Running a business can be hard. Besides having to come up with something that people want, you need to find employees that will stay. There is one thing that can entice them to do that – benefits. When it comes to benefits for employees, you should think beyond the typical 401k and health care. Thinking outside the box is critical. Here are some benefits that are beside the norm and are also practical:
New Baby Bonus
It’s exciting to bring a baby into the world. It can also be stressful, since it also means another mouth to feed. While it’s nice to get some diapers or baby food, it’s even better to get a financial boost. That can make those initial days a lot easier. This can be an excellent way for the company to show that they value the employee as a person, and not just as someone who works there.
Parental Leave
This is another way that employees feel less valued. That is because they don’t get to spend time with their babies before they feel pressured to return to work.If your company can extend that time, your employees will be grateful and not resentful that they have to be at work faster, since it’s crucial that their children get to bond with them.
Childcare Support
This would be a nice extension of the above benefit. Daycare can be very expensive for those employees who don’t have spouses that stay at home or family members that can help out. If there could be a dedicated facility in the same office, that would allow those parents to bring their children there. Also, it would reduce the stress of having to leave if the child were to get sick – they could just immediately pick them up and take them home.
Mental Health Support
People can have issues with mental health — the stress of work can play one part, but there are also a lot of other factors. While it’s likely not feasible for a company to have a mental health professional on the grounds, they can pitch in for part of the cost of visiting one. When employees have techniques to help them bring the mental health issues to rest during the work day, the business also benefits, since they will have people who can focus on their tasks.
College Assistance
Some employees may have children who have grown to adulthood and are ready to go to college. That can also be quite costly. A nice benefit would be paying for a portion of the tuition. That will make those employees feel very appreciated.
These are just some of the benefits that work on both a practical level while also being unique. Other things can include making it a pet-friendly environment (while also making allowances for those who are allergic), and including gym memberships to help encourage people to stay healthy. The main goal should be to have something that can help both employer and employees.
Of course, these benefits also depend on the company being able to pay them out. Will they be able to get a return on that in time to do things like keep their doors open? It’s a matter of walking that fine line between being a profit-minded business and one that lets its employees live their best lives.
The other perk for a business that offers one or more of these benefits is that it would attract a lot of highly qualified people to apply to work there. That would ensure that the business would have the best and brightest. That would result in their having a much higher chance of success. That will make it well worth it.
