Employee plaques are a form of employee recognition available in a variety of materials and configurations. Some employers install employee plaques in the public areas of their office, though sometimes plaques are given directly to employees. Some plaques include the names of multiple employees, particularly those who receive some type of annual recognition. In other cases, employers commission individual plaques for individual employees. The awards can be made from wood, metal, or a combination of any of many materials.
Plaques can be made from a variety of materials, though wooden plaques with engraved metal plates are both common and popular. Many companies now use other materials to create their employee plaques and achievement awards. Engraved acrylic and glass, for example, can be an updated and attractive alternative to wood and metal employee plaques. Some plaques may include an element of sculpture, such as a blown glass shape atop a wooden, glass, or acrylic base.
An employee plaque may be awarded for several reasons, and many employers have an established protocol for recognizing employee achievement or excellence. In some cases, businesses use employee plaques to record those who have won a competition or who have excelled over other employees in a given time period. For example, a business may recognize an employee of the year or, if the business has a sales staff, it may recognize the salesperson who brings in the most business. The employee may receive an individual plaque or certificate to display at home or by his desk, but the office may also sponsor a plaque that contains spaces for adding the name of each year's honoree. In other cases, an employee may be awarded a plaque as a result of distinguishing himself through remarkable job performance or the completion of a special project.
Some employee plaques act as memorials for the deceased. If an employee dies while in the service of an employer, a special plaque may be commissioned bearing her name. In cases where the employee is involved in a dangerous occupation, the company may sponsor a larger plaque onto which the names of employees who have lost their lives are engraved. In some cases, employees recognize employee tenure with plaques after a certain number of years with the business. Long-term employees may likewise be honored with both an individual plaque as well as a plaque that remains on the business premises after they retire.
