The Best Modern Benefits Employers Can Offer Their Team

| Kim Thomas

Blog december 2021-1

Busy business owners often have a hard time finding ways to interact with their employees on a meaningful level, especially if they work remotely. However, it’s crucial to make sure your team members actually feel like they’re part of a team, and the good news is there are several easy ways to do that. By offering benefits and incentives that make your employees feel valued, you can ensure that everyone is working to their full potential and decrease or eliminate turnover.

These changes don’t have to be costly either. Professional Women in Healthcare shares this short guide to connect to your team and offer some creative benefits.

Invest in their futures

It’s never too late to go back to school, and when you invest in your employees’ educational future, you’re showing them that you care about their personal and professional growth. Consider offering a tuition-matching program to help pay for courses related to your business. There are several great online degree options available that make balancing work and school a breeze, and after they get their diploma, you can guide them through applying their education to their job, making it a win-win situation.

Get the office moving

Investing in your employees’ professional futures is wonderful, but you can also take an interest in their personal longevity. Multiple studies in recent years have shown how detrimental sitting can be for our health when it’s done for long periods of time, which is why it’s important for office workers to get up and get moving.

Think about ways you can help your team get more activity into their days, such as with an office yoga program. If you have remote team workers, set a time each day for everyone to take a movement break and provide links to online videos that teach yoga poses or stretches. Invest in health-friendly standing desks so your employees have the option to get up while they’re working. You might also start a monthly group activity that everyone can join for fun, such as a bike ride or team sport.

Provide healthy foods

Physical health goes beyond movement. If your employees have access to vending machines, consider providing healthy options for snacks and lunches. Instead of only having cake at an office party, set out a fruit and vegetable platter. Encourage healthy dishes at company potlucks. There are many ways you can help your team members make better food choices, and by starting a health initiative, you’re showing them that you care about more than just what they can do for your business.

Make mental health a priority

These days, it’s not enough to prioritize physical wellbeing; employers should also be thinking about how their team is handling stress, anxiety, or depression and find ways to support them. With all the changes that Covid-19 has brought to the world, it’s crucial to check in with your employees to make sure they’re in a healthy state of mind.

You can start by offering access to resources, such as counseling sessions or therapy. Allowing remote work is a wonderful way to address issues for some employees, as sometimes the majority of their stress comes from trying to juggle work and life responsibilities. As their employer, it’s important for you to make it known that you’re available to listen and assist when possible.

There are many things you can do for your employees that don’t require much on your end but make a world of difference for them. Talk to your team members to find out what they need most; keeping an open line of communication is essential.