Communicating benefits is something we recommend doing year-round, not just at open enrollment. Employees may lose sight of the significant investment the company makes in their health and well-being. They also may not be aware of all the many types of benefits offered to them.
We find that communicating the more unusual benefits your company offers can get employee attention in a positive way — and provide bragging rights for being a great place to work. That sort of word of mouth can be fantastic for your employer brand.
When you’re communicating benefits, consider showcasing any of the offerings below that your company offers:
Many younger employees, and even some who aren’t so young anymore, struggle with the financial and emotional stress of student debt. If your company is one of the many who now provide support in this area, in the form of matching loan payments or the ability to convert unused PTO to student debt repayments, that’s something to highlight when you’re communicating benefits.
Employees like to know that their company is giving back to the community and invested in making the world a better place. Offering paid time off to volunteer is a benefit employees feel good about — whether that’s a day to spend working with a charitable organization of their choice, or a company-organized group effort at work or out in the community.
The promise of a sabbatical — paid, unpaid or partially paid — can be the light at the end of the tunnel for employees approaching burnout. When you’re communicating benefits that focus on stress management, this one can create a lot of employee goodwill. Consider asking employees who’ve taken sabbaticals to share their experiences in internal communications.
Balancing work and family can be a perennial source of stress for many young and mid-career professionals. Be sure you’re communicating benefits like expanded parental leave, support for fertility treatments, adoption assistance or anything else that makes parenting easier. If your company offers unusual benefits like elective egg freezing, be sure employees know about them.
Beyond creating a workplace where transgender and non-binary employees feel safe and comfortable, your company may offer unique benefits such as gender-affirming surgery. Communicating benefits that are inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community can create a sense of employee pride — even for those who may not be candidates for gender identity treatments.
