Evesham Township launches ‘Going the Extra Mile’ employee recognition program
Evesham Township Manager Tom Czerniecki thinks the town has some real “gems” working for it, which is why he recently instituted the GEM or “Going the Extra Mile” employee recognition program.
Through the GEM program, residents can nominate township employees they observe “going the extra mile” beyond their regular duties working for the township.
Czerniecki compared the program to the “Officer of the Month” program already run by the Evesham Township Police Department, which he said has successfully increased morale in the department while simultaneously letting members of the public know the municipality is always striving to promote excellence.
With that in mind, Czerniecki said he hopes the GEM program might bring similar recognition to the township employees who work in office roles where they wouldn’t typically interact with most members of the public on a daily basis.
“If you handle any of the administrative stuff, you’re not really going to be seen by the public and it’s not really going to give the public a chance to appreciate the level of professionalism that we have here,” Czerniecki said.
As just one example of a township employee “going the extra mile,” Czerniecki recalls a rainy day earlier this year when he was paying his taxes at the township municipal building and overheard an elderly resident asking the clerks if they had seen his checkbook he thought he may have left there the day before.
About 10 minutes later, Czerniecki was looking out one of the building’s windows, only to see township tax collector Kathy Merkh out in the rain with the older resident, looking under cars and bushes still trying to help him find his lost checkbook.
“She represents the type of people who work for our town who never get any recognition, and it’s been in the back of my mind for months and is just something that galvanized me,” Czerniecki said.
Czerniecki said the program would also be open to employees at public works, as well as those who might not work directly for the township such as the MUA or fire department administration.
Residents can nominate an employee on the basis of a single incident or cumulative performance in one or more areas of the township’s “core values”: honor and integrity, professional demeanor, commitment to excellence, responsibility, problem-solving attitude, communication, dignified conduct and loyalty.
Czerniecki said those values are followed by employees of the township to help them best serve Evesham residents.
“When you’re not being supervised directly, and you have to make a call on your own, you can rely on these things and you will always be supported,” Czerniecki said.
Nominations will be good for a 12-month period, meaning an employee could be recognized for their actions any month in the year after a resident first submits a nomination.
A committee consisting of management and labor will select employees to honor monthly, at which time that employee will be publicly recognized by the township council and the Marlton Business Association, which is co-sponsoring the program.
“I’m trying to create the link that when good, high-quality local government services are professionally delivered, it complements economic development,” Czerniecki said.
To nominate an employee for the GEM program, residents can visit https://lf.evesham-nj.gov/forms/GEMNomination.
