The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world in a lot of ways. What we first thought would be just a couple of weird months has become our new normal and it’s changed the way we do business and live our daily lives. With those changes to how we work, employee values and expectations have shifted as well. If you want to retain your top talent, you have to pivot in the right ways in terms of the benefits you offer.
Finding Work-Life Balance
With more and more business shifting to a remote work model during lockdown, there was a huge period of adjustment for employees. Some found that they life the flexibility and casual nature of working from home, while others have found it difficult to adapt and miss being in an office setting.
In a study, 51% of millennial and Gen Z workers said that they improved their work-life balance during the pandemic while only 25% of baby boomers said the same. When your workspace is in your home, it can be difficult to “clock out” in the same way that you do when leaving a physical office. Baby boomers also used less PTO during the pandemic, often citing the lack of travel options or too much work as reasons, while younger generations took more PTO than usual even if they weren’t able to leave their homes.
How Employee Benefits Can Help
Across all generations, employees reported a decline in their physical, mental, social, and financial health. While there’s no one magical solution for every employee, there are some benefits that can help your employees cope. This extra support is something that is becoming more and more valuable to employees as they need help coping with the ever-changing reality of a post-COVID life.
EAP
EAPs, or Employee Assistance Programs, are more popular than ever because they offer help in a lot of different ways. They give employees a way to seek help with mental health issues or just have questions about how to handle some of the unusual situations that have arisen as a result of the pandemic.
Mental Health Coverage
While EAPs can offer some help to employees struggling to cope with difficult situations, it’s not necessarily enough. Including mental health as a part of healthcare coverage gives employees a better opportunity to seek help if they feel their mental health is declining. Most employees don’t think that employers offer enough mental health support.
Paid Vacation & Parental Leave
A vital part of a good work-life balance is the ability to take time off and just decompress, away from work. While some employees haven’t taken time off during the pandemic, it’s still important that employers give employees the ability to take paid time off.
Even better, encourage your employees to make use of the time off. Even if they can’t travel because of pandemic restrictions, spending time with loved ones at home is a great way to achieve a healthier home-life balance. ABM Insurance can help you establish and maintain a robust, yet affordable employee benefit program. Call us at 800-362-2809 or visit us at www.getagreatquote.com