Employee benefits that make a difference

Long story short: Make a difference in an employee's life with your benefits

October 7, 2022 10:18 AM

Life isn't always easy — but your benefits can go a long way toward easing the strain employees face.

Employee benefits have become a critical part of getting workers to stay with your organization, as well as a powerful recruitment tool. And employees are looking for support for all sorts of challenging curveballs — from starting their family, dealing with death and grief, and everything in between.

In this week's top stories, companies including Microsoft, Google, LinkedIn and others, are setting a high bar for the benefits they offer to employees. Comparably, a business-data platform, tracked feedback from employees across industries and organizations to create a list of top companies with the best benefits and perks throughout 2022.

And a few companies are leading the charge when it comes to putting those perks front and center: Parento, a paid family leave management program, guides employers through the process of offering fully paid time off for new parents. If that sounds too expensive for your organization, the company's CEO lays out the financials — you'll save much more than you'll spend, especially on retention and productivity costs.

For employees with disabilities, benefits and support are crucial to having a fulfilling work experience. Disclo manages employee disclosures and helps organizations meet their needs with considered accommodations. Those resources can prevent discrimination and help employees with disabilities thrive.

Check out more of the employee benefits that are making a difference:

20 companies with the best benefits and perks, according to employees

Comparably, a business-data platform, tracked feedback from employees across industries and organizations to create a list of top companies with the best benefits and perks throughout 2022. Of those businesses that topped the list, employees particularly called out programs including adoption and fertility benefits, tuition reimbursement, and wellness programs as reasons they felt so content with their employer.

"Beyond competitive pay, having great perks and benefits continue to play an important role in what makes a workplace attractive," Comparably co-founder and CEO Jason Nazar said in a release. "From fully-paid healthcare and unlimited time off to fertility and adoption benefits, more companies are expanding their offerings to make a difference in the lives of their employees."

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20 companies with the best benefits and perks, according to employees

This CEO makes the financial case for a paid family leave program

Without a federal paid family leave program, employers have had to shoulder the administrative and financial burdens of providing paid time off for new parents. Yet employers are often more focused on their immediate bottom line than the long-term benefits an equitable paid leave policy will reap.

"A lot of companies will say this is something that is a niche issue, but they're ignoring the fact that 30-50% of your employees are in their family building years and actively thinking about building or expanding their family," says Dirk Doebler, CEO of Parento, a paid family leave management program. "Employers are generally going to see 40-60% more in cost savings than the cost of a paid parental policy."

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This CEO makes the financial case for a paid family leave program

This CEO believes employers should validate all kinds of loss and grief

Most U.S. workers only receive three days of paid leave for the death of an immediate family member. The death of a friend, extended family member and pet is not usually considered worthy of leave, let alone any other mental health or financial benefits. Ignoring 'disenfranchised grief' can be cruel as well as harmful to a company's productivity and culture, Ron Gura, co-founder and CEO of Empathy, tells associate editor Deanna Cuadra.

"Pet loss is just one example of what we call disenfranchised grief — when the source of a person's grief is viewed as unworthy of emotional investment by their community," Gura says. "Our work culture would actually benefit from allowing employees more liberty in deciding which personal life events warrant time off."

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This CEO believes employers should validate all kinds of loss and grief

With Disclo, disability disclosure and HR compliance get a tech-driven makeover

For the 133 million Americans struggling with a chronic condition, asking for additional support and accommodations at work can be a scary, uncertain experience. For HR managers attempting to manage and meet those requests, the process can be a confusing mess of paperwork and privacy concerns. But smart technology has the power to change that.

Disclo manages employee disclosures and helps organizations meet their needs with considered accommodations, all while maintaining the worker's privacy and complying with HIPAA and ADA regulations. "There's been no standard for managing disclosures and requests," Hannah Olson, CEO of Disclo, tells editor in chief Stephanie Schomer. "We're working to create that standardization for both employers and employees, because right now, most people don't even know they're supposed to talk to HR. There's a lot of fear and shame here."

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With Disclo, disability disclosure and HR compliance get a tech-driven makeover