More and more companies are realizing the value of contributing to their employees’ happiness. Whether it’s agile performance management or higher raises, businesses are changing their approaches to human resources. A relatively new wave of thought in the workplace is to ensure staff members have fulfilling lives outside of work. Indeed, companies can do a lot to help their employees partake in once-in-a-lifetime experiences that bring in more joy. 

Once-in-a-lifetime experiences can mean different things to different people. For some, this concept is related to death-defying risks like skydiving or spelunking. For others, it means traveling the world. For others, it could mean learning a new skill like sailing or rock climbing. The goal of an employer is not necessarily to fulfill every individual dream. Instead, your mission is to facilitate your employees’ ability to achieve their dreams. 

Offer a Strong Benefits Program

One of the obvious ways to help employees have epic experiences is to offer great benefits packages. It’s near impossible to take big risks and aim high when you don’t have excellent healthcare, paid vacation days, or opportunities to explore your options. Instead, many employees have to focus on simply making ends meet. Even if they make “good money,” they may not have enough to fund their big dreams.

Employers can change that by ensuring their staff has robust benefits packages, including vacation, sick, and personal days. Setting and meeting goals takes time. You can further include an employee perks program in the benefits package. These programs offer discounts with travel companies, restaurants, hotels, airlines, and more. So your employees can book their travels or adventures with your help!

Encourage Employees to Take Advantage of Their Benefits

Still, it’s not enough to just offer these perks. You must set the culture and encourage your staff to take advantage of them. Many companies still offer amazing benefits like extended parental leaves and vacation days but then frown on employees who use them. In this environment, you create the illusion of great benefits, but few others will either if the top executives are not taking advantage. 

This type of culture that values fun, adventure, exploration, and a wholesome personal life begins at the top. It is imperative that upper management also takes vacation days and goes on exciting trips or engages in interesting experiences. Have human resources discuss the benefits thoroughly with your employees and help them plan out their vacation days. The idea is that your company doesn’t just allow enjoyable time away from work; you expect it. 

Organize Team Activities 

You can organize team-building activities to enhance your company culture. In many organizations, employees spend all their time with coworkers, completing tasks and meeting deadlines. Very little time is dedicated to bonding as a team and seeing each other as real people outside of work. This can lead to a stuffy, stilted, and far too serious environment. 

To get your employees to shake it off, take matters into your own hands. You can plan a Saturday of rock climbing together, getting through an intense obstacle course, or even making beer or sailing. For many, anything outside a typical Saturday will likely pique your employees’ interest. They are more likely to be inspired to plan their own once-in-a-lifetime experiences in their free time.  

Invite Employees and Families on Retreats

If you want to get your employees to take full advantage of their benefits and engage, invite their families for the fun. It can be challenging for busy parents to take a weekend day away from their spouses and kids. Forcing them to “have fun” with their work team may result in bitterness and resentment. That would defeat the purpose of encouraging your employees to enjoy the more exciting parts of life. 

Instead, plan a day or even a weekend for your team and their families or plus ones. You could do a group camping trip at a fun resort on a beautiful lake. Visit a tropical island or the Florida Keys so people can go somewhere new. Be sure to plan something out of the box — original. Your staff will remember you took the time and energy, not to mention money, to contribute to their happiness. 

Consider Making Remote Work Standard 

Finally, if you want to ensure your employees live life to the fullest, make remote work available to any employees who aren’t legitimately needed onsite. Again, it’s hard to set big dreams and achieve them when you’re stuck in an office for 40 hours a week or more. And the reality is that people are only productive at work for a few hours daily. So why force the issue? 

These days, many projects and tasks can be handled and managed from anywhere in the world. And employees are more likely to be productive when they feel more in control of their time. So, follow the wave of companies allowing employees to enter the office only when necessary. This way, your team members can finish their work in the morning and jump out of a plane in the afternoon. Or take surfing lessons in the morning and start work at noon.

The more encouragement you give employees to live their lives big, out loud, and with joy in their hearts, the happier they’re likely to be. Happier employees make up stronger teams and tend to stay with their companies longer. Creating this culture of engaging in a full personal life outside of work has no apparent downside. Sure, you may pay a little more upfront, but the rewards you’ll receive seem almost infinite. 

Published by: Khy Talara