How Companies Can Use Recognize to Support Employees Affected by California Wildfires

1. Empathetic Outreach: Recognize a Need for Help with Disaster Relief Nomination Badges

One of the most direct ways to help employees in need is by using Recognize’s Nomination Badge feature. With this tool, you can allow employees to identify coworkers who are facing challenges due to the wildfires. Here’s how it works:

• Set Up the Badge: Create a “Disaster Relief Nomination” badge in Recognize. You can design the badge to request specific criteria for nominations, such as financial hardship, housing displacement, or other wildfire-related struggles.
• Enable Self-Nomination: Give employees the option to nominate themselves if they feel comfortable doing so. This ensures that those who need help but are hesitant to ask others can still seek assistance.
• Attach Supporting Documentation: Employees submitting nominations can include photos or documents, such as damage assessments or proof of loss, to provide context for their requests.
• Admin Review Process: Nominations aren’t automatically awarded, which gives administrators the opportunity to carefully review each case and verify the need for support.
• Award Points with Recognition Badges: Once the nominations are approved, administrators can send a corresponding Recognition Badge that includes points as a token of relief and appreciation.

Alternatively, companies can use the nomination process as a channel to identify employees for external relief efforts, such as direct financial aid or donations.

2. Create Custom Rewards to Encourage Community Support

Recognize also enables organizations to create custom rewards for charitable purposes, fostering a culture of giving while providing much-needed support. Here’s how you can implement this feature:

• Create a ‘Charity’ Reward: Add a custom reward in Recognize, allowing employees to redeem their points to contribute to a relief fund for wildfire victims.
• Track and Allocate Points: Use Recognize’s reporting tools to track how many points employees redeem for the charity cause. These points can either be pooled to be given to those employees nominated for relief, or used for external relief efforts, such as direct financial aid or donations toward a wildfire relief fund.
• Combine Efforts: Amplify the impact by combining redeemed points with additional company-sponsored funds. This blended approach ensures that employees in need receive meaningful assistance and creates an opportunity for all staff members to contribute to the cause.

3. Support Broader Relief Efforts Through Recognize Rewards

To support not just coworkers but all those affected by the wildfires, Recognize makes it easy to channel help to the wider community. If your company uses Recognize’s eGift Card provider fulfilled rewards, one simple and impactful option is to encourage employees to redeem their points for the American Red Cross donation option.

By choosing this reward, employees can contribute directly to wildfire relief efforts, helping provide essential resources such as shelter, food, and medical care to affected communities. This creates an opportunity for employees to make a broader impact, extending their support beyond the workplace to the greater good.

4. Raise Awareness and Inspire Action

To ensure employees are informed about how they can participate in relief efforts, it’s essential to communicate clearly and consistently. Use Recognize’s stream page to post an announcement detailing the available initiatives and how employees can help.

• Highlight the Disaster Relief Nomination Badge and explain how employees can nominate coworkers or themselves.
• Share information about the custom charity reward and encourage employees to redeem points or contribute in other meaningful ways.
• Include updates on the impact of the relief efforts to inspire ongoing participation and keep everyone engaged.

A well-placed announcement ensures everyone is on the same page and promotes a culture of collective action and support.

5. Foster Empathy and Solidarity with Recognition

Beyond material aid, emotional support can make a world of difference. Recognize offers tools to encourage connection and community.

• Introduce an Empathy Badge: Design a badge focused on kindness, resilience, and compassion, allowing employees to express support for one another.
• Encourage Thoughtful Messaging: Provide guidelines for employees to include personalized, encouraging notes when recognizing others, reinforcing a sense of belonging and care.
• Host Virtual Support Gatherings: Use the platform to organize virtual events where employees can share experiences and support one another.

These initiatives remind employees they are part of a supportive community, even during challenging times.

Why Empathy and Action Matter

The California wildfires are a sobering reminder of the challenges our communities face, but they also present an opportunity to come together. By leveraging Recognize’s tools, companies can act swiftly to support employees in need while fostering a culture of care and solidarity.

Your organization’s actions can extend far beyond recognition badges and points—they can provide real relief, spark hope, and create lasting bonds in times of adversity. Together, we can build stronger communities and help those affected by these disasters move toward recovery.

Badge Icon Download: