I am looking to compile a list of next level benefits we could offer our employees that would set us apart. At this point in time, PTO, 401k matches, and paid insurance are base-level pay-to-play. What is a benefit that you have never heard of a company having that you would love!? Think outside the box! (Primary employee demographic 30 year old males with 1-2 kids).
Date night/babysitting services for employees. A lot of folks can not afford a night out and pay a sitter. You could come off as a hero.
Don’t forget the little ones can add up and be meaningful, ad&d, short term disability, aflac type lifestyle protections, professional dress stipend, charity contribution match, etc
Student Loan pay down program or first home savings plan.
Childcare! Childcare! Childcare!
I worked for a small manufacturing business years ago where the owner took his employees + guest on vacation every year for Thanksgiving. The one year I was there before he sold the company we went to Key West and he put us up in the Waldorf. Breakfast was paid for, and he asked we get together as a group for one meal each day (that he paid for) and we were on our own otherwise. It was fucking amazing. Thanks Dave and Brenda.
Honestly, free food maybe once a week or so, a competitive 401k match, unlimited/extensive vacation time, gym membership discounts, phone credits if they use their phone a lot at work, give an allowance for wardrobe every six months a company I worked for did.
Fertility support - if you are already offering healthcare it might be an easier lever to pull
Unique benefits will get some buzz but they should also be useful.
Childcare subsidies would be both unique and beneficial.
A company I worked for pre-COVID started offering “emergency caregivers” for both kids and aging parents. The company contracted with a company to provide last-minute child/elder care. It was limited to three to five uses per year. Not sure if that’s a service offered in your area, or if it even survived COVID at all.
I always liked how government jobs gave large amounts of PTO and unused time got paid out at the end of the year. The flexibility of this works well for different people.
Legalese. I paid $14 per month for this legal service thru my current employer this year. In return I got about $10,000 worth of legal advice for everything from estate planning, Wills, putting my home in a trust, protecting a spouse from a small business they were sunsetting, and setting up power of attorney and guardianship scenarios for my elderly ill parent out of state.
I literally only care about the amount per hour. Pay your employees so much they don’t need, want, or remember you have some fringe bennies that do little to improve their lives.
Alternate weekends for coffee, pizza and donuts… It’s informal. No barriers or hierarchy, everyone meets everyone. There is banter and camadarie. Builds rapport.
Team Building exercises on weekdays. It’s a fun day, everyone out, participating in challenges, having a good time. Some pep talk and vision for company’s goals and growth.
Both these do not have to cost much and are doable.
We had both of these in our company and it was something all employees looked forward to.
This sounds like a “forced fun” nightmare from an introvert perspective (~40% of the population). I guess it depends on your employees. Have you done an anonymous survey to see what they really think?
I was not the owner. but understand your perspective. Honestly, everyone I knew of looked forward to weekend breakfast.
Unlimited PTO w/ 1-week mandatory PTO quarterly.
Grocery stipend, Costco Membership, Meal Plan Memberships (like Hello Fresh).
Door Dash subscription.
Cell phone stipend.
Streaming services subscriptions.
Mental health services and stipend for counseling/therapy.
Gym membership.
You didn’t mention tuition reimbursement, but that should be table stakes, too.
Company card. The employee picks what that benefit is, and you pay the bill.
Put a limit on it if you want, but it wouldn’t be the best benefit EVER if you make it a prepaid card.
We’ve sporadically surprised employees with a “work from anywhere” week. $1,000 airline credit + $1,000 hotel credit + $500 food credit. And they book it all with company credit cards in case cash is tight.
We urge them to go somewhere they’d never go in their own. Very well received.
Are you hiring?
Joking, of course, but I am job hunting. 😁