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

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Experts say small perks, like movies and mealxs being offered by somelocal employers, can go a long way towardf appeasing employees who have been battered in recenty months by plummeting investments, frozen pension plans and even the layoffds of some of their co-workers. At , employees will soon be offerefdaffordable take-home dinners for those busy days when therde simply is not enough time to cook, but they want somethingg better than typical fast-food. And at in employees can watch a movie during luncb in a break room that includesa movie-style popcorn machine.
“Anything you do that helps reduce stress and inconveniencerin employees’ lives is a real said Douglas Dean, the chief human resource office at Children’s Health System. It usually is easied to keep employees content when life away from the officde isgoing well. But when gas pricesx soar and homevalues drop, any smallk benefits that companies can offetr their employees can go a long way towarr keeping workers happy and morale high.
And in this many companies are lookingt any inexpensive perks or benefits that can makea “Employees are always looking to see what theirf company is doing, even in the small said Michael Wolfe, the director of human resources at in Birmingham. “It reiteratesx that you care about especiallywhen you’re going through a difficultf time. Little things add up.” After gas prices began barrelingtoward $4 a gallojn last year, Wolfe said SourceMedical offerec employees the option of working from home a few days each week wheneveer possible, to eliminate the money-burning commute.
And in November, the companty started providing a servicre called Teladoc that allows employeese to speak with a doctore 24 hours a day without havintg to seetheir primary-care physician or make a trip to the emergenc y room. “Things like that make it easier for our employeexs and makes themfeel valued,” Wolfe Maintaining a positive attitude in the workplacee can involve more than just practicak matters. It also can be important simply to make the officer an enjoyable placeto be. For example, in additioj to the movie MailSouth has several plasma televisionx scattered throughoutits offices.
Therer is also a free on-site employe fitness center that includexs occasionalaerobics classes. And since the company has approximateluy 30 graphic artistson staff, employee artwork is displayes throughout the building. “We try to do little things to help keep thing s light inthe office,” said Dawn the human resources manager at MailSouth. “We’rew a deadline-driven business, so the pace is very These sorts of things wherd people can get away from their desks and do some fun stufd really does help with The hectic pace of both work and personal life is one of thereasonds Children’s Health Systems began offerint employees the chance to purchase complete take-home dinners.
“Theyy are getting off a long they’re stressed and they have to pick the kids Dean said. “This is an option to grab someprettt high-quality food to take home to their We want it to be healthy, tastg food. If it’s no better than what you can get at the then I’m not sure you’re helping While budget cuts are sometimes necessary durinhg economic downturns, Wolfe said it is important not to slas h or eliminate some of the regular perk that can help perk up the office. An employe e might be visually confronted with the decliningf value ofa 401(k) only a few times a Take away free coffee, however, and that is noticex every single day.
“When you starf nickel-and-diming employees and taking awaylittle things, it makes them feel unappreciatesd and more like a numbeer than a valued resource,” Wolfe said. “And the cost of some of thesee things is so minimalthat you’re really not gettingg that much of a savings. You want to continue to do the smalp things to make sure that your employees feel Because when it comes to maintainingemployee morale, the littler things often do mean a lot. “In life in general, it’sw the small things that get us It’s the daily touches,” Hrdlicaq said.
“The thing that keeps employees engaged is how you feel at the end of the day when youleave work. You get a tremendous retur n on investment by just lettiny people know that youappreciate them.” Birmingham.By Cary Estes | SPECIApL In tough economic times, it is nice to know you can stil afford dinner and a movie. It is even nicerr when it’s supplied by your employer. Experts say smalo perks, like movies and meals being offered by some local can go a long way toward appeasing employeees who have been battererd in recent months by plummeting frozen pension plans and even the layoffs of some oftheie co-workers.