Employee benefits can be boring and complicated. With all the recent changes to the Affordable Care Act and other miscellaneous laws, you really have to watch your Ps and Qs when offering benefits to employees to ensure you have all the proper documentation and are reporting to the proper entities all of the information required. Yes, it is extensive!
There are also an expansive number of ways you can offer benefits that are not your traditional Health, Dental, Vision (yes, that was said in a robot voice). Small businesses do have a challenge in this area as they often can’t afford to offer on-demand massages and unlimited cereal breakfast bars to their employees. The important part of this, especially in Kansas City, is that people want to work for small business. So how do you make your benefits stand out among other small business?
Be flexible
Flexible work schedules are one of the top valued benefits among employees. We all have lives outside of where we work and being able to work a half day every other Wednesday would do amazing things to get things done that pile up at home. It also would help employees be more productive and focused at work – not having to take those calls during the day and step away because they can do that next Wednesday.
Recognition
One of my favorite events is when an intercom comes on and someone shouts – “we just closed the deal” – and every shouts and cheers and gets excited! But what if it were more than just sales that made that happen? What if it were, Sara just got the best customer comment – they said she was amazing and couldn’t have done it without her! Or – Tim just processed 45 phone calls today – that is a new record! There are also other ways to do this as well, how about doing random acts of lunch giving to employees or surprise leave early days for a team?
Using size to your advantage
You are already a small business – make it work for you! Let people have a say in how they work. Offer them the ability to develop or be a part of developing policies and procedures, you will create a lot more buy in than if you just tell them what the policy is.
Community Time
Allowing employees to give back to their community is a benefit they love! Allowing them 4 hours a quarter of work time to go volunteer at a place they feel passionate about is a great
On face. The pills over the counter like viagra to purchases washing just hair my goodness not!
way to support your employees and your community!
Trust and Respect
You hired them to do a job, you felt they were the best person for the job – trust them to do the job and make the right decisions. Respect their decisions. When they know that you trust them and have your respect, every other benefit will be just a second thought to them.
And these are the free (or relatively speaking) free ones! Imagine what a little monetary investment could bring. hr-haven prides itself on being able to help you think outside the box and aligning your constraints with what your employees need and want and what fits your company culture.