Either way, he said that the marathon would not reduce bonus payments to the five women whose preliminary times qualified them for incentive awards.

Mr. Iger is also eligible for a long-term incentive award in either restricted stock units or options.

While many employees are still enjoying the incentive awards and rarely seen payouts from profit-sharing programs, the unusual inevitably becomes the expected.

But, she added, Ms. Gardner had a superior work record, like most of the 50 other former convicts hired, and had earned several incentive awards.

Volksmarching associations offer incentive awards (usually pins and patches) for collecting a certain number of events.

Still, he added, "Most of it is coming from long-term incentive awards, which is exactly where shareholders or policyholders would want to have it."

"It's pretty standard in banking to have incentive awards," Ms. Weeks said.

Programs are exploring flexible work schedules, incentive awards, higher salaries and loan forgiveness initiatives.

At his insistence, long-term incentive awards are now paid in stock rather than cash.

An incentive award is sometimes made available as part of a pay package or provided by a third party.