In the modern workplace, there are a number of exciting and innovative benefits available to employers. Whether you’re looking to improve your team’s mental, physical, or monetary wellbeing, you’re bound to find an incentive that works to their and the company’s advantage. From Job Advisor, here are some to consider.
Exercise Programs
Corporate fitness and exercise programs rank amongst the most common and popular benefits available to workplaces. The advantages of these are multifold — as well as providing a team with free or discounted access to classes/facilities, they can also help alleviate stress from the week and contribute towards productivity.
If you’re unsure of what kind of exercises to opt for, you could consider traditionally popular activities such as yoga, pilates, or spin, or you could try one of the new, fast-emerging options like Crossfit. Ideally, these would suit the skill levels of all variations. It’s often a good idea to let the team review any available choices and decide for themselves.
Mental Health
As many struggles with the psychological effects of the pandemic, the benefits of workplace-provided counseling are becoming increasingly evident in and out of the workplace. Although not legally required, many employers recognize counseling as a duty of care and bring in professionals to operate full-time under the umbrella of occupational health. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are specifically designed to identify and assist employees in resolving issues — whether marital, financial or to do with mental health.
It’s important to consider how, where and when mental health issues arise. One of the most stressful times in the life of an employee is during/after the birth of a child, and this is often because the individual is balancing work with parental responsibilities. To address this, it could be worth reviewing maternity/paternity/adoption leave policies. Every state has its own standards — the right balance of time-off may lie between regional normalities and the company’s own judgment.
Education
Many employers, with the intention of improving their employee’s skill set, will invest in their education. For example, a bachelor of science in business can help cultivate skills in communication, leadership, management, and operations. It’s even possible, thanks to the advent of digital learning, to fit this kind of course around work and home life. These courses can also prove an excellent way of retaining talented individuals across the length of a degree period.
A major draw for many job applicants is the prospect of learning new skills on the job. Increasingly, employers consider time allocated for learning and development to be an essential component of growth — with many larger organizations appointing CLOs (Chief Learning Officers) specifically to initiate upskilling within the company. Incorporating L&D into your work processes isn’t just a great way to refine your team’s abilities but can also be a major draw for new talent. You could think about providing a single day each month for this or even spending on conferences or day trips to focus on a specific subject or industry subject.
Additional Perks
There are other incentives you can offer as well, including tickets to concerts or sporting events in your area. Even some as straightforward as trying small business payroll software that facilitates direct deposit can make a difference. This enables your employees to get paid more promptly and without having to make a trip for a deposit, which they will certainly appreciate.
There are a great many perks and benefits employers now offer up to their team members, many of which are of as much value to the company as they are to its employees. Just remember to carry out plenty of research and weigh up the cost/value before presenting any options to the others.
Tina Martin started her career in business administration but eventually decided to pursue something that actually inspired her: becoming a personal fitness instructor. Today she stays busy as a life coach and works hard to help herself and her clients achieve a healthy work-life balance. She started ideaspired.com as a side project to reach as many people as possible, and encourage them to put their dreams first.