Business owners innovate to keep employees engaged in rough times - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

awipekyhila.blogspot.com
Asked how current economif conditions have affectedtheir employees, 48 percenr of respondents to a Robert Half Internationalp survey cited increased stress. Furloughs, pay cuts, hirint freezes and layoffs all result in employerx asking workers to do more for lesswith less. Combinexd with potential mortgage woes on the home front and the challengw of makingends meet, the average employee’s workday can be a powderd keg.
“Companies are doing what they can toimproved work-life balance,” says Andy Decker, staffing service firm regional vice “They are thinking outside the box for ways to alleviate stress and improv e morale without it costing them a lot of To that end, several small businesses are going on the giving their employees opportunities to decompress throughn a variety of innovative options. In the employees of , a 56-year-old family-owned business, approachedr president Ted Benning about including a fitness componenf in their employeebenefits package. a fitness buff, decided to turn unused warehousde space intoa state-of-the art gym.
Aftet consulting with personal trainer Randy Nicholsomn of TheFitness Firm, Benning outfitted the 1,000-square-fooft gym with weight machines, stationary bicycle and ellipticals, as well as shower facilities. In addition to providinh the equipmentand space, Benning provides his employees accesw to a trainer free of charge. Twelve employeesx out of 23 in the office initiallh joined Nicholson fora 40-minutew workout on Tuesdays and Thursdays afted work. The cost to the companyg was characterized by Benning asbeing “lese than $10,000,” but it has paid off in increasedx employee wellness and morale.
“Our philosophy is to be proactive rathefr than reactive tohealth issues,” says Benning. Not all stresss originates in the workplace. Receptionist Georgia Hood began workingb out afterher divorce. “Ik was very hesitant at first, but as my weighg loss continued I realized this was agood thing, [helpingt me] to get my mind and body in a good place,” says While the Benning employees get in physica shape, the owners of another Atlanta businesas are working on their employee’s mental For Craig and Liz co-founders of the online gamingb companyElf Island, their company culture mirrorsa that of their digital domain.
Elf Islane is a gaming site that introduceas children to the world of philanthropy through a concepttcalled “Gaming for Good.” In essence, childrebn play games online that have very real charitabld outcomes through the company’s partnerships. In one instance, houseds built by children in a game online translatedr to real houses being builtby . The couple exhibitsd the same ingenuity in their office of 16 The duo and Manager of Operations Melanie Ford have developed inventive ideas to keep their workers engagedand entertained. Theme where employees dress up. Formal attire, “Wear the oldest thingg in your closet” and Mexicamn Fiesta are recent examples.
“Tchotchke Thursday” where Ford collect s small toys and objects from local storees as well as souvenirs collectedfrom employees’ travels in a smalo bag. Every Thursday, employees get to select an item fromthe bag. Kronenbergetr likens the company’s philosophy to its Web “We are running a sociap network online, and our office is just like she said. “Our feeling is to createw an environment that parallelsElf Island’s valuesw with a twist of fun.” Souper Jenny restaurant owned Jenny Levison uses the same basi premise to keep her staff engaged and productive, but she reliez on a wrinkle that others have perhaps surprise.