As a business owner, employee satisfaction is one of the most important components of success. Maintaining a high morale in the workplace is not always an easy feat, though, and it is up to the executives to determine what other perks you can provide to your employees. The following is a list of benefits that have tangible positive effects on employee morale.
Work From Home
The simplest benefit to introduce in many cases is the ability to work from home. How your office handles this would highly depend on the type of work you are doing, but most jobs have the ability to allow at least one work from home day each month. This benefit is so popular, because it cuts out the draining commute and allows people to dress comfortably, eat what they want, and control their environment for a day.
4-Day Work Week
A more difficult benefit to implement is the 4-day work week. Many businesses are beginning to question whether 40 hours is really necessary for employees to complete their work. The evidence for a 32-hour week is compelling, and might be worth a trial. Keep in mind that employees might prefer to work more and be paid the same, instead of taking a pay cut with lowered hours, so maintaining the rate of pay is important when implementing this.
Professional Development Programs
It’s a reality of life that employees come and go from companies. Millennials and Gen Z in particular are known to leave businesses fairly frequently, usually only staying for a year or two. To retain these employees, it is important that they receive benefits that will improve their resume and look good for future positions. Starting an employee professional development program is not difficult, and it can take many different shapes. You could reimburse tuition, enroll employees in courses related to their roll, or even allow for some time at work to be reallocated to studying a subject of their choice. Some of these options will cost more than others, so be mindful of how much you are able to spend.
Clubs and Programs
If you ask anyone what they miss most about high school or college, it’s likely the extracurriculars. People love sharing hobbies with others, and clubs are a simple way to build on that idea. You could start a book club, host a game night, or even have a potluck lunch one afternoon. Small gatherings can give a sense of belonging to employees, so be sure to find creative ways to get people interacting on a personal level.
Improving employee morale is not just about adding benefits for your employees, but a lack of benefits is noticeable. Help your employees find meaning in their job by enacting some of the above benefits.