A content employee who knows that they are cared for and provided for by their employer is guaranteed to stick around for the foreseeable future. For this reason companies start giving various benefits to their workforce, both to encourage their current employees to remain in their domain and to attract new talent. For companies with smaller fortunes, it is not at all imperative to shower their employees with massive salaries – instead consider the following unusual perks.
On site health services
There’s a reason why Facebook , Goldman Sachs and Quiktrip frequently make it to the list of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For. On-site health care has actually been proven to reduce medical costs for companies in the long run and encourages better long term employee health while also increasing productivity. Each employer can only provide what their funds can allow; some wellness options range from annual physicals, emergency appointments and even massage therapies.
Tuition reimbursement
Getting a higher education without drowning under the swarm of crippling student loans is not always an option. This means that most aspirants will likely miss out on getting their new degree. Starbucks however allows all its U.S employees to earn a bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program, completely free of charge.
AT&T allows all eligible employees an allowance of up to $3500 per year for approved courses. The figure can be stretched to $20,000 for undergraduate programs.
Volunteer hours
The youth are increasingly becoming more conscious about the environment and social causes. They prefer to spend more of their time doing volunteering service for the greater good of everyone. Full time employees however usually have their hands full with deadlines and assignments. But companies are recognizing the importance of social service and are beginning to offer flexible work hours so their employees can partake in community services without facing backlash from their employers.
Money for travel
Taking a breather from their daily work routine can actually take its toll on workers. Companies now offer massive paid time off along with paid trips should their employee choose to travel during vacation.
Basketball courts
Zynga, a popular video games developer, known for the likes of FarmVille – which has consumed thousands of our free time on social media sites – actually has full sized basketball courts for all its employees. They also have rooms which are dedicated for gamers, containing PS3, XBOX 360 and Nintendo systems for all their employees to enjoy.
No official work hours
If your employees are doing their assignments and all their work on time, then it makes little sense to force them into the office for longer than is necessary. Once again it is tech companies such as Netflix and Weebly which realize the perk of having no official hours. All staff members have to do is complete their work and leave – it doesn’t matter how long they have to stay, 12 minutes or 12 hours. Ofcourse Netflix will not tolerate employees who abuse their generous office timings and abusing it can result in termination.
