JoyPowered™ is what we live at Purple Ink. And I have great reason to be joyful – I love what I do, the clients I work with, and finding HR solutions to help solve problems.

But what do you do when the unexpected happens? How do you find joy when things aren’t great at work or a surprise expense arises? As an employer, the benefits you offer can be a support in such times as this, helping employees choose joy, even in uncertainty.

Inclusive benefits are good for everyone and help with retention, along with recruitment and diversity efforts in your company.

Members Credit Union in Midland, MI offers a “Life Happens” benefit to all employees. The annual $500 benefit can be used for pet insurance, wellness items, insurance, student loan debt reimbursement, or car repairs. Kris Walters, HR Manager at MCU, says 28 employees used the benefit in 2018. “Twenty-eight times we have impacted an employee and filled a need, either by paying for an unexpected expense or by helping them invest in themselves,” Walters says.

One of my clients has a pet policy that allows employees to bring their dog with them to work any day, as well as to meetings. Purple Ink just assisted this client in creating a new parental leave policy for both primary and supporting caregivers. Primary caregivers are eligible for 16 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a family member. Non-primary caregivers are eligible for up to 4 weeks of paid leave.

Finish Line offers unlimited PTO to employees, giving them the freedom to take that “once in a lifetime vacation” or time to be there for a loved one. Kristen Lampkin, MBA, Senior Talent Partner at Finish Line, described other inclusive benefits, like “an onsite clinic that is free to employees and mental health benefits to support all team members.” They are also focusing on training employees on unconscious bias through inclusion.

A former employer of mine, a hospital, offers tuition reimbursement, not just for employees, but extends that reimbursement to employees’ children or spouses. Nurses may to want to go back to school, but their spouse is changing careers and needs a degree, or they are in a life stage where their children are going to college and they need financial assistance.

Other inclusive benefits include:

• Paid Time Off donation for co-workers in need
• Senior Care Management to support an employee taking care of an elderly or disabled family member
• Backup Care Programs when regular child care or elder care arrangements break down
• Pet Care Support includes phone access to locate vets; pet backup care for employees travel and even discounts on pet supplies.
• Internal Coaching and Mentoring Programs

We see more great ideas every day. Purple Ink provides personal development to all team members through internal coaching on strengths and mentorship and an annual accountability partner to help problem solve, collaborate, and achieve goals. During annual goal setting, we also identify professional associations, certifications, and/or conferences we’d like to attend and coordinate for maximum learning.

Career support through inclusive benefits not only enhances your commitment to your employees and employee retention, it can bring JoyPower to your workspace!

If you’re interested in learning more about inclusive benefits or need help implementing or creating inclusive benefits initiatives, please reach out to me!