Just goes to show, no HR program, no matter how well-intended and benign, is totally safe. Here’s one that left egg on an employer’s face.
You’ve either done it yourself or known an HR pro who has: Use employee of the week/month/year as an inexpensive morale booster.
For the recipient: A plaque, a special parking place, some public recognition, maybe even a small monetary reward or gift certificate. Overall, not a big cost.
Well, for the Mexico City Police Department, the cost was some public embarrassment.
Alejandro Garnino was twice awarded “policeman of the year” by the department.
Now he faces charges of extorting money from illegal car-watchers who demand tips for curbside parking outside of a large stadium.
Garnino is suspected of charging up to 1,000 pesos (about $94) to allow dozens of car-watchers to ply their trade.
Maybe it’s time for the Mexico City Police to give up the officer of the year program. Wire services report corruption plagues Mexico’s underpaid police forces, where it’s not unusual for officers to turn a blind eye to crimes in exchange for payoffs. On the other hand, maybe other officers, knowing how Garnino operated, thought they were just emulating a model officer.
