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On-site Amenities
The two-income household trend has made it
more difficult for people to accomplish everyday chores and tasks,
such as taking in the dry cleaning, working out, and mailing
letters. An article by Maggie Jackson of the Associated Press
outlined actions some
companies have taken in response to this trend.
The article talks about Owen's Corning, and the
"village" it has at its headquarters in Toledo, Ohio.
Included in the village are the following:
- Health club,
- Gift and snack shop,
- General store,
- Café,
- Library.
Also mentioned in the article -- USAA, which offers
employees:
- Free shots for their children,
- Work-site neck and back massages,
- Fields for softball.
The author of this web page recalls that Microsoft provides a
number of interesting items for employees, including:
- Company store with deep discounts on
software,
- Free beverages,
- Mailing services at Christmas.
Lifestyle benefits, says the article, are becoming important
recruiting tools. Mike Major, director of Human Resources at
Netscape, is quoted as saying "To the extent that we can
provide tools to make (life) easier, presumably people will seek
better balance or have more time to spend here."
No doubt, few companies can afford such amenities. However, it
seems to me that this is an area that larger companies should
explore, particularly if their work force is comprised of busy
two-income households. Benefits to the company could include happier
employees, more hours on the job, and, potentially, an easier time
of recruiting. I stop short of saying that large companies must
provide such benefits. It makes sense to evaluate the costs of the
amenities and weigh them against the benefit to the company and its
employees.
If you know of an employee relations policy that works, please e-mail us at thelab@busreslab.com for publication on this site. Let us know whether to include your name or company, or a link to your company's site. We'll assume you want to remain anonymous unless you tell us otherwise. Please include the words "good policy" on the subject line.
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