It is National Simply Your Life Week, and we thought there would be no better time to talk about how you as HR can simplify your employees’ lives a little by offering them some unique employee benefits. In fact, this move can also help first acquire talent and then retain it by increasing employee engagement. Here are our recommendations on benefits you can deploy to simplify employees’ lives and keep them engaged at work.
In a world that is buzzing with activity and innovation, with people grappling with the paradox of choiceOpens a new window , it is important to simplify the things we possibly can. This week is National Simplify Your Life Week in the U.S., and you can help employees simplify their lives by offering them some unique employee benefits.
From health and wellness solutions to others that give them more time in their workday, here’s how some simple offerings can turn employees’ lives around.
1. Flexibility at Work
No prizes for guessing that workplace flexibility tops our list. It may not be entirely unique, but a flexible work environment is not as common as you would think. Four in five U.S. small businesses have no formal remote working policy in placeOpens a new window . Companies continue to impose arbitrary working hours in the office and offer little flexibility in working remotely.
However, there are several best practices followed by successful remote-working companiesOpens a new window , and by the following suit, you can reap the benefits of improved engagement with your workforce. Some companies also implement test runs such as Work From Home Week, during which all employees are made to work from home. Companies then test the output from working remotely versus working on-site and then making an informed decision about what works for their organization.
In an exclusive with HR Technologist, Grant Christofely, Senior Strategist, Associate – Certified Scrum Master at M Moser AssociatesOpens a new window , says, “You see a revolution by employees demanding greater flexibility in how, when, and where they do their work. There has been a shift in the way people see their lives that at a daily scale manifests itself in demanding more flexibility at work.â€
And while a lot of organizations offer flexibility when asked for it, not all employees feel comfortable telling their bosses they would like to work from home.
For instance, the Head of Learning and Development of Bynder, Ruben Vermaak, shared an example with us in an exclusive interviewOpens a new window . “Our founder and CEO was talking to an employee who expressed if she could work remotely on a nice sunny day, but didn’t feel like she had the liberty to leave the office to do so. The fact is, there’s never a great time to be out of the office – especially in a fast-moving work environment. But that doesn’t mean employees should feel tethered to their desks, especially if that’s not where they work best.â€
Giving employees such freedoms at some level makes them more committed to doing their jobs well. They want to ensure that these freedoms remain in place.
Learn More: Why AI is the Future of Benefits PersonalizationOpens a new window
2. Health and Wellness Benefits
Overall wellness – physical, emotional, and mental – is integral to employee health, productivity, and engagement. Organizations that show interest in employee and workplace wellness make employees feel cared for. Here’s what companies can offer:
i) Tests to measure stress levels
Workplace stressOpens a new window is no small matter, and everyone who works in an organization big or small can vouch for that. In addition, there have been numerous studies on the impact of stress on physical and mental health. Organizations can deploy stress tests to help employees identify and then manage their stress levels.
We spoke to Zeynep Ilgaz, CEO of Confirm BioSciencesOpens a new window , a company that offers corporate health screening solutions, about their new offering. HealthConfirm® tests help assess the stress levels of employees.
One of the biggest concerns that arise from workplace health screenings is the privacy of the findings. Ilgaz confirms that they keep employee privacy at the top of mind when administering these tests.
“The tests are conducted at home and sent directly into the lab. Employees have sole access to and retain control of their data, and all individual data remains anonymous,†she assures. “While employers are not able to see individual results, HealthConfirm’s aggregated wellness data provides unique insights into the overall health of a company or given department, so executives can move forward in customizing their health and wellness programs accordingly.â€
This two-pronged approach to employee wellness helps both employees and organizations, allowing them to take appropriate measures where applicable. When organizations get insights into employees’ stress levels, it empowers employees to initiate the conversation about how the company can help them manage their stress levels. Reducing the number of hours worked or offering flexible work options can significantly simplify employees’ lives.
ii) Benefits platforms that simplify benefits communications
There is often a gap between the benefits offered to employees and the benefits they are aware of. Benefits communicationOpens a new window is a challenge, and using platforms that offer a consolidated view of what is available can help bridge this gap.
Platforms like MaestroEDGE by Maestro HealthOpens a new window allow HR to choose wellness benefits most suitable for their employees. In addition, it keeps communication about benefits transparent.
