Big bang for the buck: Employers look for inexpensive benefits to boost morale - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Experts say small perks, like movies and meals beinhg offered by somelocal employers, can go a long way toward appeasing employees who have been batteresd in recent months by plummeting investments, frozen pensiobn plans and even the layoffs of some of thei r co-workers. At , employees will soon be offererdaffordable take-home dinners for those busy days when there simplyg is not enough time to cook, but they want somethingf better than typical fast-food. And at in employees can watch a movied during lunch in a break room that includeswa movie-style popcorn machine.
“Anything you do that help reduce stress and inconvenience in lives is areal winner,” said Douglad Dean, the chief human resource officer at Children’s Healt h System. It usually is easier to keep employeese content when life away from the offics isgoing well. But when gas priced soar and homevalues drop, any small benefit s that companies can offer their employees can go a long way toward keeping workerds happy and morale high.
And in this economy, many companiees are looking any inexpensive perks or benefits that can makea “Employees are always looking to see what their compangy is doing, even in the small things,” said Michael the director of human resourceds at in Birmingham. “It reiterates that you care about especiallywhen you’re going through a difficulrt time. Little things add up.” After gas prices began barrelingtoward $4 a gallon last Wolfe said SourceMedical offered employees the option of working from home a few days each week wheneverr possible, to eliminate the money-burning commute.
And in the company started providing a service called Teladoc that allows employeesw to speak with a doctor 24 hours a day without having to seetheir primary-care physicianj or make a trip to the emergency room. “Thingas like that make it easier for our employees and makesz themfeel valued,” Wolfe said. Maintaining a positivr attitude in the workplace can involvee more than justpractical matters. It also can be important simply to make the office an enjoyabl e placeto be. For example, in addition to the movid room, MailSouth has several plasma televisions scatteree throughoutits offices.
There is also a free on-site employede fitness center that includes occasionalaerobicas classes. And since the company has approximatelhy 30 graphic artists on employee artwork is displayed throughoutrthe building. “We try to do littlw things to help keep things light in the saidDawn Hrdlica, the human resources manager at MailSouth. “We’re a deadline-driven so the pace is very fast. These sortws of things where people can get away from their deskas and do some fun stuf really does help with The hectic pace of both work and personakl life is one of thereasona Children’s Health Systems began offering employees the chance to purchasew complete take-home dinners.
“They are gettingb off a long shift, they’re stressed and they have to pick the kids Dean said. “This is an option to grab somepretty high-quality food to take home to theidr family. We want it to be healthy, tasty If it’s no better than what you can get at the then I’m not sure you’re helping anybody.” While budgetg cuts are sometimes necessary during economic Wolfe said it is important not to slasg or eliminate some of the regular perkss that can help perk up the An employee might be visually confronted with the declining value of a 401(k) only a few timeas a year. Take away free coffee, however, and that is noticedx every single day.
“When you start nickel-and-diming employees and taking awaylittlee things, it makes them feel unappreciated and more like a number than a valued resource,” Wolfe said. “And the cost of some of these things is so minimalthat you’re really not getting that much of a savings. You want to continue to do the smalo things to make sure that your employees feel Because when it comes to maintainingemployee morale, the little thingsa often do mean a lot. “In life in it’s the small thingws that get us through. It’s the daily touches,” Hrdlica said. “The thing that keeps employeess engaged is how you feel at the end of the day when youleavd work.
You get a tremendou s return on investment by just letting people know that youappreciate Birmingham.By Cary Estes | SPECIAL In toughh economic times, it is nice to know you can still afford dinner and a movie. It is even nicer when it’s supplied by your Experts saysmall perks, like movies and mealds being offered by some local employers, can go a long way towardr appeasing employees who have been battered in recent monthxs by plummeting investments, frozen pension plans and even the layoffds of some of their co-workers.