Spring symbolizes a fresh start, an opportunity for employees to foster their personal and professional growth and well-being by pursuing new interests, learning new skills, or improving their physical, mental, and financial health. It’s also the perfect opportunity for companies to refresh employee benefits programs and revitalize their workforce.

Here are a few ways you can re-invigorate your employee benefits offerings to celebrate the new season.

1. Charitable Donations and Volunteering

Employees build stronger relationships and become more engaged and productive when they work together to support a common cause. Organizing a spring-cleaning event where you encourage your employees to clean out their homes and donate unwanted items is a great way to contribute to local charities. You could even match their donations with a monetary pledge to increase your company’s community contribution.

You can also take your spring-cleaning efforts outdoors. Clean up a local park or get involved in a local “adopt-a-highway” program to beautify your team’s commute to work. If your office has some outdoor space, installing a few planters and starting a company garden is a great way to harness community energy in the workplace. You can donate the fresh produce you grow to a homeless shelter or sell it at a farmers’ market to raise funds for a local charity.

2. Health and Fitness Perks and Incentives

Did you know just 15 minutes away from their desk can improve employees’ concentration, productivity, and creativity? The warmer weather provides more opportunities for employees to get outside and get moving! Introducing a walking club or weekly meditation mornings are great ways to encourage activity during the week and improve overall productivity. Another great idea is to organize a company hike. Exploring a local trail will allow your team to enjoy the fresh spring air while also building camaraderie. It will only take an hour during the workday and can even be enjoyed during employees’ lunch breaks.

3. Flexible Scheduling Options

Sitting at a desk 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, can make employees feel like they’re just a cog in the wheel. Flexible working hours or flexible shift scheduling options (for hourly workers) are attractive employee wellness initiatives that promote work-life balance, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being. Systems like Payactiv Connect make it easy for employers to grant their hourly workers access to their shift management system using their smartphones. Employees can view shifts and organize shift-swaps to accommodate unforeseen personal commitments. Workers looking for additional shifts will also find tremendous value in this benefit.

Other ideas include allowing employees to work from home a few days a week, or implementing Spring hours where your workplace opens and closes early. These initiatives empower employees to manage their time effectively, enjoy the warmer weather, and invest more time in their personal lives.

4. Enhanced Focus on Financial Wellness

The stress of financial issues like paying off debt, rising cost of living, and student loan payments are leaving employees feeling overwhelmed about their finances. According to a new report, 86% of employees are stressed about their finances, up 10% from last year. In some cases, a lack of emergency savings is forcing employees to withdraw from retirement accounts to cover unexpected expenses like medical bills or home repairs.

With almost all employees worried about their finances, it’s time for employers to step up and respond with flexible financial wellness programs that support the economic stability of their workforce. The best financial wellness initiatives include a broad array of benefits that help improve employees’ financial security and literacy, such as: 

• Access to financial planning services
• Education on saving strategies 
• Individual financial coaching
• Tools to manage household debt

Employer-sponsored on-demand pay benefits can also make a great difference. Also known as Earned Wage Access (EWA), these services allow workers to access the money they have already earned, immediately after their completed shifts.

Fast Fact: 74% of employees say their household would be negatively impacted without timely access to earned wages.

Employee Benefits Options for All Seasons

Spring represents a great opportunity to refresh and re-energize your employees. However, investing in your employee well-being is an ongoing commitment that shouldn’t be thought about just once a year.

Payactiv can help you boost employee wellness all year round. Our financial wellness solution provides EWA and a suite of complementary financial wellness resources. Learn more about our services.All content provided on Payactiv.com/financial-learning/ is for informational purposes only. Payactiv makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link from this site. Payactiv will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. Payactiv will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.