According to rescent research we have conducted at The Voucher Shop, there are significant differences not only in the length of service that is rewarded, but also wide variations in the values of rewards between, and also within, the two sectors.

Our research found that a private sector organisation is much more likely to start rewarding staff relatively early on in their career, with one leading high street retailer, for instance, rewarding staff after just three years of employment. In contrast, the public sector begins to provide rewards after 10 years of service at the earliest and in some cases is not recognising employee loyalty until 20 years have passed.

It is also interesting to observe that the values of rewards vary significantly amongst the organisations surveyed. Looking at rewards for 20 years of service, which the majority of public and private sector organisations recognise, the public sector in some instances set the value of a reward at £200 while a leading high street retailer offers reward values of £1000. Similarly one chemical and business supplier provides rewards worth £30 for 10 years of service while, for the same period, a transport company says thank you with rewards of £250 and a high street retailer £500.

Recognising employees, taking the time to thank them and show appreciation for their efforts is a crucial element in encouraging them to stay with an organisation and build up their knowledge and skills so they add even more value to the organisation over time. Feelings of dissatisfaction will come to the fore and staff turnover may increase if a long service scheme is poorly researched, offers derisory amounts or only starts rewarding after 25 years of service.