Perks That Matter

Make no mistake, perks are not extras. Perks are compensation, packaged as "a little extra something" designed to keep our energy going just enough to complete our jobs.

Most of our work-life balances are not balanced at all. If we're lucky, we're repaid for long hours with breaks after the job is done (e.g. "You've earned this vacation."). But being given time off to rest and recuperate after long stretches of intense work does not create balance—it creates a dangerous see-saw destined to crash. A good personal trainer encourages rests and sips of water in between reps, rather than a gallon of water at the end, because a good personal trainer knows the latter is unhealthy.

Needless to say, I'm skeptical about perks. Though the word has a positive connotation, I'm concerned about what's required in return. Besides, when it comes to job perks, the excitement doesn't usually last long. After the initial thrill passes, many of us find that the perks attached to our paycheck don't cut it. Rather, they serve as a hook, an incentive to join a company, rather than a reason to stay.

It's not that I don't like my promotional mug, or the lanyard keychain with my company's logo on it. I do. In fact, I happen to work for a company that offers exceptional employee perks. However, as a society, I think we can and should do better.

I'm talking about basic needs at a minimum. Basic needs are often unacknowledged and certainly unmet by many companies, and perks can't take the place of them. While universal healthcare and childcare (offered in many countries outside the U.S.) are tied more to citizenship than employment, the fact remains, these needs are being addressed. Some companies in other countries offer a full year of parental leave for both parents, paid time off for miscarriages, and many other benefits designed to give their employees a real life.

We must hold a critical eye on not just what employees want, but what they need. Regardless of laws, conditioning, and expectation, 40-50 hours a week spent working is a lot to ask of people. When we factor in commutes and time spent getting ready for work, we are devoting way more of our days to our jobs than just "9-5." It leaves very little time for necessities outside of the office. Simply put, we can't operate under the same guidelines and expectations we used to, or rely on glamorous, but unnecessary perks. Rather, we should turn employee perks into useful accommodations. This doesn’t just benefit the worker—it can make a company stand out from the rest, increase workplace positivity, and entice other people to want to work there.

Employers, consider these accommodations:

1. Childcare

As a non-parent, when I see my allotted five sick days a year, I think to myself, is this a joke? I'm only allowed to be sick for five days (out of 365) before I have to take unpaid days? For parents, this is considerably more ridiculous because each time their child gets sick, they have to take time off.

Since universal childcare is not a thing in the U.S. (yet, fingers crossed), consider how your organization can help support employees with children. Securing childcare for employees may look like establishing a partnership with a childcare center near the office, or providing reimbursement to parents for childcare close to their home. It could also mean creating a space in the office designated for children to play and be supervised by a trained professional. Giving your staff access and contribution to childcare is essential, and will allow employees to function on all cylinders.

2. Food

Food is not something that should be thrown into the "if I have time" category, yet sadly, that's how many people treat it. Food is fuel. Food is medicine. We need it to function. Period.

While there is no shortage of fast, convenient, and processed foods, we need to stop normalizing this way of eating. Cheeseburgers on the run, protein bars from vending machines—not okay.

Regular nourishment is crucial, and that starts with nutrition education. How can we nourish ourselves properly if we think aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are healthier than sugar? (Hint: They're not.) For people who work full time, it's exhausting, if not impossible to find time to educate themselves on nutrition, maintain a diet, meal prep, or sit down for regular meals. Without the energy, resources, time, or funds to attend to diet, people are bound to continue the processed food/takeout cycle, leading to deteriorating health.

Consider the many ways you can supply better nourishment to your employees. This could mean providing at least two healthy meals a day for your staff while they are in the office, and/or reimbursing for food expenses.

This can also take the form of discounts on grocery stores, markets, and supplements. It can include more fun food-related perks, such as cooking classes, sample tastings, and potlucks. The company may want to set up opportunities to volunteer at local farmer's markets or CSAs. You may consider contracting a nutritionist to give seminars on how to read food labels or demonstrations of cooking hacks for quick and healthy meals. You can bring in a chef to cook for the staff, or hire a local business to cater.

