Bonner County officials agree to form committee to redesign employee-recognition program

At a Bonner County workshop that began at 10 a.m., elected officials and staff discussed revamping the county’s employee recognition program, including whether to replace monthly awards with an annual employee-of-the-year system and how to structure nominations, selection and awards.

The conversation focused on three takeaways: the existing employee-of-the-month process is inconsistent, the $100 gift card commonly given is subject to payroll tax and thus worth less to recipients, and officials want criteria and a selection process that gives awards more meaning. Veronica, a county staff member who described the current process, said, "Well, currently, we just have a form that you guys can submit online or, you know, kinda through Google Drive. Your nominations for employee of the month ... the commissioners then award them a hundred dollar gift card and ... a plaque," and added that the procedure "is very, I guess, benign ... there's not a lot of substance to it right now."

Why it matters: officials said the program affects employee morale and the county’s public image. Several elected officials argued that awards should reflect measurable or peer-verified contributions rather than becoming a routine "participation" recognition. They…