What employee benefits do employees really value? The best perks do not have to cost the employer any money at all.
For example, the newest generation of employees, the millennials, in particular, and employees in every generation, actually, value flexible work schedules. Sure, providing flexible schedules might take a bit more work, especially in departments that have to have coverage at all times. But, the payback in employee morale is enormous.
Employees can better manage their work and life balance when they don't have to miss work to take junior to the doctor. Or, an employee can stay at home long enough to see the kids onto their school bus, if the employee can start work at 9 a.m.
I predict that teleworking will continue to grow as employers save the cost of providing workplace facilities and employees are enabled to work productively from home. Not right for every employee, or every job, teleworking provides the employee with quiet, uninterrupted time for work. As technology continues to advance, so will telecommuting.
The fun part is that teleworking will require employers to find a whole new way to manage employees, measure employee performance, and promote team interaction. And, oh my, for telecommuting to really work, we're going to have to learn to trust employees. This is an area that I am working on this year, so we will continue to revisit it in 2011. Have a terrific week.
Image Copyright Catherine Yeulet
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