Jobs and Benefits

So Premier Rocky Mountain Prawns does plan on hiring employees.  We know that at first they will be part time.  We say at first because we need to wait and see what our production rate is going to be.  For the actual "farming" aspect it isn't overly labor intensive.  However, fulfilling orders could turn into a nightmare without employees.  Once we start to fulfill orders we could very well turn into a couple of full time employees and several part time employees with quite a few hours a week.

Now, with that said, according to the National Health Care act we won't be required to provide Health Care  Insurance for our employees.  WAIT!!!  Although we won't be required to, that doesn't mean we won't want to.  First of all, why won't we have to?  We will be an employer with under 50 employees.  We can't promise when it will happen, it is going to depend on our growth, but we have all intentions on providing this as soon as we can.  If nothing else we will provide a % of what our employees are paying for their health  care if their spouse isn't receiving health care through their employer.  If we can't keep our employees healthy and give them a chance to get treated when they are sick, they won't do us any good.

But what else is a benefit?  I truly believe that people only consider a benefit something huge like health care and life insurance.  If you look at some of the most succesful companies today, they may allow their employees to bring their dogs to work.  They may provide tickets to a local sports team.. or discounted tickets.  Bring your kids to work and provide day care.  Or how about this, even ask your employees what would be important to them outside of the norm.  What a concept!  Employee input.

I was driving the backway behind some businesses the other day.  In short trying to escape the traffic in front of all the businesses.  And there in back of one business that for some reason I just never thought I would see this was a group of probably a dozen or more employees being led in exercises.  Doesn't seem like it is anything to big does it?  But you know: studies have shown that just stretching can keep employees healthier and make them more productive.  The leader had that look about him like he was an actual trainer.  They were all in work out clothes, and who knows, they may have been getting ready to go on a power walk or a jog.  The employer may have put an exercise program into effect where there was a bonus program.  It's hard to tell.

A company in Japan was paying employees not to drive their car.  You could ride your bike or car pool. The first month not that many employees took advantage of it.  The 2nd month the parking lot was more than 1/2 empty.  The amount paid was only about $15 a month.  Not much, but if you add it up, that is 180.00 a year.

So when you talk about providing benefits, a company doesn't always have to just provide the big ones like health care or life insurance.  Yes, those are definately big and important.  But if your company is small enough to where they aren't required to provide those, there still isn't a reason that they can't do something special for their employees.

Now, I'm not a Republican, I'm not a Democrat.  So this isn't a discussion about politics.  This is just a discussion about how an employer can offer something that might matter and make working for them a little better.  But ask the employees what would make them happy.  Don't just assume.