While working for a time at a federal agency, I found that the demeanor and morale of my co-workers was regularly hitting a low ebb. Part of the difficulty with the government job infrastructure is the lack of incentive based work. Since federal institutions do not run on a profit motive, there is often a feeling that incentive is replaced with threats that one might inadvertently violate some rule or regulation that will result in termination. Many managers in these facilities tend to reinforce the idea that workers need to strictly follow all guidelines in place, or risk dire consequences for the future. In addition to the looming clouds of nebulous regulations that nobody seems able to clearly define, government employees must also face the constant possibility of an interruption to program funding, or a congressional reorganization that might close a facility in one district, and open a new office in another. Each new day is met with some added scenario of why unemployment may be the next stage in ones career.

Government agencies also surround workers with an atmosphere requiring people to carry identification badges at all times, and put workers in places with bunker like qualities that make the facility appear the same whether working at night or during the day. Nothing puts security guards on their toes faster than a commotion, or someone that scurries too quickly from point A to point B. Federal workers must be prepared to face the bleak realization that the longer they are associated with a government job, the less likely it is that they will ever escape to a viable career in the private sector.

In attempts to counter some of the dark aspects of constant criticism, redundant scrutiny, and potential threats mounted by a disgruntled public, agency leaders tend to use achievement awards doled out to those who are most successful in meeting the guidelines for positive public service. These awards tend to be nicely printed pieces of paper, signed by a supervisor or agency director, extolling the virtues of the recipients contribution to the cause. Sometimes, the awards are significant enough to be framed, but always, there is praise rather than money associated with these rewards.

In one particularly mindless moment, I decided it was time to conduct my own social experiment in the world of government service. It appeared to me that something new and unheard of was needed to raise the incentive and spirits of the workers in my unit. From this momentary impulse, the Friday bonus program was born. The concept was simple and quick to implement. I dug down into my pockets and brought up the change I had left over from eating in the cafeteria. There were about fifteen people working in my unit, and I found that I had just enough money in my pocket to launch the programfifteen cents. With as much pomp and circumstance as I could muster, I went to each member of my unit individually, and placed a penny on their desk.

Invariably, the person looked at the penny, then up at me with the question, "What's that for?"

My response was also the same in each case, "That, my friend, is your Friday bonus from me to you., in recognition of the contributions you have made to the unit this week. That's one more penny than you had before, and if you keep up the good work, there will be more where that came from."

Each person in the chain understood the symbolic gesture associated with my bonus program, and each one of them thanked me for my contribution and took the penny from me. For a number of weeks to follow, I repeated my actions every Friday, sometimes giving out as much as a quarter for a particularly significant act of teamwork within the unit. As it turned out, this simple program was a significant success among my co-workers. The morale of the unit was raised, and for a time, there was an improved sense of teamwork among the group. My effort culminated some weeks later when I arrived at my desk to find the highest return possible waiting for me. In plain view on my desktop was a prestigious forged award from the agency director, congratulating me for the contribution I had made from instituting the Friday Bonus Program, complete with a photocopy of several coin denominations. Of all the awards I received for my government service, this was the one I cherished most.