As an employer and a leader in your business, it is imperative that you look for ways to look after your employees. Someone you hire for work isn’t going to be as invested in the business as you are. And if there isn’t a positive environment for them to come to work in, then they can easily look for somewhere else to work. But what are the best ways to look after the employees that you have?
A lot of employers will look to add benefits like working from home to the list for their team. But this is something that is almost old news, that you need to add something else to the list. Having a breakout area for the team? A ping-pong table in the office? These are all things that are likely to have already been implemented years ago, as more and more employers recognize that having a happy work environment, leads to a much more productive team. There are still plenty of things to explore when it comes to being an employer, and thinking about employee well being. Here are some things to think about; which do you like the sound of your business?
Gyms and Fitness Center Discount
There are a number of larger companies who have installed on-site gyms in their head offices in recent years. Companies like Reebok and Unilever have made this a standard thing, and have shown the message of health and wellness to their teams. Smaller businesses are unlikely to have the budget (or the space) for such a thing, but getting a corporate discount at a local gym to the office can be a massive perk for your team. If they can go to a discounted gym or fitness center on their lunch breaks, or go before or after work, it will help them in a number of ways. When your team is healthy and happy, then naturally, it will impact them at work, and help their motivation and productivity.
Insurance
One big pull for a lot of people deciding what job to accept, or even where to apply to, will be what discounts are offered for insurance, or what insurance will be provided. Health insurance in particular is going to be a major pull for someone. So if your business isn’t offering anything like this at the moment, then it can be a good idea to look at what you will be able to offer. It was announced back in 2008 that Goldman Sachs will cover the costs of any employees undergoing gender reassignment surgery, which for those that need it, would be a huge factor, and a massive reason to stay employed with them.
It is worth noting, though, that if you are looking for an insurance provider to use for your company health insurance benefit, you should check the fine print of what is involved. A lot of health insurance can offer a vision benefit plan for your employees, but in many instances, this won’t be needed for seeing the smart way, as these days there are plenty of alternatives. So shop around, get a lot of quotes, and see what extras you will be able to offer your teams.
Training and Education
As an employer, the ongoing training and education of your employees will benefit the business long-term. So it can be worth investing in it. Large companies like Starbucks offer to cover the costs of tuition for employees, which is a massive benefit to them. Although you may not be able to offer a lot to them, because University fees can add up, you could offer them local courses, or some online training to boost their skills and help them to do their job better with you. If you do decide to cover some course fees, then of course, you may need to add in a clause that they can’t leave before a certain amount of time is up, or they have to pay the fees back, but that would be up to each individual business to decide.
Discounts
This will depend massively on what your business does, as to what kind of discount that you can offer them. But Wholefoods, for example, offers their staff a 20% discount on anything that they buy from their stores, whether they work part-time or full-time. If you have a business with products, then offering a staff discount is a huge incentive. Not only that, but it can help the business, as they are all more likely to buy from you if there is a good discount for them. This kind of thing also shows just how much you care about the team, which is really positive. Similarly, if you can offer them things like free lunches when they’re in the office, or discounts of local food places, then it can help them to eat well when they are working. When they can eat well, they are likely to be healthier, and likely to take less time off, as well as be more focused at work. It would be hard to work somewhere that you couldn’t enjoy the products of, wouldn’t it?
Sabbatical Programs
If you are in a position to offer a sabbatical program to your team, then it can be a good way for them to go off and enjoy the things that they want to do, but then come back and know they will have a job to come back to. People often want to take time out to travel, or to study, or even to just be with family more, in the case of a parent with a terminal illness, for example. If you can offer them to be off, unpaid for a certain length of time, or even off, but paid at a smaller rate, then it will mean that they can come back refreshed and ready to carry on.
What kind of benefits here appeal to you as an employer? It would be great to hear what you think and what could work well in your business.
