We’ve all worked for those guys: the employer that provides the minimum required benefits or maybe no benefits at all! Maybe you are that guy. These benefits are pretty consistent across the board and are no longer as attractive as they have been in the past.  Your team is the lifeblood of your practice. So how can you boost your employee morale by adding to the allure of your employee benefit package all without breaking the bank? I’m so glad you asked.

Offer ancillary health benefits

While primary health insurance benefits are provided in nearly every practice, there are a number of additional health benefits you can provide

• Varied policies- Healthcare policies are incredibly important to your team. Some policies may be too costly or lack proper coverage for a particular employee. Offering multiple levels of insurance or allowing the employee to upgrade can be the difference between accepting and declining an offer.
• Supplemental Vision, Dental, life insurance and other similar policies can be offered. You can choose to cover all or part of the premiums.
• Gym Memberships- Some gyms offer company packages with a number of memberships. You can provide these memberships to your team and encourage a healthy lifestyle.
• 15 minute massage chair sessions – Massage chairs can be quite inexpensive.
  Allowing your team to sit and take 15 minutes to reset during break times can work wonders for relieving their stress. You might even need to make a wait list!

In Office Comfort

Maintaining a comfortable work environment is alarmingly easy and quite a cheap way to build morale and reduce stress in your team. Small perks here and there add up and your team will really appreciate the small things.

• Allow your team to personalize their work area, if applicable. Photos, plants, gadgets and other personal items help make your team feel like the area is theirs.
• Keep plants around. Where appropriate, plants contribute to a natural, calming environment. Around the entrance, in offices, break rooms and on desks are all great locations for plants.
• Keep the break room stocked. Healthy snacks, drinks and other consumables are all small additions that come with huge impacts. Things like juices, teas, coffee, peanuts, chips and even lunch items such as sandwiches or frozen foods will help your team feel cared for and appreciated.

Outings and Team Building

Work is just that: work. Your team might not have the time to bond and create relationships while on the job. Fun days, nights and team building exercises are consistently proven to increase morale. Give your team a chance to go out with each other and play.

• Hosting night outings at a piano bar or lounge with live music.
• Engaging in team building exercises like ropes courses or other fun activities
• Cater lunch one day out of the month. Choosing the food is a great incentive for top performers!
• Simple fun days based around employee interests like snowboarding, boating, hiking, bowling, amusement parks, community events, etc.

Some more ideas

• Relaxed dress code days
• Commuter/transit passes
• Online education resources
• Flexible work schedules
• Small rewards for meeting goals (movie tickets, bottle of wine, restaurant voucher, etc.)

Implementing just one or a number of these perks can drastically improve the morale of your team. Of course, you can always communicate with your team and ask them what they would like to see. They may come up with some great ideas you and I never even thought of. The simple act of asking for their input may even boost their morale!