Punch Taverns’ thirst for immediate perks

Case study: Punch Taverns’ thirst for immediate perks

Last year, Punch Taverns launched an instant reward programme for both its head office and pub employees to encourage staff to demonstrate the organisation’s values.

Through the scheme called Proud, which is an acronym of the company’s values: P – pride, R – respect, O – one team, U – understanding and D – do it once, do it right; area managers can reward employees when they see them doing something that is deemed over and above their job requirements.

There are four different tiers of awards, which include tax-paid cash, or scratchcards which give employees the chance to win a range of prizes including £25 or more to spend in one of the firm’s pubs, an experience day or a holiday.

Anthony York, head of reward, says that staff behaviour is key to providing customers with a high-quality experience, so it is important to encourage employees to repeat positive behaviours. “That sort of [conduct] isn’t really recognised in any of our formal recognition or reward schemes so it’s important to have that behavioural piece in there and I think the impetus is to, as closely as possible, link behaviour to reward,” he explains.

York emphasises one of the key drivers of the scheme is that all employees are eligible. “One of our values is ‘one team’, and part of this scheme is that it applies equally from chief executive to pub cleaner,” he adds.