5 Company Benefits Employees Consider To Be Crucial

 
Keeping employees healthy and happy have become protocol for both big and small businesses, but what exactly is top priority for workers? According to Glassdoor employees value "benefits or perks over a pay raise." Health and wellness ranked at the top of the list, ensuring overall happiness and well-being of employees. These perks include healthcare insurance, vacations or paid time off, performance bonus, retirement plans, flexible schedules, childcare, gym memberships, tuition reimbursements and more.
 

 
Healthcare

In today's questionable healthcare climate, it's no wonder this option ranked above all. Affordable healthcare leads the list in office perks as per the 2015 Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey. Forty percent of those questioned prefer health insurance to any other employee benefit. Medical, dental and vision benefits keep employees and their families healthy, reducing the amount of sick days. In addition, mental health requires attention. Many insurance companies either don't cover or don't offer enough benefits towards therapy, etc. Offering additional finances towards counseling helps to reduce employee stress.

 
Vacation time and paid time off

Happy, well-rested employees are more productive. Of those surveyed, 37 percent value vacation time or paid time off over pay raises. According to Rusty Rueff, Glassdoor career and workplace expert, for employers to compete in today's job market, an attractive benefit package guarantees success within "different demographics, industries and occupations."

 
Performance bonus

Athletes receive performance bonuses, so why not employees? Showing value in one's ability increases morale and entices coworkers to outperform each other. Healthy competition raises productivity. It's a win-win for all.

 
Flex schedules, sick pay and 401K

Working from home, sick pay and pension plans all ranked in the lower 13th percentile among those surveyed. If you are sick with a cold or the flu, you should not come to work and infect your coworkers. Paid sick days are essential to a healthy workplace. Flexible schedules are also very popular. Working from home one to two days a week saves money on commuting. Shortening the work week and increasing a day's work allots families more time together. In addition, in today's economy fewer people are saving for retirement. Pensions, 401K and retirement plans tell employees you care about their future.

 
Other

What office perks would you like to see in your work environment? Other valued office perks include on-the-job training or professional development, free lunch, paid lunch hour, "dress-down day," tuition reimbursement, gym memberships, stock options, childcare, paid parental leave, commuter reimbursement, and a diversity program.

 
 
This article was written by Dierdre Haggerty for CBS Small Business Pulse