Alternative Employee Benefits – Return on Investment

Did you know that stress in your workplace can cost you big bucks?

The single most important investment you can make in your business is in your employees and according to Northwestern National Life (via CDC report), the single biggest stressor for most people is work.

And not only does stress in the workplace make everyone cranky and not so fun to sit in meetings with but it causes real physical health problems that in turn cost your company sick time, lower productivity and higher insurance costs!

The CDC also quotes St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. as reporting :

“Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. “

Offering benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans are great investments in the employee’s eyes because it ensures their safety and well being in the future. However, that doesn’t help them avoid stress related illnesses.

You might be surprise that the Mayo Clinic prescribes a dose of personal spirituality for stress relief, specifically recommending trying prayer, meditation and relaxation techniques, seeking out an advisor and being open to new experiences.

Meditation, hypnosis, reiki and spiritual counseling are all amazing stress relievers and excellent ways to increase productivity. A few meditation sessions, a reiki session or two or even a half hour with a spiritual counselor could go a long way toward affecting your bottom line for the better! Less than $25 per month per employee in alternative benefits could decrease your health insurance costs in the long run by thousands and increase your employee productivity by almost 5%! What retirement plan can offer that?