In the March 2021 edition of the Office of Child Support Enforcement’s Child Support Report, the Employer Corner column features an APA article, “Building Employer-Employee Relations Through Appreciation.”
Employee engagement is the emotional commitment an employee has to the organization. The Workplace Research Foundation reports that engaged employees are 38% more likely to have above average productivity. A recent Gallup study also showed that employee absenteeism decreased by 41% when employees were engaged. However, that same Gallup study found that only 33% of employees in the U.S. report feeling engaged at work. Competitive pay and benefits are essential, but most employees want something more from their jobs. They want to be appreciated.
Employee appreciation is not an easy concept for organization leaders. At the APA, we hold an employee appreciation week each fall, called National Payroll Week (NPW), to “celebrate America’s employees and the payroll professionals who pay them.” In addition to celebrating during NPW, payroll professionals engage young adults about financial literacy and paycheck basics, such as how paychecks are calculated. Read the article to find more ways to show appreciation to employees year-round.
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Alice P. Jacobsohn, Esq. is Director of Government Relations for the APA.