Creative ideas for unique employee benefits

Exercise options like gym memberships or yoga classes can be costly. By offering either a free membership to a gym in their area or a stipend to put toward the health resource of their choice, you can help employees access a benefit that makes them happier, healthier, and more productive.

Your employees’ mental health is just as important as their physical health. Offering mental health resources such as mental health care coverage, an employee assistance program (EAP), and guided meditation sessions or apps can help employees take better care of their emotional and psychological needs.

Many professionals who desire kids can’t get there without in vitro fertilization (IVF) and/or egg freezing, but both options are expensive. Offering fertility benefits gives you a way to help employees realize their dreams of having a family, while earning goodwill from them in the process.

It’s clear that benefits like health insurance and a retirement plan are good to offer. But to add more unique benefits to your employment packages, you’ll want to think outside the box. Here are a few good categories to consider, with specific ideas for creative benefits to offer under each.

For any company with employees in the US, student loan debt is likely a stressor for many workers. The Education Data Initiative estimates that debtors owe an average of around $40,500 apiece. Offering employees assistance in paying off their debt can make a huge difference to their financial health and quality of life.

An 8-hour workday feels much longer for employees who face a long commute to the office and back. By offering benefits that ease the pain of commuting, such as covering the cost of ridesharing or public transportation options, you can give employees back some of the time, energy, and expense that commuting would otherwise cost them.

Trying to fit the various responsibilities of life—from childcare to doctor appointments to home repairs and more—around a set 8-hour workday is hard. A growing number of workers now expect and highly value the option to create a flexible schedule that works for them.

All employees will face times in life when an extended period away from work is valuable. Offering generous leave benefits for new parents, employees with caregiving responsibilities, and those dealing with the loss of a loved one is a good way to show your team that you care about their well-being as a whole person, not just a worker. Some businesses also offer unlimited paid time off (PTO), which shows employees you trust them to take the time that they need and still get the work done.

Balancing childcare with work responsibilities has long been difficult. But with childcare costs rising and a labor shortage affecting that industry, it has become an even bigger problem. Offering employees benefits such as covering childcare costs at least partly or providing on-site childcare at the office can help them focus on work knowing that their kids are taken care of.

Health for Animals estimates that more than half of people globally have a pet at home. Leaving a pet at home for long hours each day is an upsetting prospect for many employees. Making your office pet-friendly is one way to ease days spent in the office for the pet lovers in your workforce.

One thing all employees have in common across the board is the need to eat. But on busy workdays, food all too often feels like a logistical challenge rather than something to be enjoyed. With meal programs, you can simplify the process for your employees of ordering food when working in the office or from home and while on business trips.

Many businesses have begun experimenting with a 4-day workweek, and the results are generally positive: workers are more productive, are happier, and say the shorter week improves work-life balance. Allowing employees to work a shorter week for the same pay—even if it’s only part of the year, as with offering Summer Fridays off—is a powerful way to increase employee satisfaction and make your workplace more attractive.

Many workers wish they could find the time to volunteer with local organizations and initiatives that match their values. You can help them by offering volunteer days off for employees who want more opportunities to give back to their community.

A paid sabbatical allows long-term employees to take a longer period of time off than a typical vacation, such as a full month or more. Sabbaticals are both a way to combat burnout and a powerful incentive for employees to stick with your company long enough to qualify for the option.