By Alex Schnee
If you have been thinking about how you want to reward your employees with new incentives, then you should have a good idea of some of the new benefits that are available. While a 401k and paid time off might have been the main options in the past, things have changed a lot and workers expect that you make the extra effort to find corporate perks that work for them too.
Here are some types of employee perks that might be helpful for your business.
Education stipend
You should always encourage employees who are looking to learn. Whether it is because they want to eventually change careers or they just want to know more about your industry, the best thing you should do is look into how you can help them along with their journey. Many companies offer up to a few hundred dollars a month for employees to spend on courses and reading material so they can continue to grow and bring that new knowledge back to the business.
Transportation stipend
Commuting can be expensive and can eat into a large chunk of your employees’ salaries. One way to make it easier for them is to offer a stipend which allows them to credit some of their public transportation or gas costs. If your workers have a tough commute and they end up paying a significant portion of their paycheck in order to get to work, then this can be a good option for the both of you. Workers are a lot more willing to get to their job when they know that someone else is paying for the costs of getting there.
Remote work
Working remotely has become more and more of an option, and while it doesn’t work for every company, many are providing at least one day a week where they can work from a coffeeshop or their own homes. This can be a major benefit to those who have families or need that extra time for medical help. Remote work can be a great solution for companies who also don’t need to meet in person all that often. Not all employees will like this benefit, but for many it can provide some flexibility for both you and them.
Volunteer time off
Another way you can encourage a positive company culture is by giving your employees time off to volunteer at their favorite organization. Not only does this show that you care about their specific interests, but it also encourages your employees to give back to the local community. You might decide to give them a period of time each month or offer them a set amount of time per year that they can choose to when works for them and their schedules.
In summary
Corporate perks don’t have to be based on old models anymore. When you want to make sure that they are actually helping your employees and making your company a better environment, then it’s worth being creative and coming up with some new ideas.
