I’m just going to say it, employee morale and company culture have a huge effect on the workplace. Absenteeism, lost productivity and poor health have all been directly attributed to morale in a workplace. So in a 24/7 industry like 911 dispatch, how can you improve morale and company culture, while adhering to policies and guidelines.

Let’s start with morale, what is it? Why does it matter? Morale plays a big part in how employees feel about their jobs, how motivated they are to achieve the company or organizational goals and contribute to a team environment. With low morale, there is typically a lack of communication amongst team members, poor attitude and more frequent time away from work.

Absenteeism is a huge factor in 911 dispatch. Absenteeism affects morale as the more employees are gone, the more other employees feel they are picking up the slack. Creating heavy workloads and more strain within the organization. It’s called BURNOUT! Burnout is never good for morale and usually is a slow and silent team crusher.

Take charge of the morale in your 911 Comm Center by starting an incentive or reward program. 

Studies show that the simplest way to improve morale is by recognizing employees. Here are a few take-away facts about Employee recognition:

• 50% of employees believe increased recognition would reduce voluntary turnover.
• 40% of employees who don’t feel meaningfully recognized will not go above their formal responsibilities.

Next, find out what forms of recognition resonate most with your staff members. Encourage managers to ask employees how they most like to be recognized - you might be surprised at the answers that surface! If you’re struggling with this one, there is a great list of 101 Ways to Reward Employees (Without Giving Them Cash). Not sure you have time for organizing a recognition program? There’s an app for that, YouEarnedIt! This app helps manage, track and maintain all the recognition nitty gritty. Send and receive real-time recognition and the best part is, it also integrates with health goals or challenges.

Listen up... if you haven’t done so already, invest in your people. After all, happy employees, make happier, healthier work environments. Try something like adding a treadmill or bike to you Comm Center.

Morale is a tricky subject, the truth is, it's pretty plain and simple, to improve the moral in your 911 Comm Center you need recognition and appreciation. Recognition for a job well done can go a long way. Having your peers and/or supervisor support you can make the difference between a ho-hum job and a place where you want to work. So get out there and start improving morale where you are today!

Editor's Note: This post was originally published on Feb 7, 2017

and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.