Benefits for Hybrid Workers to Help Ease the Transition Back to the Office
March 30, 2023 | Winston
In recent months, many companies have started requiring employees to come into the office three days a week, while others now require in-person employees four days a week. Employers cite productivity as the main reason for the shift; however, there’s been a lot of pushback from employees across industries.
If your company is starting your return-to-office (RTO) plan, one way to ease the transition is by altering your benefits package to better appeal to your employees’ new lifestyle. Keep reading for the best benefits you can offer your hybrid employees.
1. Commuter Benefits
One of the undeniable perks of working from home is the money saved on commuting to and from the office. Especially in the current economic climate, this value will be missed by many employees heading back to the office. One way employers can lessen the financial burden on their employees is to offer commuter benefits such as gas stipends, or bus/train passes to employees who are traveling significant distances to work on their days in the office. Not only will this make commuting easier for workers, but it will also show your employees that you care about their financial wellness.
2. Professional Training Stipends
An excellent way to entice your employees back to the office is by offering professional training stipends or employer-sponsored professional development programs. Some examples would be access to conferences or workshops, lunch and learn sessions, or funding an accreditation or certification for an employee that can also enhance the company’s expertise. For many employees, the idea that their employer cares about their growth beyond the scope of their time at the company leaves an impactful impression regarding retention.
3. Childcare Benefits
By requiring working parents to return to the office three or more days a week, the ability to find reliable childcare may prove challenging and could cause some employees to look for positions that can offer more flexibility for their family’s lifestyle. However, companies may also feel the effects of working parents returning to the office through loss of productivity due to unreliable childcare. In fact, according to an article by Family Forward NC, U.S. businesses lose approximately $3 billion annually due to employee absenteeism due to childcare issues. Employers can help ease the transition back to work for these employees by offering childcare benefits in the form of daycare tuition stipends, on-site childcare, or company-funded, reliable childcare.
4. Flexible Working Hours
Offering more flexibility is another way employers are making their RTO plans more palatable to their employees. If employees are able to pick up children from school, go home for lunch, or start work earlier or later, depending on their schedules, it can all make a difference when going back to the office. The best part about flexible hours is that it’s an easy benefit to implement into your current offerings since it’s budget-friendly and can be tracked through various project management platforms to help alleviate HR workload.
5. Healthy Lifestyle Benefits
During the shift from in-office to remote work, many employees were granted the flexibility to focus on their physical health, a perk few are ready to give up. Employers also should prioritize employee health and wellness because it can lead workers to be more productive and result in less absenteeism due to health issues. Employers can support their employees’ health through employer-funded gym memberships and stipends, as well as food-related benefits such as stipends for healthy groceries. Some employers have even started providing healthy lunches for their employees in the office to help them save money on food costs and promote productivity and connection in the workplace.
RTO strategies don’t have to be difficult for employees. By offering engaging benefits such as these, you can encourage employees to not only return to the workplace, but to promote productivity in the process. Interested in learning how our team can help support your RTO benefits implementation with our proprietary HRally® software?
Disclaimer: This content is strictly informational and should not be used as specific advice on insurance products, legal, accounting, and/or tax related matters. Insureds should always contact the appropriate licensed professional for their insurance, legal, accounting, or tax needs.
