Going beyond base salary and benefits means everything from helping staff take the car in for repairs to video arcades and sports facilities
When Richard O’Brien of Toronto got married recently, he and his bride, Narda, took an exotic honeymoon in tropical St. Martin. O’Brien was thrilled — not only about the sun, sand and surf — but also by the savings. The entire trip was paid for by his employer, WarrenShepell, a provider of employee assistance programs and work-life services.
O’Brien, a web developer, won the trip as part of WarrenShepell’s annual “Getaway-Giveaway” draw. A dozen employees, picked at random, each win week-long trips to the company’s suite in a time-share condo. It’s one of many innovative perks that the firm offers, from coverage for massage therapy, to an RRSP match program, to annual employee tickets for a gala premier at the Toronto Film Festival.
“You always need the day-to-day benefits, but something like a free trip really adds to your excitement,” says O’Brien, who arranged his wedding date around his prize.
WarrenShepell is among a growing number of companies offering benefits that go beyond the standard menu of medical, dental and life insurance. These companies realize that to recruit, retain and reward employees, it pays to be imaginative when it comes to their perks.
“One of the things that attracted me to this company was their benefit package. With no deductible, a greater inclusion of services, and of course all the extra bells and whistles, I was surprised to know that I could access any part of the service from my very first day at work,” says Jennifer Watson, marketing manager at the firm.
Rod Phillips, president and CEO of WarrenShepell, said the creative perks are consistent with the company’s mandate to support healthy workplaces.
“We’re in the business of making a difference in people’s lives — that’s our motto. We do this by helping our clients realize the impact of good mental health,” says Phillips.
“So it only makes sense that we put into practice that same philosophy here and help people feel good about the job that they do and their experience at WarrenShepell. I believe that the right combination of benefits and work-life balance initiatives can contribute to employee wellness, boost morale and enhance performance.”
Greg Durant of Watson Wyatt, the HR and benefits consulting firm, agrees. “Things like medical and dental have been around a long time, and are pretty much like base salary. They’re an effective way of compensating employees, but they aren’t a differentiator anymore,” says Durant, leader of the firm’s group and health care practice, Central Canada.
At Dofasco, the Hamilton steel manufacturer, one of the best benefits is the company’s 100-acre F.H. Sherman Recreation and Learning Centre. It offers two NHL-size arenas, a twin gym, a track, a golf driving range, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, a playground and more. The centre has become the fitness and social hub for Dofasco employees and their families.
“It’s a fantastic asset for us,” says Dofasco spokesperson Ian Hamilton. “Engaged and happier employees are more productive. ‘Soft’ benefits like this are ultimately good for business.”
There is nothing “soft”, in today’s frenzied world, about the benefit of time — the ability to either save it or manage it. Staff at the Vancouver offices of Electronics Arts Canada, which makes entertainment software, can deal with many personal chores right at work. There are on-site barbers and car washes, and drop-offs for dry cleaning and minor car tune-ups.
Work hours themselves have become malleable. IBM Canada, like many leading employers, lets some staff compress their weeks to four days or stretch them to six. Staff can also customize their schedules, adjusting start and finish times by up to two and one-half hours to accommodate appointments, car pools, day care and other personal needs.
Employees make use of both these formal arrangements and opportunities to work at home. Jennifer Ballantyne, a communications specialist, generally works from home one or two days a week, saving her the lengthy commute from Oakville, Ont., to IBM’s Markham office. The drive can take up to four hours daily.
“If you can get a couple of hours back in your day, it makes you feel great about your job,” says Ballantyne.
One twist to flex time is letting employees work fewer hours as they approach retirement. At the University of Alberta, for instance, academic staff can work as little as a quarter-time in the four years before retirement (from as early as age 51). All the while, staff continue to receive pension contributions and benefits as if they were still working full time.
