Remote Workspace: The Now Essential Perk for Your Remote Workforce
(and four others you should be offering)
When managing and supporting a remote workforce, there are different considerations than with on-site teams and employees. Remote workers have unique situations, and factors such as where and how they will be able to get their work done, the specific mental and emotional challenges of remote work, and the best ways to facilitate their ability to not just work, but thrive, are all important aspects to remember when setting up a robust employee perk offering.
Why Remote Workspace is the New (and Now) Essential Perk
For remote workers, the home office can sometimes bring challenges, such as unreliable internet, lack of space, children, pets, or roommates causing distraction, or even a lack of inspiration brought by being in the same space daily. Whatever the reason, remote work experts have indicated there are a multitude of benefits to alternative spaces to get work done.
Which is why offering employees the perk of expensing temporary remote office space is a no-brainer, especially if you create a program with a company with zero-cost barrier to entry like Haymaker. Employees struggling with working from home for any reason can use a space for a few hours, days, or even weeks to get back on track, find the time to focus, and get their best work done. And, Haymaker can help you and your team source a space near your home, to keep the commute short (maybe even a short walk or bike ride away!).
So, what are the other essential perks for your remote workforce?
Reimbursement for Home Internet
Many companies have allowed employees to expense their home Internet for some time, but this became an even more common practice within the past few years. When employees expense their internet, they can purchase the adequate bandwidth needs for their common work tasks, including video conferencing. If you are concerned about having employees expense the total cost of their home internet, you could offer an allotment—like $50 a month—to cover a portion of their bill or allow them to upgrade their service to higher bandwidth. If you find that an employee has issues with their video conference continually, you can remind them of the benefit. They will be grateful to be able to speak with their team members without interruption due to low bandwidth issues.
Office Setup Expenses
In 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic it became much more common for companies to offer a one-time office set-up expense. With many office locations closed and employees at that time working remotely as the only option, companies needed to ensure their employees had home offices equipped with what was needed to get their jobs done. If this is a new perk you are offering at your company, you may want to consider a one time reimbursement for your existing employees. For example, it was reported that many large technology companies offered up to $1,000 to employees as a one time expense to get their office set up with the right chair, desk, printer, monitor or office supplies.
Wellness Reimbursement
Many employees struggle with working from home for extended time periods, leading to feelings of isolation which impacts their ability to get work done. In addition to providing a way to expense work space, a wellness reimbursement program is a wonderful way to keep employees healthy and happy. A wellness reimbursement is quite different from a healthcare benefit and covers things that are not covered on standard healthcare plans, such as a gym membership, yoga or dance classes (in person or virtual!), massage, or gym equipment.
Learn more about the mental health challenges of a remote workforce.
Childcare Access
While remote work does offer employees flexibility around and proximity to their children and families, it also raises some unique difficulties. While they may enjoy spending time with their kids in the morning instead of commuting to an office, or being able to pick them up from school, when children are home, it can be hard to separate work time from family time. And, when you consider that only 30% of all working parents have any form of back-up childcare, a sick child or a break from school can completely derail a day (or week!) of work.
When remote workers are offered solutions to these common challenges, such as partnerships with childcare or after school programs, stipends for support when usual childcare isn’t available (i.e. school breaks), they can focus on being productive and focused at work, rather than trying to wear both their parenting and career hats at the exact same time. By offering remote working parents programs and financial support, you’ll retain talent, reduce overall costs, and keep the expertise, institutional knowledge, and capabilities of a highly talented segment of workers.
