Why Extra Employee Benefits Are Good for Business

As an employer, it's important to offer a benefits package that will not only attract top talent, but also retain the employees you already have. Gone are the days when a basic health insurance plan and a 401k were enough to keep your staff happy. These days, employees are looking for more comprehensive benefits packages that address their needs both inside and outside of work. Here are some innovative new ways to offer employee benefits.

Education Benefits

One way to attract and retain top talent is to offer education benefits. Employees who feel like they have room to grow in their careers are more likely to stay with a company for the long haul. And when they do leave, they're more likely to recommend your company to others as a great place to work. There are a few different ways you can offer education benefits, such as:

• Reimbursing employees for tuition and course materials for job-related courses

• Paying for professional development seminars and conferences

• Offering on-site classes and workshops

• Providing access to online learning resources, such as LinkedIn Learning or Coursera

• Giving employees time off to study during work hours

Paying for Gym Memberships

Another way to attract and retain employees is by paying for gym memberships. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce, so it's in your best interest as an employer to encourage your staff to stay active. There are a few different ways you can go about this, such as:

• Reimbursing employees for gym membership fees

• Paying for on-site gym memberships

• Organizing group fitness classes or corporate sports teams

• Encouraging employees to walk or bike to work with financial incentives

• Subsidizing fitness tracking devices or apps

• Creating an on-site gym or fitness center

Offering Yoga Classes

On-site yoga classes are another great way to promote a healthy lifestyle for your employees. Yoga has been shown to reduce stress, improve flexibility and muscle strength, and increase energy levels. If you don't have the space or resources to offer yoga classes on-site, you could always subsidize yoga classes at a nearby studio or pay for online yoga subscriptions.

Offering Nutrition Services

Another way you can promote a healthy lifestyle for your employees is by offering nutrition services. This could take the form of subsidizing healthy meals in the workplace, offering on-site cooking classes, or bringing in guest chefs to give cooking demonstrations. 

You could also partner with a local farm share program or start an on-site garden where employees can grow their own fresh produce. Lastly, you could provide nutrition counseling services at the office or through an online platform.

Document Your Offerings on a PDF

Having a generous benefits package doesn’t do anyone any good if your staff isn’t aware of the perks they have at their disposal. Creating a PDF they can easily access with a list of benefits will keep every team member in the know. Post it on your company’s intranet, send it out by email periodically, and make sure you keep it updated with any changes you make to your benefits package. Give this a view when you need to edit the wording, photos, images, or pages in your benefits PDF, as it provides every tool you could ever need to make changes to PDFs. Don’t forget to include restrictions associated with each perk, like the amount of time required with the company before being able to enjoy them.

Surveying Current Staff Every Year

It's important to survey your current staff every year in order to gauge employee satisfaction with current benefits and identify areas where improvements can be made. An annual benefits survey will help you determine what changes need to be made in order to attract and retain talent. In addition, surveying your staff will show them that you value their feedback and that you're constantly working to improve the workplace experience for everyone. 

Better Benefits Are Just Good Business

Offering comprehensive employee benefits is essential for attracting and retaining valuable employees. By offering education benefits, paying for gym memberships, subsidizing yoga classes, and providing nutrition services, you'll be well on your way to creating a happy and healthy workforce. Don't forget to survey your staff every year so that you can continue making improvements based on their feedback!