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10 Company Perks Employers Are Now Offering

Ah, work-life balance. It sounds so easy to do but alas we all know that juggling work, family, friends and hobbies can be a challenge. In fact, Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, believes that it’s all about integration, “the reality is, if I am happy at home, I come into the office with tremendous energy. And if I am happy at work, I come home with tremendous energy. It actually is a circle; it’s not a balance.”

That’s why we’re seeing more and more companies offering unique work perks to keep their employees happy. After all, fun perks at work are proven to boost employee engagement and satisfaction, as well as attract and retain new talent.

From free food to gym memberships, on-site child care services and laundry options, companies are getting more and more creative with the perks and benefits they offer.

Looking to implement creative company perks into employees’ lives? These ten ideas are sure to improve company culture and workplace satisfaction.

Workplace and Financial Wellness

More than 80 percent of large companies and 50 percent of small companies have implemented workplace wellness programs, according to Entrepreneur. In addition to wellness programs, financial wellness programs are also on the rise. In fact, more than half (53%) of employers offer financial wellness programs, according to Bank of America. Companies are providing online budgeting and debt management tools along with access to financial advisors. 

Health care

Health care remains the top benefit that employees care about the most. That is why Entrepreneur reports that employers should consider offering employees health-related stipends and work perks. Some employers offer deductible credits to pay for health care costs without adding interest and impacting their HSA. Employees can also use credits to pay for vet bills.

Caregiver Support

Many employees are leaving work to care for aging parents. As such, caregiving support is a new yet important perk that employers can offer. Caregiving benefits may include paid time off to care for a sick family member or financial support. 

Nap Rooms

Believe it or not, napping rooms or meditation rooms are becoming popular. Companies like NASA, Google, Zappos, Facebook, Samsung and Proctor and Gamble are offering employees the chance to catch some Zs at work in their nap rooms. According to Times of India, daytime napping has specific benefits over a full night’s sleep. A 20- to 60-minute nap helps memory power and aids the learning of specific bits of information.

Remote Work Opportunities

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that 69% of organizations allowed employees to work remotely at least some of the time in 2019, and 27% offered full-time telecommuting arrangements. This is a trend that will continue in 2020 and beyond. The good news for employers is that they may be able to minimize overhead costs, such as rent for office space.

Flexible Paydays

“With the rise of peer-to-peer payment apps, such as Venmo and Zelle — and other fast payments including quick ATM transactions or money transfers through services like PayPal — people today are increasingly reliant on receiving faster payments,” Doug Politi, president of compliance solutions at human resources and payroll company ADP says. “As a result, the pay experience will reach a new level of personalization, offering an easier way for workers to be paid, the way they want, any time they want.”

Today’s consumers want flexibility in their lives and that includes things like their paychecks. Now more than ever, employees want their employee benefits to include the ability to be paid at a time of their choosing, not just on payday. Walmart, Uber and Lyft are just a few of the companies that allow workers to access earnings as soon as their hours are logged, not just on payday, CNN Business reports. 

Shh, I’m in the Quiet Room

According to the Society for Human Resource Management’s 2019 Employee Benefits Survey, the number of companies offering quiet rooms rose 21 percent last year. On-site quiet rooms help employees reduce stress levels and stay productive in the face of busy days. 

Student Loan Repayment 

U.S. student debt levels reached a new high in 2018. The average American with student debt owes between $20,000 and $25,000. Growing numbers of companies are offering student loan repayment on their employee benefits menu. In fact, the number of companies offering student loan repayments has doubled from 4% to 8% in the past year, according to SHRM. According to CNBC, some programs include matching contributions paid directly toward an employees’ student loan, while others put that money into an employees’ retirement account. More companies are also expanding their efforts to help workers learn about debt consolidation and refinancing options as part of their employee benefits offerings.

In some programs, a company will match a worker’s contribution to their student loan debt directly. In others, the employer may put that match toward the individual’s retirement fund. Wolfe says more companies will also expand their efforts to help workers learn about debt consolidation and refinancing options.

Paid Parental Leave

According to Bloomberg, paid family and medical leave is more popular and inclusive than ever. More companies are providing more time off to more of their workers, the report finds, with three-quarters of organizations now giving equal time off to all workers. Target Corp., for example, last year expanded its policy to include part-time workers and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in November changed its parental leave policy so all new parents— not just “primary caregivers”—can take off 20 weeks with pay. Beyond the private sector, in December the U.S. government guaranteed paid time off for 2.1 million federal workers to care for newborns.

Netflix, which in 2015 set a precedent by providing 52 weeks of paid parental leave to employees, says family benefits will become more accessible to varying types of households in 2020.

Commercial Parcel Lockers

As package deliveries continue to rise, so do the types of delivery locations. Today’s consumers are having their online purchases delivered not only to their residences but also to their workplaces.Commercial property owners and developers must strategically plan for continued package growth among their tenants or they risk putting themselves at a serious competitive disadvantage. Why? Because as more and more employees have their online purchases delivered to their offices it creates a tremendous burden on property managers, mailroom staff and office managers. That is why commercial property owners and developers should invest in apartment solutions, like an intelligent parcel locker system offered by Parcel Pending, to ease the burden of package management. Our commercial lockers offer a quick, easy and convenient way for tenants to retrieve their packages without property owners having to accept, sign for, sort or deliver each package.

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