Discounts are another welcome perk. At GE Canada, employees get a substantial break on the company’s products, including refrigerators, washers and dryers and air conditioners. For staff at McDonald’s Canada, the discounts go beyond burgers and fries to include merchandise from top retailers through the exclusive McGold card.
The City of Hamilton offers a perk that benefits not only staff but the city’s infrastructure and environment — a half-price bus pass. The pass encourages the use of public transit, reducing traffic in downtown Hamilton, and improving air quality.
Core benefits are still essential, but in the effort to satisfy employees, creative perks can be “the icing on the cake,” says Sarah Beech, Canadian benefits practice leader at Hewitt Associates.
For its own staff, the HR consultancy offers things like reimbursements for child care or pet-sitting if someone’s out of town overnight on business, 75 per cent of the cost of a smoking-cessation treatment program (100 per cent if the employee can stay off cigarettes for 12 months) and up to $5,000 per year towards the cost of courses at an accredited college or university.
Beech says companies are seeking ways to offer even more flexible benefits that push the buttons of individual employees. She describes one client that lets workers create a personal account with company money and draw on it for a wide range of reimbursements. “One employee used it to pay for an accountant to do taxes. Another had the company pay for the boarding of their horse. And someone else took out pet insurance,” says Beech.
While the sky’s the limit when it comes to perks, Beech says companies must ensure benefits align with their culture, and the demographics and desires of their employees.
At Electronic Arts, for instance, the young workforce can take advantage of kick-boxing and yoga classes, cheap Whistler lift tickets, basketball courts and soccer fields, a 3,000-square-foot movie theatre, a resource centre stocked with more than 5,000 games, books and publications and a video game arcade.
“When people come in to interview, we want them to go, ‘Wow, this is more than just a workplace environment’,” says Nancy Gray-Starkebaum, Electronic Arts senior recruiting manager. “Our people work hard on some amazing products, but also have the chance to have some fun. We produce video games — we should be a fun company.”
Creative perks can serve all sorts of functions, from helping staff blow off steam, to adding to their quality of life, to providing them with monetary value. In the end, what matters isn’t so much the nature of the perk but the result — employees who feel more rewarded, more committed and more loyal.
Todd Rappitt is president of J&D Benefits Inc.
O’Brien, a web developer, won the trip as part of WarrenShepell’s annual “Getaway-Giveaway” draw. A dozen employees, picked at random, each win week-long trips to the company’s suite in a time-share condo. It’s one of many innovative perks that the firm offers, from coverage for massage therapy, to an RRSP match program, to annual employee tickets for a gala premier at the Toronto Film Festival.
“You always need the day-to-day benefits, but something like a free trip really adds to your excitement,” says O’Brien, who arranged his wedding date around his prize.
WarrenShepell is among a growing number of companies offering benefits that go beyond the standard menu of medical, dental and life insurance. These companies realize that to recruit, retain and reward employees, it pays to be imaginative when it comes to their perks.
“One of the things that attracted me to this company was their benefit package. With no deductible, a greater inclusion of services, and of course all the extra bells and whistles, I was surprised to know that I could access any part of the service from my very first day at work,” says Jennifer Watson, marketing manager at the firm.
Rod Phillips, president and CEO of WarrenShepell, said the creative perks are consistent with the company’s mandate to support healthy workplaces.
“We’re in the business of making a difference in people’s lives — that’s our motto. We do this by helping our clients realize the impact of good mental health,” says Phillips.
“So it only makes sense that we put into practice that same philosophy here and help people feel good about the job that they do and their experience at WarrenShepell. I believe that the right combination of benefits and work-life balance initiatives can contribute to employee wellness, boost morale and enhance performance.”
Greg Durant of Watson Wyatt, the HR and benefits consulting firm, agrees. “Things like medical and dental have been around a long time, and are pretty much like base salary. They’re an effective way of compensating employees, but they aren’t a differentiator anymore,” says Durant, leader of the firm’s group and health care practice, Central Canada.
