This column is part of Globe Careers’ Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about the world of work. Find all Leadership Lab stories at tgam.ca/leadershiplab and guidelines for how to contribute to the column here.
Nora Jenkins Townson is the founder of Bright + Early, a modern HR and workplace design consultancy
Over the past decade, startups and tech companies were known for their wild, over-the-top perks. To draw in difficult-to-hire technical talent, many companies offered beer and kombucha on tap, catered meals and even onsite masseuses and laundry services. It was an era that encouraged you to bring your real, whole self to work; if your whole self was a programmer in their 20′s with a penchant for ping pong.
When COVID-19 forced most white collar and tech sector workplaces to go remote, many companies were forced to change their tune. As parents balanced work and school from home, mental health became a hot topic and the expectation of a workplace that resonates with one’s values increased – work became more personal. The lesson? It’s time to trade the ping pong for people. Here are some ways companies are embracing the future of work through human-friendly perks.
Therapy: According to a recent study by Indeed, more than half of surveyed workers reported feeling burned out. With the hourly rates of private therapy in Canada averaging between $125 and $175, the cost can quickly add up. Many employers are increasing mental health perks using benefit plans or, like Canadian boutique hotel brand June Motel, by offering employer-paid access to video therapy platforms that connect staff with counsellors.
Family health support: For employees with families, child care benefits like extended, paid parental leave and access to free or reduced-rate child care are major incentives. For those in a family planning stage, companies like Adobe and Zillow offer paid support for perks like in vitro fertilization, egg freezing and compassionate leave for employees who experience pregnancy loss, a move that was recognized last year as part of standard employment law in Australia. In the United States with Roe v. Wade recently overturned, organizations like Disney, Condé Nast and Goldman Sachs are offering financial support and travel to abortion-friendly states to support staff experiencing unwanted pregnancies.
Flexibility: After doing away with the commute, many employees are reluctant to return to old norms. To maintain a sense of work/ life balance, companies are experimenting with hanging onto remote work, allowing more employees to spend more time with their families and in their communities of choice. Many employers including learning and development company Box of Crayons and Juno College of Technology, which are both in Toronto, are also experimenting with a four-day work week or entirely asynchronous, work-when-you-need-to schedules. At Bright + Early, we’ve eased into a reduced schedule by taking every other Friday off. This allows our team to enjoy extra-long weekends and come back rested and at their best.
Giving back: According to a recent Gartner study, 68 per cent of employees would consider leaving their job for a company with a stronger viewpoint on the social issues that matter most to them. Modern leaders are expected to take a stance on political and social issues, and to have a strategy for how the company will contribute to bettering the world. Beyond fostering an inclusive environment internally, companies can walk the talk by making donations to organizations that resonate with their values or by offering donation matching, which lets employees pick the causes.
While the fancy in-office perks had their day, a more human approach is the way of the future. By showing up for your team in a real-life way, you’ll find they show up ready to do their best work.
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