Looking for ways to help employees get involved?  Here are 6 approaches we invite our members to implement.  These work for businesses of all sizes, SMBs and Enterprise-level companies, and encourage employees to get involved while making it easy for them to do so.

 

1. Flexible Parental Leave.  This goes beyond simple maternity leave.  This strategy focuses on practical and flexible policies to allow a parent time off for any of the potential situations that can arise.  One way start-ups and SMBs can afford this is through an investment in Short Term Disability Insurance.  

2. Volunteer Days.  A company can encourage and foster engagement through company-sponsored volunteer days.  This can be done through paid volunteer day or flexible scheduling.

3. Close or offer Half Days on Election Day.  Make it easy for employees to perform the civic duty and vote in elections.  Give staff time off beyond the couple of hours before and after work.  Flexible hours is another way to make this work.

4. Start an Early Voting Drive.  For some businesses running lean and mean, time off simply isn’t practical.  Coordinating an early voting or vote-by-mail drive encourages participation and gets promotes the value of civic duty.

5. Offer Rewards for Good Deeds.  Everyone loves to get recognized.  So, make it a policy to spotlight employees who get involved in their communities.  This encourages all employees to at least think about it and, hey, it’s free.

6. Support, don’t direct.  It’s important to acknowledge employees have causes and charities close to their hearts.  It makes sense both financially and for employee moral to encourage employees to support those they feel passionate about.