Managing People;

 

There's only one way to show appreciation for the extraordinary efforts of employees: do something extraordinary in return. Joseph and Laurie Cherry do just that for the employees of Cherry Tire Service Inc., in Maybrook, N.Y., a trucktire road-service company. The benefit: an annual, all-expenses-paid weekend in the Poconos.

Every employee who has worked two or more years at Cherry Tire is entitled to take his or her spouse to Caesars Pocono Resorts in Lakeville, Pa., where the company provides the couple with a suite for the weekend. Each year, the company upgrades the suite -- right up to the Champagne Towers with a Jacuzzi shaped like a seven-foot champagne glass and a heart-shaped swimming pool in the room. "The upgrading gives everybody something new to look forward to," says Joe Cherry. "When they come back, they are different people."

The benefit reflects Cherry's approach to management. "These guys work very hard at dangerous jobs. The reason they work hard is that they want a better life. We own them a salary, just like they owe us the work, but the weekend is different. We're saying, 'This weekend is for you. Take it.' It's worth more psychologically than the $600 or $700 it costs."