The city of Mobile has relaunched an employee recognition program that puts at least $1,500 a month directly into the pockets of standout city workers, with the funding tied to a campaign promise made by Mayor Sandy Stimpson.
Under the revamped policy, the city now awards a $500 check each month to the top-performing employee in the Mobile Police Department, the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department, and general city government. The first checks were handed out during a recent Mobile City Council meeting, recognizing two employees for work completed earlier this year.
Colby Cooper, chief of staff to Mayor Stimpson, said the program reflects an ongoing effort to publicly recognize employees who go beyond their normal duties. One of the inaugural honorees was an information technology employee credited with helping ensure a smooth broadcast of a major football event held in Mobile, after quickly coordinating installation of extra network lines in just two days.
A police officer from the department’s Fourth Precinct was separately honored as Officer of the Month for exemplary work during the prior month, according to city officials, though the specifics of her commendation were detailed separately by department leadership.
The bonus program is funded through Mayor Stimpson’s own salary. Stimpson, who draws an annual salary well below the six-figure range typical of many municipal executives, pledged during his campaign to contribute $50,000 per year toward employee bonuses, aiming for a total of $200,000 over his first term in office.
City officials said the new Employee of the Month honors are retroactive to the start of the year, though the broader bonus effort actually began taking shape in late 2014, when a group of Municipal Garage workers received smaller awards for building equipment that saved the city thousands of dollars in outside costs.
Beyond the monthly awards, the program includes a separate employee suggestion track, sometimes referred to informally as a “pay it forward” initiative, that lets any city worker propose cost-saving or revenue-generating ideas. Employees whose suggestions are adopted can receive a bonus equal to a percentage of the savings or revenue their idea generates in its first year, though state law caps any individual’s total award in a fiscal year.
City leaders describe the program as a low-cost way to boost morale among Mobile’s roughly thousands of municipal employees, particularly in public safety departments where recognition can be rare amid demanding schedules. Department heads are responsible for nominating employees for the monthly honors, and city officials say the program will continue on an ongoing monthly basis going forward.