Richmond News
A Richmond city councillor is calling on the city to stop giving gift cards to its employees.
A motion at next week’s committee meeting, put forward by Coun. Kash Heed, is asking the city’s chief administrative officer to “immediately withdraw” the practice of giving out gift cards to employees, implement recognition programs that “prioritize fairness and meaningful appreciation,” take stock of any current gift card inventory and donate them to charity. …
Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie told the Richmond News the city is in a “review and research phase” on how gift cards have been used at the city.
“Yes, I do think the cards have been problematic and we should discontinue their use,” he told the News when asked whether he generally agreed with the motion to stop using them.
While they’ve been used for “valid” reasons, such as recognizing excellence, recognizing volunteers during volunteer week and as a gift when an employee is retiring after long service with the city, Brodie said it’s a practice that should be “very tightly monitored and controlled.” …