Benefits Think

5 reasons why remote employees need perks too

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No matter where employees are located geographically — be it in an office or remote — they all want equal appreciation. Perks and benefits are a great way to show employees you care and are willing to invest in them. While some employers may think there is no need to provide office-style perks to their remote workforce, they couldn’t be more wrong. Remote perks enhance company culture and reduce employee loneliness, among other benefits:

Create a sense of belonging
Making employees feel like they belong creates a great impact on your business. When employees are appreciated and valued, they are 3.5 times more likely to be productive, motivated, and engaged.

Eliminate loneliness by creating a virtual community
Working remotely can be lonely and becomes an issue when employees do not have a strong community to rely on. In fact, 19% of telecommuters cited loneliness as one of the top disadvantages of remote work. Providing support to your employees through purchasable perks like Slack groups and video hangouts, or by creating hobby-based work communities can help remote workers engage with other team members. Reminding employees they are valued helps defeat loneliness and encourages strong company culture.

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Extend your company’s culture
Offering perks in relation to the company’s mission and values and making them easily accessible to remote workers can further reinforce the bond. Maintaining constant communication among employees reduces the gap between in house and remote workers. Something as simple as an annual get-together can help create and strengthen coworker relations.

Provide equal support to remote workers
There are certain inequities when it comes to remote workers and in-house employees. It can be difficult to offer the same perks to all employees — like snacks, coffee, or lunches — when there are inherent differences to working in an office versus at home. The best way to provide work-related perks would be to offer a remote pay stipend for employees to set up a home office, pay for high-speed WiFi, or buy a second monitor.

Help employers take on their competitors
Employers are competing for talent through remote benefits and flexibility offered. With so many companies offering hybrid or remote work opportunities, working from home is no longer necessarily a perk in itself. To recruit top talent, employers must find ways to go the extra mile to support their employees with unique remote perks.

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There are plenty of reasons to introduce work from home perks, and implementing them in your company is simpler than you may think.

Send perks straight to their doorstop
Sending perks to employees’ homes is a great way to show you are thinking about them! Sending gift baskets, birthday goodies like flowers, balloons, or a cake, or a dinner gift card for their work anniversary makes them feel valued. Personal thank you notes from a boss or supervisor also go a long way!

Offer a remote work set-up stipend
Some remote workers need to create a dedicated space in their homes to be able to do their best work. A remote work set-up goes beyond covering the high speed internet bill; providing a remote work desk set-up stipend means supporting employees with desk, chair, and other office supplies they need to do their best work.

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Offer personalized perks 
Personalized perk stipends empower employees to choose exactly what they want and need most. Perk stipends are ideal for remote employees because they award them with more diverse, comprehensive, and personalized options, including a health and wellness stipend, continuous learning stipend, or a general perk stipend. While one worker could use extra money for daycare another may opt for a new gym membership.

Utilizing a platform like Compt can make personalizing perks for your employees simple and greatly helps with employee retention and recruiting. It is crucial to keep telecommuters on an equal playing field with your in-house employees.

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