Did you surprise your employees with an extra paid holiday on Friday this week following Independence Day? Roving holidays provide an opportunity for a morale boosting perk when they are near the end of a week. Usually, the office chatter starts percolating about 6 weeks ahead of time with everyone wondering if they will get an extra day off as a special treat. Once the anticipation is on the table, business owners are usually in a tough spot. They’ll either be a hero or a villain without any consideration of the realistic business needs that go into that decision.
Because of that, surprise work perks aren’t always the best option for motivating employees. In reality, clear communication of workplace benefits creates the stability they need in order to perform well and report high job satisfaction. Surprises can lead to awkward expectations for the future and disappointment when they don’t come through. With planning and forward thinking, however, company leaders can offer benefits and perks that make employees feel valued and secure.
Promote Voluntary Insurance Benefits
Voluntary benefits are supplemental to your company health insurance plan. Voluntary benefits are broadly defined as anything that can be offered directly through a payroll deduction. These include:
- Retirement plans
- Accident, cancer, and hospital supplemental insurance
- Dental and vision coverage
- Short-term and long-term disability policies
- Life insurance
What these benefits convey to employees is that as an employer, you have a vested interest in their ongoing health, well-being, and budget. The key to voluntary benefit enrollment is making sure the entire workforce understands the options and how they work.
If you are planning to offer voluntary benefits, be sure to schedule staff meetings where the representative of those plans can explain the features, costs, and enrollment procedures. Also make sure there is time for employees to have private meetings with the representatives, and don’t forget to provide translation services when needed.
Provide Clarity on All Work Perks
When employees don’t know what to expect at work, they tend to experience uncertainty about their jobs. Remove that uncertainty by clearly defining any perks or extras that you plan to make available for the coming year.
For example, if you have always closed the office early on Christmas or New Year’s Eve, but it’s not written into your employee handbook, make that update. If you usually close the office or shop on the Friday following a Thursday holiday, make it official. Employees spend a significant amount of time wondering about these extras, fretting over how they should use their PTO, and being disappointed when the “surprise” doesn’t materialize. Simply explain this information in your handbook to remove all doubt and allow employees to focus on their work.
Since you’re already improving clarity in your employee policies, go ahead and spell out other workplace perks and benefits that employees might be afraid to ask about:
- Allowing partially paid time off for volunteer hours
- Work from home or hybrid arrangements
- Transitioning from full-time to part-time hours
- Maternity and Paternity leave for birth and adoption
- The frequency of employee holiday parties, team building days, picnics, and when spouses/families are included
- Bonus and incentive structures
Believe it or not, addressing these items in the handbook does not necessarily open the floodgate of requests. What it does is give employees an understanding of the steps to follow and the support they will receive when their work life needs to change. Conversely, when employees don’t know how to go about asking for what they need, or they see vague policies being applied unequally among the workforce, they may choose to leave rather than take their chances.
Communicate Protective Policies
If you provide company cars, or you carry commercial auto insurance for employees who use their own cars for work, explain how those coverages work. Similarly, consider sharing information about your Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) policy.
Some of your commercial insurance policies provide a great deal of protection for your employees, and they are often not even aware of them! In today’s litigious world, employees who are on the road or dealing with the public might be far more nervous about their legal exposure than you know.
Make sure your employees fully understand the steps you will take to advocate for them, investigate accusations, and protect them in the event of a claim. Obviously, this goes hand in hand with their commitment to your Code of Conduct and acceptance of their responsibility to act professionally.
Consistent Practices and Policies Win Over Surprise Perks
Employees who feel valued on a daily basis and who feel as though they know what to expect from their employers are empowered to do their best work. While surprise perk seem like a fun idea, they might not be a solid long-term retention tactic. It’s better to avoid surprises in favor of creating a predictable path to career success.
If your business is starting to grow beyond your first handful of employees, navigating your options for benefits and perks can be overwhelming. Smyrl Insurance has been supporting small business owners for over 65 years, and our team is always happy to offer guidance and referrals that help you define your workplace benefits. We educate, nurture, and empower individuals and businesses through insurance to help them identify the right policies for their needs and budget. Contact us to review your existing policies and to explore the options that will help attract and keep employees who contribute to your success. We serve clients for commercial liability, EPLI, commercial auto, voluntary benefits and other insurance needs in Hatfield, Lansdale, Souderton, Harleysville, and throughout the region in Montgomery County and Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
