As an employer, you’ll know how important it is to keep morale high and make sure your workplace is a pleasant place to be. One way you can do to achieve this is to offer certain perks, which when combined with a generous salary, can keep employees happy. Here are some perks you can offer that don’t cost much, but that employees love.
- Install a vending machine
Nothing cheers people up more than a snack, and a chocolate bar or bag of crisps can get you through a difficult afternoon and over the post-lunch slump. It’s easy to get a free vending machine installed, and you can stock it with a mixture of junk food favourites and healthy snacks. That way, there’s something for all employees.
- Break times
In addition to encouraging people to take their lunch break and step away from their desk, you might want to add a 15-minute morning and afternoon break. Breaks are good for employees because:
- They help them avoid burn out
- They can prevent eye-strain in those using computers
- People who take breaks are more productive
- Breaks can also help with creativity, as they give the brain time to rest
Breaks don’t cost you anything as an employer, but they can have great benefits, and you may well notice productivity increasing once you put breaks in place.
- Extra holiday days
It’s always worth offering a little more than statutory holidays if you can. Like breaks, holidays are a way for employees to unwind and they often return from holiday in a much more productive frame of mind.
You could also consider offering some special days off to employees. Some employers now offer birthdays off, duvet days or even Christmas shopping days to allow staff time off for the things that matter.
- Offer employee discounts
In addition to discounts on your own products and services, if applicable, you could sign up for an employee perks scheme and score your employees a whole load of discounts. It’s very easy to sign up for these schemes online, and once you have, all you need to do is ask employees to register. They can then get access to great discounts on everything from clothes to travel.
- Allow remote working
Remote working, or working from home, is now becoming more common, and it can help people achieve a work/life balance. If your employees have jobs they can do at home, why not let them work from home a couple of days a week? Studies have shown they can be more productive and happier than colleagues who don’t have this perk, and it costs very little to set up.
Good employees can help make your business a success, so it’s important to treat them well and offer them perks for their loyalty. Many things you can offer them will cost you very little, but can pay off in terms of productivity and happiness. Whether it’s some snacks, time off or home working, there are lots of ways to reward your team.