LETTERS TO THE EDITOR — Engineers deserve bonus system

I was interested in one of your front-page articles, which appears to encourage cash rewards for exploration successes (“Exploration incentive bonus spurs Troilus discovery team,” T.N.M., July 3/95). Finders’ fees and exploration bonuses have been around for a long time, but similar schemes for successful production teams are all too rare. As one disgruntled engineer voiced it: “The geologist is paid for activity and rewarded for success, whereas the engineer is paid for success and fired for activity!”

Clearly, there are inequities in current bonus levels, and low correlations between bonuses and success (both corporate and “geological”). Many managers are trying to devise a better system, but to be credible, such a system has to be widespread, objective, individually accountable and motivating. That is quite a target!

K.I. Hymas

Toronto, Ont.