5 ways to keep your staff happy (and healthy)
Employers want to keep their best employees. Providing a comprehensive benefits package is an integral factor in keeping and attracting new staff.
Employee benefits packages, when offered, often comprise of pension contributions, health insurance, bonus, annual leave, life assurance and stock options. Benefits can be expensive to offer. More often than not benefits are subject to PAYE, PRSI, BIK and USC for both the employer (10.75%) and employee. However, there are ways to offer stand out benefits to your staff in a cost effective way that shows you care about your staff.
We have detailed 5 things to consider when offering your staff benefits that will guarantee a happier and more productive workforce.
1. Provide benefits that staff will use
Benefits packages are only ever beneficial if they are used. Many benefits focus on the future like pension contributions and stock options for example. Such benefits are a fantastic perk for an employee and they pretty much look after themselves.
Offering a benefit that can be used more frequently and make a difference to an employee’s monthly outgoings will be a constant reminder that the company genuinely cares.
A benefit that can make an employee salary go further by replacing frequent outgoings will always carry significant value and appreciation.
2. Look after their health
85% of staff feels that their employer does not look after their health, according to a recent independent study commissioned by one4all [1]. 31% of people from the same study indicated that they would be less likely to call in sick and 72% would remain loyal if their employer looked after their health.
Providing a healthcare benefit that shows you care for your employees will be a major factor in reducing your company’s absenteeism and increasing productivity.
Look after your employees’ health and they will look after your company wealth!
3. Provide a path to progression
To keep employees productive you need to keep them engaged. One size will not fit all but by providing a path where your staff can grow and challenge themselves will lend well to your working culture and company prosperity. Mentor, be accessible, be communicative and most importantly take an interest in your employee’s careers.
Fostering employee progression is a path to success.
4. Be perky
How about offering your staff an apple every Monday or croissants every Friday. Coffee on tap and healthy snacks will do more than keep staff energy levels up
It is the small things that count and simple gestures like these show your appreciation.
5. A proverbial high-five once in a while
Open communication channels are the lifelines of every vibrant working culture. Let your employees know that you are happy with them. Highlight the positives when they happen.
Who does not like praise for a job well done?
References
[1] www.slideshare.net/SamuelWheway/health-in-the-workplace-report-ireland