We have previously discussed Employee Reward and Recognition, and how it is an important part of the employment lifecycle and can promote positive behaviours and increase employee satisfaction. One of Cornerstone’s suggestions to reward employees was awarding employees time off for completing additional hours to complete projects.

From time to time, employers may require their employees to work longer hours to complete projects, meet important deadlines or represent the business outside of their normal hours of work. When this is a requirement, employers may look to reward this commitment by allowing their employee/s to take additional time off to reward their commitment over and above their usual working hours, and to ensure that they are able to achieve a better work/life balance.

If this is something your business may consider implementing, here are a few pointers to get started:

  • Check relevant Awards to see if Time off In Lieu (TOIL) is covered, and if there are requirements that need to be met when applying TOIL to employees. Some but not all awards have provisions for TOIL, so it’s important you review these to ensure you meet the minimum standards where they apply.
  • Implement a TOIL policy or incorporate it into another policy to ensure fairness across the business. It’s important to be consistent in applying rewards to employees.
  • Set standards and explain when TOIL will be available as a reward, and when it will not.
  • Implement guidelines or a process to ensure business requirements are made clear for accruing and taking TOIL. Consider these points:
    • Should TOIL be agreed to prior to accruing?
    • Who will approve the TOIL?
    • How will it be measured?
    • Will TOIL be used instead of overtime?
    • How much TOIL can an employee accrue?
    • How long will TOIL be valid for?
    • Will you reward hour for hour TOIL?
    • Will you require the employee to fill out a form?

Having a clear and transparent process can avoid abuse of the employee benefit and allow fair application to all employees.

It’s important for employers to evaluate if TOIL will benefit their employees and the business before implementing, or if other ways of rewarding staff will be better suited and easier to manage.

If you are unsure if TOIL is the best solution for your business, Cornerstone HR can help you. Contact our specialist team for a non-obligation chat today.