Finally, because how we eat is just as important as what we eat, consider how lunch breaks are offered. Most lunch breaks are one hour long. If you've ever timed yourself leaving the office, getting to a restaurant, sitting down, ordering, eating, paying, then walking back, you'd know this is more of a relay race than a lunch break. These short time slots are not designed with the employee's best interest in mind. Consider workarounds for not only allotting, but encouraging longer lunch breaks.


3. Work from home

This past year has been a game-changer. Although many companies will continue to allow their employees to work from home (at least part of the time), it's not a given. Some companies expect their employees to return to an office once it's safe to do so.

As much as I advocate for social interaction in the office and the separation of home and work, it's important to leave the option open to allow employees to work from wherever is most convenient for them.

Working remotely can have significant benefits on productivity. Between eliminating the commute (leaving more hours to devote to work), sleeping in a little later, having the ability to get chores done, working from home makes everyone's life much easier.

Working from home should be offered indefinitely, as long as the role allows for it. Of course, distinguishing these roles as white collar vs. blue collar jobs brings up concerns. This article poses interesting insights as to how to make more accommodations for blue color jobs, to give workers more opportunities to work from home.


4. Wellness maintenance

If we don't have our health, we don't have anything. Yet, most of us have been conditioned to minimize, be out of alignment with, and ignore ourselves, in order to conform to the demands of society. That includes our jobs.

The healthiest individuals are those who prepare their own meals, move their bodies, get plenty of sunshine, interact with other humans, hydrate, and get plenty of sleep, every. single. day. Does this sound like anyone you know? Probably not, because we're all too busy working!

Consider bringing in a masseuse, yoga instructor, chiropractor, health coach, meditation instructor, chef, sleep expert, or art teacher to meet regularly with your employees. Workshops, demos, classes, or even informative lectures. Every little bit helps.

It may be difficult to please everyone, so try to get as much variety as you can (hot yoga is not everyone's cup of green tea). This also includes offering group, as well as private wellness activities, so your staff can choose what best suits them.

5. Free passes for time off

Many companies tout the importance of mental health, taking breaks, and taking care of yourself. "Take mental health days," they say. Well, that's all well and good, but who's paying for these days? There is an implicit time restriction on these days as well (take time off, just not too much time!)

Just as some companies give their employees Summer Fridays, it may be helpful to normalize and implement "Free Pass" days, where an employee can do whatever they want with that time, no questions asked. Consider offering these days on a monthly basis, so it becomes a regular part of the routine, as opposed to a day here and there.

Additionally, it may be helpful to blend paid time off, so that the allotted days are not bound by categories (sick, vacation, etc.).


6. One-on-one financial planning

The days of piggy banks and tooth fairy money are long gone. It's all about planning and saving for our future with real money. That's swell, except that most people don't understand the nuances of financial planning. The spectrum is wide, from those who need to be more mindful of their monthly spending, to those who want to know about stocks, IRAs, 401ks, and taxes.

Because finance is a language many people don't speak, financial advisors are a thing. The irony is, financial advisors cost money. The entire concept of a job is to exchange services for money, so it would be an ideal perk for employees to have meetings with a financial advisor, to help them understand how to best spend, invest, and save their money.

Consider offering one-on-one financial advising to all of your employees, so that they can feel secure and in control of their financial present and future.


7. Perk opt-outs

For each benefit a company offers its employees, there is a cost associated with it. For example, a monthly gym membership may cost a company $30 per month for each employee. Perks are factored into the whole package. You may recognize this conversation from when you negotiated your salary: "Your salary is X, but with benefits and perks, it's really X++."

However, as we've established, not all employees want or need these perks, and many of these perks even go to waste. For the money it costs to secure these perks, the employee could be spending it on something they really need, whatever that is.

It would be advantageous for both the company and the employee if there were an option to "opt out" of certain perks in exchange for the money it costs. Consider giving employees the option to look at the list of perks they are entitled to, and decide which ones they would like, and which ones they would like to decline, and instead, have the money added back into their salary.

Just as health benefit plans can be renewed or changed every year, there could be designated times when employees can request to have perks added back on (with the corresponding cost deducted from their salary), or removed (with the corresponding cost added into their salary).