What is one of the most important employee benefits companies should be offering in 2022?
To help employers understand which employment benefits candidates are prioritizing in the new year, we asked business professionals and recruiters this question for their best insights. From flexible work schedules to mental health benefits, there are several employee benefits companies should consider offering in 2022.
Here are eleven employee benefits that are important to candidates in 2022:
- Flexible Work Schedules and Telecommuting
- Paid Caregiving Advantages and Parental Leaves
- Vacation Time
- Pay for Employee Wifi at Home
- Student Loan Repayment
- Work Anniversary Celebrations and Bonuses
- Wellness Programs
- Reimburse the Cost of Working from Home
- Personalized Benefits
- Recognize and Reward Employees
- Mental Health Benefits
Flexible Work Schedules and Telecommuting
With the huge pivot to working from home that was forced on employers these past few years we now have a workforce that has become accustomed to working at home. Their schedules, daily habits and lifestyles have adjusted to work with this type of freedom and convenience. So, employers will need to offer the ability for employees to utilize this option. It doesn’t have to be an everyday occurrence but employees favor a flexible work schedule and environment where they can work from home. Employers need to recognize this want from their employees and ensure they can accommodate to keep them happy and engaged.
Mark Smith, University of Advancing Technology
Paid Caregiving Advantages and Parental Leaves
Companies must start providing paid parental leaves and caregiving benefits in 2022 as it becomes more challenging to care for loved ones while juggling work duties. Due to the pandemic, a disproportionate number of women resigned from their jobs and the most significant roadblock for their return is caregiving duties.
As a consequence, the core caregiving benefits are paid parental leaves and enhanced childcare resources. Therefore, it’s necessary to remember that caregiving isn’t a female problem, and the companies must start prioritizing this benefit.
Although it’s not only about childcare but also eldercare, where such caregiving amenities must be given to those workers whose older parents are dependable on their son or daughter, who is working for your company.
Caroline Lee, CocoSign
Vacation Time
Paid time off is something all employees are concerned about it. Everyone wants to be able to go on vacation or have time off for other matters. Having vacation benefits is definitely advantageous for employees. This can often make or break an employee’s decision to take a job at a company. Having vacation time benefits is wise.
Sarah Pirrie, Healist Naturals
Pay for Employee Wifi at Home
An important employee benefit for companies to offer is paid WiFi expenses. Many employees are working from home and using personal WiFi to connect with colleagues and complete work. Even if your people do most of their work at the office, they may be checking email or messages from coworkers at home. There may be a few cases where it doesn’t make sense for the company to take on this expense, but the default should be you pay. Even if you are overpaying a little, your people will appreciate the benefit!
Melissa Kelly, Virtual Team Building
Student Loan Repayment
As student debt remains a consistent challenge facing millennials, companies should consider student loan repayment as part of their benefits package. Not only will this increase work productivity, but also improve financial health by eliminating stress and reducing employee turnover. Companies looking to retain top talent need to express that employee well-being is a priority and they offer an effective solution to financial stability. If employers are able to offer a student loan plan, they have more opportunities to recruit millennials at a high skill set and decrease employee retention rates.
Dino Ha, Kaja Cosmetics
Work Anniversary Celebrations and Bonuses
Birthdays and anniversaries in our personal lives are special occasions that bring us immense positivity and joy. Bring this to the workplace, and companies can also count on some inspiring events at work. Work anniversaries are great occasions to celebrate the time employees have spent with the company and recognize and reward all they’ve contributed during their tenure. Celebrations are always a good thing, and when you add special work anniversary bonuses and gifts to it, you know you’ve inspired not just the employee but also the entire workforce. It’s about time we gave work anniversaries a place of pride on the employee calendar, and 2022 is as good a year as any to begin.
Krista Haws, Dripped Coffee
Wellness Programs
Well-being is a popular topic as of late and it’s no wonder why. The integration of wellness programs into companies’ benefits packages will become increasingly common as more employers realize that they have to be responsible for their workers’ well-being if they want them at their best. A happy worker is a productive one!
Which do you think is more important for employees- physical or mental wellness? Physical.
What are some of the benefits you can expect from a good work/life balance? You have more time to spend with your family and friends, which leaves you with better relationships overall. Mental wellness would be better since it encourages healthy habits such as exercising and sleeping well.
Matt Miller, embroker.com
Reimburse the Cost of Working from Home
Working from home is becoming increasingly becoming popular as organizations look to lower operating costs and employees’ desire for greater flexibility. However, the shift has come with additional costs of setting up home offices, including buying additional hardware and software in addition to investing in a stable internet connection. Organizations that do not provide these tools for free are at risk of not attracting or retaining top talent. As a result, organizations should consider reimbursing their employees for the costs of working from home.
Sam Santa, Zeitholz
Personalized Benefits
It is no secret that employee benefits increase job satisfaction. Moving into 2022, companies are held to a higher standard in regards to the benefits they offer their employees. Voluntary benefits are not only beneficial for the company, but they let employees curate a package that best meets their needs. Each person has different needs that a traditional benefits plan does not always cover. Companies who generalize benefit plans for everyone also run the risk of employees not fully understanding what they are involved in. Voluntary benefits also allow companies to extend their range of offerings to cancer insurance, financial counseling, pet insurance, and many more unique benefits. Not to mention, personalized plans decrease wasteful spending for companies and direct spending towards adding value to each employee. In 2022, employees want a more personalized benefit plan that shows employers respect their specific needs.
Jeffrey Pitrak, Transient Specialists
Recognize and Reward Employees
Everyone likes a bit of appreciation followed by rewards. As a company when you recognize and reward your workforce, it keeps them motivated. As a leader, it is your responsibility to create an environment and make sure that the good work is being appreciated. Gestures like these make employees feel empowered and they take a personal interest in the tasks they are assigned.
The entire purpose of the employee recognition program should be to reinforce what the company wants its employees to do. So now when an employee performs well, leaders should applaud their hard work and achievements which brings confidence to them.
Saurabh Wani, zoomshift.com
Mental Health Benefits
Due to remote work, maintaining a healthy work-life balance has become even more challenging. Employees often struggle to draw a clear line between their home and work tasks. That’s why it’s a good idea to provide your staff with tools that help them take good care of their mental wellbeing.
At Zety, we offer our employees a mental wellness platform that enables them to take care of their mental health suited to their needs. Each employee can schedule up to eight 1:1 sessions per year with certified mental health professionals, licensed clinical therapists, or even financial wellbeing coaches.
Our goal is to also support our staff in staying fit by engaging them in different sports activities. Our employees can relax and release some daily stress in our weekly yoga sessions. As we know that meditation positively impacts our emotional wellbeing and reduces the risk of burnout and depression, we also offer an app with a daily dose of meditations.
Peter Bryla, Zety
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