The government would like us to think that the economy is on the rise. But if you talk to most people in business, they’ll tell you differently. Companies are very careful in their spending and many have had to reduce staff in order to survive. Even if businesses do not cut people, they are sharpening their pencils and reducing expenditures on anything considered non-essential. What most people consider “incentives” fall into this category.
An incentive is defined as something that encourages somebody to action or something that encourages or motivates somebody to do something. Incentives can be tangible or intangible. Tangibles include material rewards, money and gifts, while intangibles are such things as a “thank you”, praise, respect and approval. In these challenging economic times, it is especially important to identify types of incentives that can be used effectively and economically, and to develop an understanding of how incentives can be infused into a safety process.