AS employee retention becomes a major issue for Australian businesses, Alcoa is leading the charge in employee engagement by offering cash incentives to those who come up with smart ideas.
Employee suggestions and achievements from 2007 were celebrated at Alcoa’s Western Australian Operations Annual Awards for Excellence recently.
Ideas direct from refinery and mine site workers have seen significant financial savings as well as safety, environmental and efficiency improvements.
“One of the award nominees, from the Kwinana refinery, came up with an idea which has led to annual savings of $460,000," Vice President of Operations Raphael Costa said.
Alcoa’s Employee Suggestion Scheme offers financial incentives to those who develop ideas which result in cost savings.
The global Technology Delivery Group (TDG), based at Kwinana, was also nominated for its development of Carbon Capture technology which locks up carbon dioxide that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.
“The Carbon Capture system in operation at the Kwinana refinery is equivalent to taking 17,500 cars off the road,” Costa said.
The Excellence in Environment Award was presented to a Wagerup employee whose work resulted in a 95% reduction in Liquor Burner emissions.
“We believe we have a more productive and engaged workforce if employees are encouraged to make suggestions for improvement and are then listened to by management,” Costa said.
“It is people who make Alcoa successful, not machines or equipment,” he said.
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