Ben & Jerry's
Ben & Jerry's Joy Gang
History: The Ben & Jerry's Joy Gang was started in 1987 in response to the increasing demands upon our employees. Our first Joy activities included pizza and 15 minute massages for our manufacturing employees who were working 12 hour marathon shifts. Jerry suggested that we should try to make fun an official part of our company culture. The Joy Committee changed its name to the
"Joy Gang" due to the fact that we felt the word "committee" was too official.
Mission: To infuse joy into everything we do.
The Joy Gang approaches fun at work in 3 ways:
Joy Grants: cash grants of up to $500.00 to accommodate an idea that will bring more joy to a particular department. (A hot cocoa machine for our freezer crew, a stereo for our production crew, etc.)
Joy Events: planned, announced, organized activities that are sponsored by the Joy Gang. They usually include food, fun & prizes.
Joy Guerilla Tactics: secretive activities that are not previously announced, which are intended to surprise employees.
Doing Joy: A Compendium of Gang Activities at Ben & Jerry's
Name That Face Contest: Employees brought in photos of themselves from their past which were displayed in a collage on the company bulletin board for other employees to guess who was who.
Holiday Gift Box Exchange: Every year Ben & Jerry's exchanges ice cream products for products from our vendors and various other Vermont businesses. A small group of employees volunteers a few hours of their time to make up boxes filled with nuts, cheese, coffee, donuts, etc. for all of their coworkers to take home over the holidays. One of the items we always get is a package of smoked hamhocks -- most employees enjoy them as an ingredient for soups and stews, but there are always a few folks who seem totally perplexed when they receive their first hunks 'o hocks, so over the years the hocks have gained a sort of legendary notoriety.
Manufacturing Appreciation Day:
History: The Ben & Jerry's Joy Gang was started in 1987 in response to the increasing demands upon our employees. Our first Joy activities included pizza and 15 minute massages for our manufacturing employees who were working 12 hour marathon shifts. Jerry suggested that we should try to make fun an official part of our company culture. The Joy Committee changed its name to the
"Joy Gang" due to the fact that we felt the word "committee" was too official.
Mission: To infuse joy into everything we do.
The Joy Gang approaches fun at work in 3 ways:
Joy Grants: cash grants of up to $500.00 to accommodate an idea that will bring more joy to a particular department. (A hot cocoa machine for our freezer crew, a stereo for our production crew, etc.)
Joy Events: planned, announced, organized activities that are sponsored by the Joy Gang. They usually include food, fun & prizes.
Joy Guerilla Tactics: secretive activities that are not previously announced, which are intended to surprise employees.
Doing Joy: A Compendium of Gang Activities at Ben & Jerry's
Name That Face Contest: Employees brought in photos of themselves from their past which were displayed in a collage on the company bulletin board for other employees to guess who was who.
Holiday Gift Box Exchange: Every year Ben & Jerry's exchanges ice cream products for products from our vendors and various other Vermont businesses. A small group of employees volunteers a few hours of their time to make up boxes filled with nuts, cheese, coffee, donuts, etc. for all of their coworkers to take home over the holidays. One of the items we always get is a package of smoked hamhocks -- most employees enjoy them as an ingredient for soups and stews, but there are always a few folks who seem totally perplexed when they receive their first hunks 'o hocks, so over the years the hocks have gained a sort of legendary notoriety.
Manufacturing Appreciation Day: