It’s not a surprise that communication with your employees doesn’t (and shouldn’t) stop after providing the welcome packet. We know the importance of communicating with employees when it comes to productivity, but what can management provide in terms of guidance beyond the bullet points found within the company policies?
Looking past the usual legal information a company is required to provide its employees, it’s also important to have a management that can offer their team tools to conquer challenges outside of the work environment. What might these challenges look like?
When Insurance Doesn’t Cut It
No matter how fantastic your company’s benefits may be, there are some things simply not covered — yet some employees, for one reason or another, might need a health procedure that doesn’t qualify for coverage under their insurance. While the company itself may not be able to change the benefits package, taking the time to give employees other solutions is the kind of extra step that employees value and appreciate. Creating a document or file that offers alternative ways to save money and get assistance and having it on hand when such instances arise shows that the company really cares about the health of their employees.
Experts at Growing Family Benefits have a great example of what management could keep on hand should an employee want to undergo elective surgery: “If you are scheduling an elective surgery, a plan with a higher actuarial value could be more cost-effective. You pay a higher monthly premium but will have fewer leftover expenses after the procedure. Examine these features when making your choice”:
- Deductible
- Coinsurance
- Maximum out of pocket
- In-network providers
Providing alternatives can also relieve some of the stress an employee may be feeling if being confronted with a necessary, uncovered operation. Moreover, when a management team decides to go the extra mile, employees can feel more comfortable being open not just with health concerns but work-related issues as well. Creating a trusted work environment is essential for having happier employees, and occasionally, building that trust happens through non-work related problems (and resolutions).
Helping the New Parent
Maternity leave provides mothers the time to recover and bond with their newborn; however, when it is time for mom to go back to work, especially if she’s a new mom, marrying work with parenthood can be overwhelming. Providing resources that include tips for new parents shows that management is ready to help and understands the trial and errors of parenthood.
An example of this could like something from Kindercare’s 10 Essential Tips for New Working Parents: “Allow yourself to feel what you feel. It’s okay to miss [your newborn]. It’s okay to worry. And yes, it’s okay to love returning to work, too. Again, this is a big transition — it’ll take a little time, but you will get the hang of it and find what works best for your family!”
Moreover, management could also connect new parents in the office with child-rearing vets via Slack or email, fostering more connections within the office and giving the new family more helping hands. It can also make the routine easier as parents can establish carpools and pickups with one another throughout the week.
Returning to work as a new parent comes with a lot of emotions, and getting back into the swing of things may take some time. However, management can certainly make the transition easier and more enjoyable by providing helpful resources that a lot of new parents need.
The Extra Mile
Providing general wellness guidelines or even opening up a health forum for the office is another great way for companies to help in the overall success and well-being of their employees. Employees can share their favorite healthy recipes, running schedules, and other physical well-being tips with each other through work chats, fostering a health-positive community with one another. It can also connect employees with common shared interests such as softball or frisbee golf, and they can even put together a co-ed team to play together on weekends or after work.
If a company has the budget for it, it’d also be worth inviting a nutritionist to the office who can hand out important nutritional guidelines and provide some consultations. Even if it’s twice or once a year, inviting a nutritionist onsite provides employees with additional or new nutritional information they might not otherwise know or seek out. With this kind of extra wellness information and services, employees are more likely to make better, healthy choices outside of the office, meaning less sick days and visits to the doctor.
Having healthy employees is essential for any successful company. Providing extra information that improves employees lives outside of the work environment strengthens mental and physical well-being and fosters more positive relationships between management and their team. When a company is willing to put in the effort — beyond just the required information — to ensure their employees are well taken care of, employees are often motivated to return the favor by showing up to work ready, healthy, and happy — which is good news for productivity and performance.