At Dofasco, the Hamilton steel manufacturer, one of the best benefits is the company’s 100-acre F.H. Sherman Recreation and Learning Centre. It offers two NHL-size arenas, a twin gym, a track, a golf driving range, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, a playground and more. The centre has become the fitness and social hub for Dofasco employees and their families.
“It’s a fantastic asset for us,” says Dofasco spokesperson Ian Hamilton. “Engaged and happier employees are more productive. ‘Soft’ benefits like this are ultimately good for business.”
There is nothing “soft”, in today’s frenzied world, about the benefit of time — the ability to either save it or manage it. Staff at the Vancouver offices of Electronics Arts Canada, which makes entertainment software, can deal with many personal chores right at work. There are on-site barbers and car washes, and drop-offs for dry cleaning and minor car tune-ups.
Work hours themselves have become malleable. IBM Canada, like many leading employers, lets some staff compress their weeks to four days or stretch them to six. Staff can also customize their schedules, adjusting start and finish times by up to two and one-half hours to accommodate appointments, car pools, day care and other personal needs.
Employees make use of both these formal arrangements and opportunities to work at home. Jennifer Ballantyne, a communications specialist, generally works from home one or two days a week, saving her the lengthy commute from Oakville, Ont., to IBM’s Markham office. The drive can take up to four hours daily.
“If you can get a couple of hours back in your day, it makes you feel great about your job,” says Ballantyne.
One twist to flex time is letting employees work fewer hours as they approach retirement. At the University of Alberta, for instance, academic staff can work as little as a quarter-time in the four years before retirement (from as early as age 51). All the while, staff continue to receive pension contributions and benefits as if they were still working full time.
Discounts are another welcome perk. At GE Canada, employees get a substantial break on the company’s products, including refrigerators, washers and dryers and air conditioners. For staff at McDonald’s Canada, the discounts go beyond burgers and fries to include merchandise from top retailers through the exclusive McGold card.
The City of Hamilton offers a perk that benefits not only staff but the city’s infrastructure and environment — a half-price bus pass. The pass encourages the use of public transit, reducing traffic in downtown Hamilton, and improving air quality.
Core benefits are still essential, but in the effort to satisfy employees, creative perks can be “the icing on the cake,” says Sarah Beech, Canadian benefits practice leader at Hewitt Associates.
For its own staff, the HR consultancy offers things like reimbursements for child care or pet-sitting if someone’s out of town overnight on business, 75 per cent of the cost of a smoking-cessation treatment program (100 per cent if the employee can stay off cigarettes for 12 months) and up to $5,000 per year towards the cost of courses at an accredited college or university.
Beech says companies are seeking ways to offer even more flexible benefits that push the buttons of individual employees. She describes one client that lets workers create a personal account with company money and draw on it for a wide range of reimbursements. “One employee used it to pay for an accountant to do taxes. Another had the company pay for the boarding of their horse. And someone else took out pet insurance,” says Beech.
While the sky’s the limit when it comes to perks, Beech says companies must ensure benefits align with their culture, and the demographics and desires of their employees.
At Electronic Arts, for instance, the young workforce can take advantage of kick-boxing and yoga classes, cheap Whistler lift tickets, basketball courts and soccer fields, a 3,000-square-foot movie theatre, a resource centre stocked with more than 5,000 games, books and publications and a video game arcade.
“When people come in to interview, we want them to go, ‘Wow, this is more than just a workplace environment’,” says Nancy Gray-Starkebaum, Electronic Arts senior recruiting manager. “Our people work hard on some amazing products, but also have the chance to have some fun. We produce video games — we should be a fun company.”
Creative perks can serve all sorts of functions, from helping staff blow off steam, to adding to their quality of life, to providing them with monetary value. In the end, what matters isn’t so much the nature of the perk but the result — employees who feel more rewarded, more committed and more loyal.
Todd Rappitt is president of J&D Benefits Inc.