Nancy Reardon, Chief Strategy and Product Officer at Maestro Health, tells us in an exclusive conversation, “MaestroEDGE offers continual and simplified communication to make sure employees are engaged and informed about their benefits as early and as accurately as possible. We integrate technology, services, and on-staff registered nurse coaches to engage with the workforce and catch at-risk employees before they have costly claims. This level of real-time communication support establishes transparency and support in navigating the healthcare system.â€
Advanced healthcare facilities accessed through a benefits platform can help employees feel cared for and give them that extra motivation to perform even better at work. And when needed, it can give them exact insights into the benefits they are eligible for, saving time and consequently, simplifying their lives.
iii) Workplace wellness that extends to employees’ children
Working parents tend to experience a different kind of stress. And with soon-to-be/new mothers, the challenges are more pronounced as they struggle to create a balance between work, their own health, and the health of their child.
March of DimesOpens a new window , the leading nonprofit for the health of moms and babies, in July 2019, announced a new initiative for employee health called Healthy Babies, Healthy BusinessOpens a new window ®. This program is designed to help employers support their employees before, during, and after pregnancy.
This platform offers resources to and a forum for working mothers, where they can find information about health during pregnancy and share their own experiences with other working to-be moms.
Mercer’s Global Talent Trends 2019Opens a new window states that women value health benefits more than men do. By catering to this need, you can simplify your female employees’ lives significantly, reducing the additional stress that arises from pregnancy and associated health concerns. You will also secure the loyalty of your female workforce – including those in leadership positions – and keep your most prized talent engaged.
Learn More: The Value of Comprehensive Benefits for Small BusinessesOpens a new window
3. Provide Insights to Simplify Commuting
Commuting takes up a lot of time for a lot of employees. So, wouldn’t a tool that offers them insights into what the traffic situation is at any given time help them plan their commute better?
Enter TransitScreenOpens a new window , a smart city solution designed for companies to do just that. TransitScreen provides location-based up-to-the-second information on the availability of Ubers, dockless bikes, public transport, and corporate shuttles.
How does this simplify your employees’ lives? It gives employees the opportunity to plan their work and their commute to the second, allowing them to create time for their other endeavors. This includes spending time with their families or focusing more on their personal health.
Matt Caywood, CEO of TransitScreen, in a conversation with us, said, “Companies that use TransitScreen have found that employees are able to easily know which options are coming and if there are any delays they should be aware of, meaning they aren’t as frustrated overall during their commute. This also allows employers to showcase other offerings, like private shuttles – examples include the World Bank, LinkedIn, Amazon, Reebok, and McDonald’s. This can be particularly helpful for companies who have recently moved offices and are trying to retain existing employees, such as Reebok or McDonalds.â€
Learn More: Employees Are Looking for More: How to Meet Heightened Benefits ExpectationsOpens a new window
What Unique Employee Benefits Are You Offering This Year?
The Mercer report referenced earlier also found that low or declining employee engagement was second in the list of concerns among those surveyed.
While unique employee benefits can contribute significantly to employee engagement, do remember that high employee engagementOpens a new window is the result of a well-planned strategy that encompasses all the drivers of engagement, such as learning and development, career-pathing and leadership planning, and good management.
Having said that, focus on the benefit of offering meaningful workplace benefits to your employees. For instance, Ilgaz affirms that: “The benefits of implementing a data-driven health and wellness program are plentiful, but a few notable advantages include increased employee engagement and productivity, becoming equipped with strong decision-making skills based off actionable data, increased two-way communication and meaningful conversations regarding real workplace issues, and more efficient wellness program spend.â€
So when deploying new benefits for employees, keep a few things in mind:
- Ensure that your employees engage with the benefits you offer them. Communicate all the benefits available and check in regularly to see if they use the benefits. Â
- Measure employee engagement Opens a new window metrics before and after you roll out any unique employee benefit to check how they are doing.
- Be strategic about the benefits you offer. Check what the needs of your employees are before you offer benefits that (may not) add value to their lives.
By keeping a pulse on your employees’ needs and offering benefits that meet these needs, you can transform the employee experience your organization offers to all employees.
Implement these unique employee benefits and let us know how it works out for you. You can reach out to us on FacebookOpens a new window , LinkedInOpens a new window , or TwitterOpens a new window . We would love to hear about your experience!