Bitcoin as a benefit? How NYDIG wants to help employees save

Would you convert your paycheck from dollars to bitcoins?

Leading bitcoin company NYDIG has launched a Bitcoin Savings Plan to promote and normalize the idea of employees getting paid in the cryptocurrency, according to a press release. The Bitcoin Savings Plan will allow an employee to auto-convert a portion of their paycheck to bitcoin, which will then be held on the secure, regulated NYDIG platform that is recognized by most major banks.

"We know how hard it is for companies to attract top-notch talent — that's never been truer than it is today," Patrick Sells, NYDIG's chief innovation officer, said in the release. "A NYDIG Bitcoin Savings Plan is an easy-to-adopt benefit that can help employers stand out from the pack while providing their employees with a critical tool for protecting their financial futures.”

Read more: Should we adopt a cryptocurrency-based payroll?

Thirty-six percent of employees under 30 said they would be interested in allocating a portion of their pay to bitcoin, according to a recent survey conducted by NYDIG. Nearly 1 in 3 of those employees said that when choosing between two identical jobs at different employers, they would choose an employer that helped them get paid in bitcoin.

Among the first to offer the benefit are companies owned by former NFL quarterback Drew Brees — who will also be using a Bitcoin Savings Plan to convert a portion of his compensation to bitcoin — including Everbowl and StretchZone. Fertitta Entertainment will also offer the benefit to employees of the NBA's Houston Rockets and to corporate employees of the restaurant chain Landry's.

"Offering cutting edge benefits, like a Bitcoin Savings Plan, helps ensure that we are appealing to the new generation entering the workforce and allows us to attract and retain some of the best talent in the industry," Tilman Fertitta, owner and CEO of Fertitta Entertainment, said in the release.