We always hear the adage, “Happy employees are productive employees.” And aside from productivity, happiness and contentment bring several positive effects to the company, including better retention rates and a healthier working environment.
For employees to be happy, they need to find a purpose behind the work that they do. In the same vein, they also need to feel that they’re well-compensated; they’re doing the job to earn a living, after all.
Apart from those, throwing in a few perks can surely make employees feel valued. The great news is, you don’t have to spend a small fortune to boost morale and let your team know how much they mean to you.
Here are a few ideas for office perks that don’t break the bank.
1. Gym Memberships
We all know that exercise boosts overall health. Aside from preventing excess weight, it also keeps diseases and conditions at bay, including stroke, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and many types of cancer.
In addition to that, regular workout sessions can also improve mood, keep energy levels high, and prevent depression and anxiety. These are vital benefits, especially if you’re dealing with a huge amount of stress and pressure at work.
Offering free gym memberships is investing in your employee’s health and better disposition at work. Moreover, you’re helping your team members avoid huge medical expenses down the road. After all, gym subscriptions cost less than medical prescriptions.
As for the cost, it will not be a taxable benefit if you can prove that the business is the primary beneficiary of the gym membership. In the same vein, you can choose to use a local facility so that the membership will be transferred to the business instead of individual employees.
2. Casual Fridays
If your office requires a corporate dress code, consider allowing employees to wear casual outfits once a week. According to a study, wearing casual wear can boost productivity because employees can focus more on their tasks without being distracted by uncomfy clothing. The best part? This perk doesn’t cost anything!
3. A Free Lunch Each Month
They say there’s no such thing as free lunch. You can change that by offering one right in the office!
You might already be offering free-flowing caffeine to everyone who wants it. But here are a few examples of how companies provide free grub to keep up the pace at the workplace:
- Ben & Jerry’s: three pints of ice cream per workday
- American Enterprise Institute: elaborate buffet (with items like prime rib and crab cakes)
- Daily Harvest: a fridge-full of Daily Harvest smoothies and soups
- Airbnb: a “simple station” with plain, unseasoned meats, grains, and vegetables
- LinkedIn: free food in its cafeterias, including halal-meat options
- Big Ass Fans in Lexington: free-for-all beers in a fridge that unlocks if the day’s sales goals are met
In this light, you might want to give your team a special treat by providing a free lunch every month. To make things clear, it doesn’t have to be a five-course gourmet meal or a long buffet. Just as long as it’s something your team enjoys and the meal allows everyone to come together and bond, you’re good to go.
These days, many companies also go the extra mile by providing healthy meals to encourage a healthy lifestyle. This is a great offering alongside a free gym membership as your team won’t have to stray from their fitness goals to enjoy both benefits.
4. Upgraded Desk Space
If you need something that could instantly boost productivity, consider upgrading their desk space. Since we’re talking about perks that don’t break the bank, let’s put a hold on big renovation projects for now. We’re talking about smaller projects such as putting up a vertical garden or possibly providing potted plants for each desk space.
Here are a few key takeaways from a study called Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace about workspaces with natural features:
- The workspace boosted workers’ overall well-being by 15 percent.
- Study participants said they felt 6 percent more productive.
- Respondents expressed that they were 15 percent more creative at work.
Alongside adding greenery, you might also want to devote a space for collaborative work and destressing.
5. Meditation Room
A few years ago, the meditation room was considered to be one of the hottest new perks in workspaces. In fact, companies like Apple, Google, Salesforce, and Nike got on board early. Google even offered free meditation courses for employees who wanted to learn techniques to foster calm and inner peace.
A meditation room is a quiet space where your team members can meditate, reflect, take a cat nap, or just escape the noise for a few minutes.
Given its purpose, you don’t need an expensive, full-on construction project to offer this perk. It just has to be a spare room where users can sit on comfy cushions, bean bags, or couches and dim the lights if they need to.
6. Massage Therapist
Massage therapy offers stress relief, muscle tension reduction, and improved circulation, among other benefits. That said, making it a part of your perks packages will surely be a step towards having happier and healthier employees.
Once a month, hire a massage therapist to offer on-site therapy for your team. This will not only increase their physical well-being but also help them destress and boost their morale.
7. Acupuncture
This is a good perk to offer if your team members are open to exploring naturopathic medicine.
Acupuncture can also help your team members manage stress and boost productivity at work.
Here are some of the health benefits offered by acupuncture:
- Management of back pain and neck tension
- Reduction of joint pain in arms and hands
- Relief from headaches and eye strain
- Improved mental health
- Better energy
According to acupuncturists, more employees are requesting holistic treatment plans these days. And though acupuncture once was an alternative medicine treatment, it’s now being accepted by some Western medicine community.
The Bottomline
A fair salary and mandatory employee benefits will make employees feel secure. But it’s the little extra perks that make them feel valued as team members. Think of these perks not only as an investment to have stronger, more confident employees. Rather, treat it also as a gesture of gratitude for people who put in their time, effort, and hard work to grow with the venture.
