How are these for employee perks? Bring your pet to work, onsite laundry, free lunch and snacks all day, and even a doctor on-call for when you just can’t shake that cold you caught but you don’t want to miss work. These are all actual perks at a little company called Google but it got us thinking, employee perks are a great way to boost and sustain company morale but what else can companies do?
According to research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 40% of workers said that their job is very or extremely stressful and 26% of workers often or very often feel burned out by their work.
Ways that they suggest to combat this problem, reducing job stress, and thus boosting sagging morale are:
1. Aim for a balance between work life and family or personal life: Last year, Forbes came out with their list of the best companies for work-life balance and found that perks like accessible childcare, in-home care for dependents, relocation and tuition assistance, offered by toothpaste and personal care giant, Colgate are just a couple of the ways that companies can provide their employees with a more balanced professional and personal life.
2. Gather a support network of friends and co-workers: A study by Christine Riordan and Rodger Griffeth published in the Journal of Business and Psychology found that even the possibility of friendship boosted employee morale. So, fight the urge or the need to stay in your cubicle or office and get out more. Have a monthly lunch date with your cube mates or grab a cup of coffee in the morning and rehash last night’s The Walking Dead episode before settling in for the day’s duties, you’ll be glad you did.
3. Work on a more relaxed and positive outlook: Sick and tired of negativity? We’re not fans either and one way to be positive at work is to celebrate your co-workers! We’re not talking parties everyday but making a point to celebrate birthdays, holidays, major life milestones like babies or marriage, and professional achievements are a great way for you to not only feel good about yourself but to make your co-workers or employees feel good about themselves.
What are some other ways that you’ve either tried to boost employee morale yourself or worked for a company that did an exceptional job at it? We want to hear from you!