Women at work and their tips, challenges, advice, complaints, and experiences

Employee benefits provide many paybacks to your small business. Most of all, staff retention and attraction to help recruit good employees. Here are some great suggestions from about.com http://about.com that staff will appreciate. 1. Direct Deposit. Give staff this convenience option that saves them time, and allows them to access funds faster. 2. Wellness Program. Health Care costs are rising, so employees and employers can benefit from programs on fitness, stress reduction, how to stop smoking, etc. 3. Company Discounts. The chance to purchase things at a discounted rate with a company you might do business with frequently, or have one day for a company to come to you and offer items at a slightly discounted rate because you have x number of employees that will shop. 4. Parking. Parking privileges can cover payment of a monthly city transit pass or paying an amount of pre-tax payroll dollars for vehicle parking. 5. Business Cards. This offers an emotional appeal to staff. It may seem trivial, but staff enjoys a certain level of professionalism. If it's too expensive to get them professionally printed, there are programs you can use to do them yourself, and just print them on card stock. 6. Computer Loan Interest Free. Determine a limit of the dollar value on the computer, and set-up an automatic payroll deduction. Make sure a formal agreement is signed in case the employee leaves the company. 7. Community Hours. Offer a limit of regular pay hours in community service time. If a staff member wants to be involved in a volunteer event, have the company pick up the tab. You win with the community, and the employee. 8. Education Plan. Lifelong learning is something you and the employee will benefit from. Educated staff is a good thing. Set a limit for tuition reimbursement. Maybe some of these won't be a fit for your company, but you can always take an employee survey to see what they would like.