Monday, September 27, 2021
PEER Awards
Fequently Asked Questions
Q. What does PEER stand for?
A. Pakler Exemplary Employee Recognition, named after the Pakler family who generously donates to make this monthly award and end-of-year ceremony possible.
Q. When did the award start?
A. in 2012, Mitchell Pakler, former JAA Board Chair, wanted to recognize amazing contributions JAA staff make of which most people aren’t even aware.
Q. How come we haven’t heard about the award in awhile?
A. JAA and the Paklers brought back the PEER Awards after an 18-month hiatus during COVID when EVERYONE was working beyond normal capacity. With that in mind, every staff member was EXEMPLARY!
Q. So what’s the big deal?
A. It IS a big deal when someone notices extra effort and feels strongly enough about it to nominate a staff member for the award. PEER Awardees are eligible every month, with nominations going through a rigorous vetting process before the honor is bestowed. The nominee receives $100 and the nominator gets $25. All winners are included in the JAA newsletter. After a full year of monthly winners, a PEER Awardee of the Year is honored.
Q. How to win the PEER Award?
A. A staff member does something amazing, outstanding, incredible, unbelievable, anything far and above the everyday job responsibilities.
Examples:
- Do something that contributes to customer service
- Suggest a new process or idea that saves time, energy, or money
- Try something that positively impacts residents, other employees or the entire organization
- Complete a project far ahead of schedule or do it exceptionally well.
Q. How to be nominated for the PEER Award?
A. Any JAA staff member except senior managers can be nominated, either by another employee, resident, or resident family member. That includes anyone working in a JAA facility or community service. Only one employee can be nominated at a time, one nominee per form. A winner is not eligible to win again for six months after receiving the award. The exemplary event or idea needs to occur the month that it is nominated.
Q. What are the deadlines for the PEER Award
A. Nomination for the PEER Award are due by the final day of the month. Email nomination forms to Mary Blake in HR (mblake@jaapgh.org). Typed is preferred as illegible nominations are invalid. Committees meet to determine the winner and on or around the 15th of that month, the PEER Award-winner is crowned.