EY Announces $100 Million Rewards Programme for Human Skills

EY (Ernst & Young) has announced a $100 million investment in employee rewards to recognise human skills in an AI-led workplace.

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The programme will reward employees who demonstrate skills such as judgement, adaptability, leadership and collaboration – capabilities EY believes remain critical as artificial intelligence takes on more tasks across the workplace.

$100 Million Employee Rewards Programme

The programme will provide rewards during the current fiscal year for employees whose contributions create value for EY and its clients.

The initiative is not simply a bonus for using AI. Instead, it is designed to recognise how employees combine technology with human capabilities such as judgement, leadership, adaptability and collaboration.

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Employees can receive spot awards of up to $500 for contributions in their day-to-day work. Larger individual or team awards of between $10,000 and $25,000 will also be available for work that delivers significant impact.

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EY says the programme is intended to recognise employees at different levels of contribution, from everyday leadership and collaboration to major business and technology initiatives.

Three Key Categories of Skills

The programme puts emphasis on skills that are becoming increasingly important as AI changes the workplace.

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• Leadership and Judgement: Making sound decisions, taking responsibility, leading teams and applying professional judgement, particularly when working with AI-generated information.
• Adaptability and Innovation: Responding positively to changing technology, experimenting with new approaches and finding better ways to solve business problems.
• Collaboration and Business Skills: Working effectively with colleagues and clients, understanding business requirements and using technology to deliver practical business outcomes.

AI Adoption With Human Skills

EY’s initiative reflects a growing focus among employers on combining AI capabilities with human skills. As AI takes on more routine tasks, employees are expected to contribute through critical thinking, communication, creativity, leadership and decision-making.

The programme also sends a message about how organisations may approach performance management in an AI-driven workplace.

Simply using AI tools may not be enough. Employees need to understand how to use technology responsibly, assess its outputs and apply their own knowledge and judgement.

For HR leaders, EY’s approach highlights the importance of recognising and rewarding employees who can work effectively with AI while continuing to demonstrate strong human capabilities.

The initiative positions AI and human skills as complementary strengths.

As workplaces become more technology-driven, organisations may increasingly reward employees not just for adopting new tools, but for how effectively they combine those tools with human judgement, collaboration and business understanding.