Per IRS regulations, employees will be taxed on the amount of the reward redeemed. Those taxes will be deducted from your paycheck in the next Payroll cycle.
The goal of the employee recognition program is to embrace being an enjoyable and fulfilling place to work, and create a culture of recognition where employees can feel appreciated.
Nectar is our employee recognition platform and is a points-based system, which employees can then redeem for gift cards, custom rewards, Larimer County apparel and other swag. 10 points on the Nectar platform equals $1.
How does it work?
GIVING POINTS
Every month employees will receive an allowance of 20 points (managers with direct reports receive a monthly allowance of 50 points) to giveaway to coworkers and managers.
Employees can also recognize Larimer County employees in other departments.
Employees are encouraged to use one of the following pre-populated Guiding Principles or Critical Characteristics: Adaptability, Collaborative, and Inclusivity, in their recognition message.
Points expire at the end of the month and cannot be carried over month to month. However, employees receive a new allowance of 20 points the first day of the next month.
REDEEMING POINTS*
Once an employee accumulates enough points (10 points = $1), they can be redeemed one of three ways.
- Electronic Gift Cards - There are hundreds of gift cards available for employee to redeem, everything from apparel and food to travel and entertainment. Once points are redeemed, gift cards are sent electronically from Nectar to the employee.
- Custom Rewards - Rewards listed in the custom section are local to Larimer County, including the Larimer County Parks Pass and Downtown Fort Collins Gift Card.
- Swag Store - We have created a store where employees can redeem their points for custom Larimer County apparel and items.
* Once points have been redeemed, employees will be taxed for that amount on their paycheck.
ADDITIONAL POINTS
There are several other ways employees can earn or be awarded points. They are listed below.
- Longevity - Longevity, aka Work Anniversaries, are recognized every year through Nectar. However, employees are also awarded points for milestone years beginning at 5 years, and every 5 years thereafter.
- 5 Years (1,000 points)
- 10 Years (1,500 points)
- 15 Years (2,000 points)
- 20 Years (2,500 points)
- 25 Years (3,000 points)
- 30 Years (3,500 points)
- 35 Years (4,000 points)
- 40 Years (4,500 points)
- Innovation Awards - The Innovation Award Program is run once a year, where nominations are accepted for new and innovative ideas. The winner(s) can receive up to 50,000 points (or $5,000 in a deferred compensation contribution), depending on the number of winners.
- Challenges - Periodically Larimer County or a department will create a challenge that employees can complete to earn points. The number of points awarded will vary challenge to challenge.
- Rewards - Rewards are usually distributed by department heads, managers, or supervisors as they see fit. NOTE: Rewards are chosen and funded by departments.
