Last year was tough on businesses and the people that work for them. While people remain hopeful going into 2021, the fact of the matter is that there is a long way to go before the world will feel “normal” again.
The past year has certainly taken its toll on many, leaving them feeling burnt out and less engaged with work.
In response, your clients will likely be looking for guidance on benefits that boost employee morale. Here are five unique benefits you can bring up in conversation to help them boost morale and engagement.
- Dependent care benefits
Many people juggle full time jobs as both an employee and a caretaker. It’s hard for them to be fully present at work when they are worried about providing care for children, disabled family members and other dependents.
Your clients can give peace of mind to your employees through caregiver benefits like a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCA). They can set aside pre-tax dollars to use for qualifying dependent care.
Dependent care benefits reduce stress by providing tax advantages that leave more money in employees’ pockets for their dependent care. It also boosts morale by giving peace of mind that their dependents are cared for so they can focus on their work.
- Retirement planning
The future is a scary topic for a lot of people. With little certainty of what the next year will bring, the thought of planning for decades ahead is daunting. Retirement planning improves financial security which leaves people in an overall more positive mindset for work.
Work with your clients to help them establish a retirement plan that works for their budget and truly provides a benefit to employees. Most commonly, a 401(k) with an employer match is a good solution for both parties.
- Wellness incentives
When people feel better overall, they tend to work better. Not only do wellness incentives promote healthy habits that help people feel better, they show people that their employer cares about their well-being.
When explaining this to your clients, be sure to present different options, since some will be better suited for your client’s company than others.
Some examples include:
- Providing wearable tech that connects to apps where employees can participate in challenges and win incentives for activity.
- Offer discounts, gift cards, flex time off and other rewards for wellness goals.
- Creating days dedicated to wellness activities like charity walks, healthy cooking classes or meditation/yoga sessions.
- Making mental health and stress reduction methods more readily available by either providing it onsite or giving resources and/or financial assistance for people to seek it on their own.
When your clients create an environment that helps people thrive mentally and physically, morale will follow.
- Training and development
Morale increases when people feel that what they do matters. That sense of purpose improves when people are learning new skills and being challenged with new opportunities rather than doing the same thing every day.
Training and development give people the chance to grow vertically or shift horizontally within an organization. They may even discover new career directions that re-ignite their passion within their current employment.
- Flexible schedules and unique PTO
Flexible schedules have been gaining popularity for the way they promote work-life balance. That alone can reduce stress, improve productivity and boost morale. But your clients can take flexible schedules one step further.
Bring up the idea of using flexible schedules and PTO in an out-of-the-box way. They can offer additional PTO days for volunteering, participation in company-wide activities and mental health days. A fresh perspective and new ideas on how to get employees involved in meaningful activities will surely boost morale.
As your clients work hard to boost morale following a tough year, remind them that the right benefits can help them.
Sources:
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/09/dependent-care-fsa.asp
https://www.fond.co/blog/9-ways-improve-employee-morale-2020/
