The backbone of any business is its employees. Keeping them happy is essential if you want to ensure high productivity. For example, companies like Verizon have pension benefits since that is the industry standard. But if you want the best employees, you might have to go beyond the basics. Here are some unique benefits that you might find in other companies:
Working From Home
Thanks to modern technology, some jobs don’t require people to come to the office. Work-from-home arrangements are a favorite among employees since they allow much more freedom. Depending on the sort of deal they have with their employer, workers can follow the same schedule that they would follow in an office, or they can submit their work on their own time. Besides flexibility, it can save people time and money. Instead of paying for transportation and spending time on the road, they can be working right after they have breakfast.
Tasty Treats
If the company is in the food industry, the employees might get some samples of what they make or serve. For example, Ben & Jerry’s, the famous ice cream brand, gives workers a chance to bring home three pints of ice cream a day. Though it is unhealthy to eat all that ice cream on your own, the company recommends it to their employees’ friends and family. Bringing home several pints of ice cream as a treat or as a gift can be a great way to put a smile on people’s faces. Other food industry companies offer similar benefits, and it keeps many workers happy.
Clubs And Meetups
Work often isolates people, so companies take the opportunity to help them socialize. For example, some companies organize book clubs for their people. Participation is voluntary and provides them with an excellent way to connect and get to know others in the company. Depending on the format, members of the book club usually discuss one book and meet up once a week.
The company even shoulders the costs of the books so that no one misses out. Besides offering a social outlet for employees, it can help develop them in various ways. Book clubs are just one example, though. Other companies have more active social clubs like football or basketball leagues. The key goal is to build up the team while providing employees a fun experience.
Flexible Work Hours
The nine to five work schedule has been around for a long time that people have become familiar with it. But some companies don’t think of those hours as the rules to follow. For example, Netflix’s California HQ does not follow these hours. The streaming company doesn’t keep track of whether people come in at all. All the company tracks is whether an employee does their job. As long as they deliver on their job, the company pays them. This has an incredible effect on things. Some employees take four to eight months off when they have new children without facing any problems.
Physical And Mental Health Support
Other companies take the additional step of caring for their workers. While they already have the usual health insurance benefits, some companies offer different ways to keep their employees healthy. For example, they might provide weekly yoga classes so that employees can stay flexible in both body and mind. Some offer massage sessions that they can make appointments for. Additionally, the food in the cafeteria can be much healthier than you expect. Instead of cheap meals, some companies provide their employees with nutritious and balanced meals to keep them healthy.
The mental health of employees is also essential. Instead of leaving it to individuals to get counseling and therapy, some companies help out. They also assist by providing advice on how to handle stressful situations like moving and divorce.
Helping With Family
Many workers are parents or are about to be parents. While many companies already offer maternity and paternity leave, not all of them provide daycare services. Additional parental leave is also a surprising benefit. It’s not just caring for human children. Some people treat their pets as family, and some companies have pet-friendly policies that allow for pets to come to work and even help with expenses.
Employee happiness should be one of your company’s priorities. Giving them unique benefits can help a lot with this. While some benefits are not possible for many firms, they should inspire you to develop your variation.