When most employers think of employee benefits, what usually come to mind are things such as health insurance, disability, pensions, 401k accounts and other traditional things. However, as workforces diversify and the needs of staff members change, the sorts of services that companies are expected to provide for their workers change. This is especially true of certain industries whose workers have specific needs.
For example, many workers are asking their employers to provide child care services or to at least help subsidize them. This is often requested at the cost of traditional benefits that might be seen by workers as less valuable than having small children cared for while they work. Additionally, some staff members might see legal assistance, wellness benefits or even transportation as a more desirable benefit.
Companies need to a walk a fine line between traditional benefits and those that have only been recently popularized. Human resources departments might have trouble determining which ones should be offered and which ones are specialty services. Fortunately, employee benefit specialists can be brought in to consult with employers in order to find the best package for a particular workforce. Without proper expertise, some employers might find themselves offering insufficient benefits or spending too much money to cover the diverse needs of a modern workforce.
