When you think about the “perks” of your workplace, what comes to mind? Traditionally, workplace perks have consisted of things like break rooms well-stocked with tasty snacks, and perhaps equipped with comfy seating; or, with after-hours hangouts and happy hours. While such workplace perks can certainly be effective in raising morale, they’re become all but impossible to maintain due to the disruptions of the coronavirus pandemic.
Indeed, as the spread of COVID-19 continues, business and HR leaders must choose between three basic options:
- Discontinue their normal workplace perks.
- Find a way to deliver those perks to employees in their homes.
- Rethink the notion of workplace perks altogether.
While there’s not necessarily a wrong or right answer here, we’d encourage creativity as companies pursue new ways to foster morale and to show employees they care. The pandemic may force us all to rethink perks, but it shouldn’t make us abandon perks altogether.
What Do Employees Want?
It’s worth noting that, in survey after survey, we find that break room perks and after-hours hangouts actually rank pretty low on the list of employee priorities. When asked what kind of workplace benefits they really crave, employees overwhelmingly say they want to feel empowered to work autonomously; they want to feel trusted; and they want to feel like the work they do makes a difference.
In other words, there may be ways for business owners and HR leaders to extend “perks” to their employees even in a remote setting, and without having to worry about the logistics of fancy snacks or cocktail hours.
Instead of getting hung up on these fun but frivolous extras, companies might instead shift their resources and their strategic focus to show their overall support for employee wellbeing. Some examples of perks that might really make a difference in employees’ quality of life include:
- An increased investment in mental health benefits, especially as COVID-19 has led to dramatic increases in workplace depression, anxiety, and stress.
- Greater flexibility for employees to schedule their work around personal or family needs, without micromanaging. (This goes back to helping employees feel empowered and trusted.)
- Small monetary bonuses or incentives, particularly in the midst of economic uncertainty.
Of course, providing perks like these might require creating more room in the budget. To that end, a lot of companies are temporarily discontinuing their funding for additional training and continuing education, which aren’t in high demand at the current moment. This kind of flexibility is crucial for companies as they rethink their perks.
Also note that more traditional perks, like snacks, are still very much a viable option; some employers have started sending premium “snack boxes” to employee homes, which can be a good way to let workers know they are still valued. Also note that, in a remote work environment, perks like these can go a long way toward instilling some goodwill not just in employees, but also in their family members.
Rethinking Perks
These are just a few examples of how businesses and HR leaders can rethink the notion of workplace perks and provide morale boosters that are appropriate to the age of COVID. If you have any further questions about any of this, we’d love to chat. Reach out to FullHR at your next convenience.
