80% of workers would keep a job with benefits rather than take one that offered more pay and no benefits.
Offering work benefits can help organizations attract top talent and keep their good employees from leaving.
But is there more to job benefits than a health benefits package? Read on for 8 cool employee perks that you can consider for your workplace.
1. Move to Walking Meetings
The same old walls and stale air in your conference room get old fast. And because US workers can spend up to 35% of their time in meetings, this is something that could use a job perk.
Coffee and donuts are nice. But what’s even better is taking the meeting outdoors. A stroll around the side streets, or better yet, the nearest trail, can enliven internal meetings.
Employees get a break from endless sitting. They’ll get a chance to stretch, breathe in fresh air and rest their eyes from looking at screens.
But that’s not all. One study found a 20% increase in short term memory performance in those who strolled under trees, compared to those who took a walk down city streets.
If walking meetings are a good idea for Mark Zuckerberg, they’re a good idea for you.
2. Ring the Coffee Gong
The best job benefits don’t have to be huge to make a difference. Take for example what Slack does for their team.
Each day at three in the afternoon they ring a coffee gong. This is a way to get everyone up out of their seats to grab a cuppa.
When everyone gets up for a break together, you promote workplace socialization and camaraderie.
If it’s in the budget, invest in some good coffee for the breakroom. That will make these mid-afternoon breaks that much more enjoyable.
Ringing the coffee gong is a simple way that you can help employees break out of the afternoon slump and have some positive interactions with their peers.
3. Flextime
If you ask your employees, they will tell you that the best job benefits are those that give them freedom.
Flextime is a no-cost job perk that shows your employees that you trust them and value a healthy work-life balance. In fact, a bad work-life balance is one of the main reasons employees quit.
Some workplaces can’t offer remote work from home options. But, there are likely many ways that you can allow employees to have flexibility in their schedule.
Maybe they can work an extra 30 minutes Monday through Thursday so they can leave at lunchtime on Fridays in the summer.
You might be surprised how much productivity improves when employees are given free rein. You may opt to let them customize their in-office schedules.
Maybe it’s four hours on Mondays and longer days on Tuesdays. But if the work is getting done, it’s a win-win for everyone.
4. Wellness Stipend
Not every office has the room to offer an in-house gym. And that’s OK.
In fact, employees would probably prefer a monthly wellness stipend anyway. Then they can decide if they want to put it towards a gym membership, a bike, or a set of dumbbells.
If they choose, they can put that money towards a healthy cold-pressed juice instead of fast food for lunch.
Remember, cool employee benefits are customizable to suit everyone. And a wellness stipend does that.
5. On-Site Chair Massages
The best job benefits help employees be more productive at work and reduce stress. You can do this with a monthly (or weekly) offering of chair massages.
These corporate massages calm tension, reduce pain and prevent repetitive stress disorder.
Not to mention this job perk will help employees feel valued and cared for.
A registered massage therapist will arrive at your office with a special upright massage chair. Employees sit in the chair for 15-minute slots fully dressed as the RMT works.
This investment in your employees will result in less absenteeism and help everyone feel more comfortable and creative at work.
Everyone gets just 15 minutes but will walk away feeling like a million bucks.
6. Employee Discounts
Who doesn’t love to save money and get a good deal? A great job perk would be to offer employee discounts to your partners’ or company products and services.
This employee discount website can give you an idea of the type of discounts out there.
7. Life Coaching
Take a page out of the book of Asana, named one of the 25 best small workplaces in the Bay Area.
Asana offers formal, mentorship and life coaching as part of their benefits package. You might look into setting up something similar at your workplace.
Whether you choose internal or external mentors, this option can be a great job perk that lets your employees know that you want them to succeed at life, not just at work.
8. Support Employee Altruism
Studies show that millennials care deeply about charity work and making an impact.
You can offer a unique work benefit by supporting your employees’ volunteer efforts. For example, you might match your employees’ charitable donations.
Or you can do what Google does. For every five hours that an employee spends volunteering, you can donate a certain amount of money to that non-profit organization.
This unique employee perk doesn’t directly benefit the employee. But you can bet that it’s a job perk that will be highly valued and attract new prospects. There’s nothing like the feeling that comes from being a do-gooder.
Bottom Line on Employee Perks
Thank for reading. We hope these 8 ideas have sparked your imagination about how you can offer better employee perks in your workplace.
Remember, perks don’t have to cost a lot of money. The more freedom you give employees to choose their perks, the happier they’ll be.
Next, learn about my full-access expert coaching to help you succeed.
