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When it comes to employee satisfaction, money isn’t everything.
A generous raise or yearly bonus isn’t the only avenue to employee satisfaction and retention.
Creative non-monetary perks can also keep employees excited about and invested in their company.
Research shows that a wide array of convenient and relevant perks promote increased productivity, improved retention rates , and overall employee happiness.
These 4 employee perks go long way in benefitting employees and companies alike.
1. Unlimited Vacation
An unlimited vacation policy seems almost too good to be true.
While some may think that unlimited vacation days will attract the wrong sort of employee (i.e., the lazy type) and result in less productivity, experts say that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Instead, employees appreciate the level of trust their companies bestow upon them, and respond by carefully planning their time off to coordinate with gaps in their workload.
What’s more, the possibility of longer vacations incentivizes employees to increase productivity and output while at work.
A relatively small number of companies currently offer unlimited vacation, but you may recognize some of their names—Netflix, Best Buy, and Evernote.
2. Family Matters
Working to alleviate some of the cost and stress of being a working parent, Facebook’s family policy can’t be beat.
New mothers and fathers get four months of paid parental leave, reimbursement for day care and adoption fees, and—most extraordinarily—$4K in “baby cash” after the baby is born to cover expenses.
While its perks aren’t quite as extensive, fast-food restaurant chain Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop has also demonstrated its commitment to working parents, automatically allowing staff to take time off to attend any child-related event.
3. Healthy Living
Google’s Institute for Integrative Nutrition makes it easy for employees to stay on top of their physical and mental health.
With perks like on-site doctors, physical therapists, masseuses, and chiropractors, alongside daily organic meals, yoga classes, and fresh flowers for desks, Google employees have a whole suite of wellness options at their disposal.
While not every company can afford a full-service internal wellness institution, there are countless other ways for employers to offer de-stressing benefits.
AOL’s office is equipped with sleep pods for midday breaks; Shutterstock hosts weekly massage sessions; and employees at the education company Chegg can play mini golf or oversized chess in between work tasks.
These companies know that proper healthcare in the short-term amounts to healthier, happier, and more productive employees in the long-term.
4. Exploring the World
Southwest Airlines and Epic Systems don’t just encourage vacation—they incentivize world exploration.
Southwest employees can fly just about anywhere—for free. With discounted guest passes, their family and friends can tag along for the ride.
Epic Systems’ paid sabbatical program incentivizes company loyalty with unmatched travel perks. Every five years, employees are rewarded four free weeks of paid leave.
The company even funds employees’ trips, so long as the staffer in question is visiting a country they’ve never been to before.
Southwest, Epic Systems, and a growing number of other innovative companies cultivate a culture of exploration and adventure while offering employees the tools, freedom, and support to design a rewarding work-life balance.