This synthesis will be of interest to transit agency general managers, human resource officials, compensation managers, operations and maintenance managers, labour officials, and others interested in an overview of current practice in employee incentive programs. Information on incentive programs that provide a one-time payment or recognition for a particular job accomplishment is presented as gleaned from survey responses from a varied group of public transit agencies. The synthesis contains observations on establishing incentive programs in public transit agencies, information on the types of incentive programs in transit organisations, and describes samples of programs in use, as well as offering general perceptions from survey recipients. In the transit industry where incentive programs remain a relatively minor part of the total human resources management scheme, their development is somewhat complex. This report of the Transportation Research Board describes the survey findings with respect to the information that a transit manager needs to know in assessing whether incentives offer the correct management tool for the organisation. Additionally, issues that others have encountered in the practice of establishing, managing, and evaluating incentive programs are presented. Specific tools used to describe various incentive approaches in transit organisations are included, and major caveats related to introducing a particular strategy are noted. (A)
Abstract