hamstrung by a limited budget. And if you didn’t get a raise, you shouldn’t have to feel slighted and underappreciated.
And most importantly – the whole thing can be fun and kept positive. ILORs should never be used to punish anyone, such as “Everyone except Joe gets Friday afternoon off!”
But if people know these are available and can be earned through hard work and good attitude, then ILORS can help a company keep up morale even in times of tight budgets.
Best of all it doesn’t cost much.
Most of the items with a price tag are $200 or less. So a boss can’t turn to cost as an excuse. As for calculations about how much a day off costs an employer would probably be exceeded by productivity and morale gains. (I have doubts as to the validity of such calculations anyway.)
So to all the bosses out there who are stuck giving minimal raises at best … give it a shot. Come up with your own ILORs. And feel free to let me know how it goes!
If you are an employee, maybe suggest this to your boss — if you think they might listen. Whether you didn’t get a raise or not. Oh … and if your boss hates the idea, well just point them here. And put all the blame on me! Although I basically think blaming behavior is not a great idea, I give you a Blame Free Card good for this one time. 🙂
About the author…
Ronnie Ann, founder of Work To the Wise and Work Coach Cafe, bases her real-world advice on her many years as an organizational consultant where she helped interview and hire people, added to a certificate from NYU in Career Planning & Development, as well as her many adventures as a serial job seeker.
More posts to help
Real Problem (Maybe) If Your Job Feels Wrong
How Changing Your Attitude Can Change Your Job!
How To Change Your Job Without Quitting
When Emotions Take Over In the Workplace
What To Do If Your Job Makes You Miserable
So You’re Not Getting a Raise … Again?
Boss Won’t Let Me Transfer To a Different Department
How To Deal With a Bully Boss
Are You Afraid To Talk To Your Boss?
Why It’s So Easy To Get Mad at Your Boss
What To Do If Your Boss Takes You For Granted
My Boss Tries To Control Everything!
And just in case you do need to leave
⇒  How To Quit a Job (Without Hurting Yourself)
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My previous company made its employees work overtime …additional 4 – 5 hours per day. This is how they will label you as “ambitious”…but well, they did compensate people… at RM 17 per day for the overtime.
RM 17…converted to USD…should be $ 4 😛
That’s Malaysia to you.
LOL! My fault for thinking like a New Yorker, Dmitri. Here a REALLY nice lunch for two with drinks can be around $60-100. And 2 tickets to a Broadway show can run around $200. I have to remind myself of the marvelous power of the internet. I very much appreciate hearing your perspective. As for me…I have to admit my friends and I always loved extra time off and we had bosses who weren’t so keen about giving it. So to me, that is an incentive! But I see your point. Well taken.
Well, I guess I’m speaking from experience… I worked for three years in an environment when the bonuses included your salary doubled/tripled, and now I’ve taken a rather pay cut (moved to a poor country), so I cannot help but be sceptical of initiatives such as this. At least, from the employee’s point of view. Now, if I was a manager, I would see this in a different light – as initiative for getting people to work harder. But you have to admit that even in this initative, the employer wins more than the employee, because then the company keeps its skill base and controls attrition, whereas an employee gets… what… free lunch? $5, last time I checked 🙂
Great comment Dmitri! I knew the BS factor would come up and would have addressed it but the post was already so long. Cards were only a structure for the suggestion – the idea could be implemented in numerous ways. And while neural networks can point the mind to a certain conclusion, they have the marvelous quality of plasticity that allows new pathways to evolve. (See: A User’s Guide to the Brain by John Ratey.)
First and foremost – this would never work if raises were never forthcoming. This was a suggestion NOT OF RATHER but IN ADDITION to whatever they boss can come up with. If reality leaves a boss with no ability to really reward people with adequate raises, then why not find some other rewards to make the work life a little more fun? You may not be motivated by a chance to leave early, but is there something you could come up with that would be a cool thing for you? I hope so.
Oh…about the initial BS flag going off. There was a TV show in the US called Friends that’s still in reruns. One episode was about Chandler Bing’s new boss who insisted on giving Chandler a slap on the behind to show he had done well. Now this irritated Chandler no end, as you can imagine. But finally he spoke to his boss and the boss stopped. Chandler was soon jealous that other’s were getting the slaps he no longer got. A new neural pathway had been formed where he learned to want the reward! Now this is only a TV show, but the concept is valid. What seems like BS at first (and people are quick to reject new ideas) might actually become something that makes the work atmosphere more enjoyable.
But yes…I do know that a raise is first and foremost the best thing. Only sometimes, it’s not coming no matter what. So rather than the boss just saying “tough luck” I thought there might be a way to come up with some rewards people would enjoy. I admit that the precise way I presented it may not be workable in a lot of places. Still I think there’s something here worth exploring. Does anyone have some ideas about a better way to implement something like this?
Whenever you present a new concept, like the Cards, to employees, an immediate BS alarm goes off in their heads. Beleive it or not, their neural networks immediately evaluate this as a “we won’t offer money, but…” statement, and the regard for management goes down a few notches. At least, that’s my personal opinion. Leave early? It just so happens that I do, in fact, like work, and I’d rather get more money for more work instead of same money for a little bit less work. â–