Bonus time in Rankin
Employees rewarded for years of service to hamlet
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
RANKIN INLET
There was plenty of pride and applause to go around as the names of 19 employees were called during a hamlet council meeting in Rankin Inlet this past week.
Jose Paniyuk, right, accepts his five-year service plaque from Mayor Robert Janes during the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet's first employee longevity awards in Rankin on Dec. 9. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo |
The employees were the first to be noted by the hamlet for their years of service.
Receiving five-year-service awards were Savik Kowmuk, Troy Aksalnik, David Clark, John Sateana, John Kabvitok, Greta Payne, Paul Pissuk, Ross Tatty, Ashley Ymana, Jose Paniyuk, Nick Tattuinee and Cody Tulugak.
Ambrose Karlik and Alma Graves were noted for 10 years service to the hamlet; Joe Innukshuk and Moses Misheralik for 15; and Patrick Kabluitok, John Taipana and Joe Tartak for 20.
Each person received a plaque and pay bonus based on their years of employment.
Senior administrative officer Justin Merritt said acknowledging the employees was discussed by the personnel committee in the early fall.
He said hamlet council then passed a motion to try the awards on a two-year trial basis this past month.
"We recognized 19 people with the first awards, but that number will drop significantly as we go forward," said Merritt.
"Social media was, in my opinion, the main reason why this came up.
"A few councillors saw comments on social media concerning employees who had been with the hamlet a long time, and I was asked if we (the hamlet) had a program in place to recognize them.
"We have severance pay for when they leave, but we didn't have anything similar to the employee longtime service awards the Government of Nunavut has."
Merritt said the years of service are rounded-off because the hamlet can't afford to do it on a yearly basis.
He said there will be on average two or three people receiving the award in future years, if the hamlet decides to keep the program in place after the trial period.
"We had enough surplus funds to afford to do this and it was very well received by our employees.
"Next year one employee will hit 30 years and another 10.
"It cost $31,000 this year but we expect it to average $8,000 in future years.
"They all knew they were getting an award but they didn't know about the cash bonus, so it was a very popular move by the
hamlet."
