Golden Handcuffs Low Cost Employee Retention Ideas

The event has been nicknamed "The Great Resignation." So, how do you keep your most valued team members? Merriam Webster describes golden handcuffs as "additional benefits offered to an employee as an incentive to continue employment." Small firms, on average, cannot afford to provide the entire range of benefits that large organisations offer. However, if they want to be creative, they might provide some tempting golden handcuffs instead.

Workplace Arrangements

Provide your employees with the work schedules and other arrangements they desire and appreciate, and they will be content. Among these are: If you choose, you can work from home. This can be done either part-time or full-time. When it comes to going back to work once the pandemic has passed, Certain employees may choose this option after the epidemic is gone. Even better: Employees may be able to relocate (to be closer to family or to take advantage of lower living costs) while continuing to be paid.

• Adaptable work schedules. Some folks aren't cut out for the 9-5 grind. Employees should be permitted to create their schedules if your company is flexible enough to allow them to do so.

• Even remote workers with family responsibilities (for example, child care or caring for an elderly parent) may wish to work for you early in the morning or late at night to satisfy the hours needed.

• Workweeks are four days long. However, this is a trend that many businesses are following. Another thing to bear in mind is that it is not suitable for all types of businesses. According to reports, "this has been an incredible success in Iceland."

Employee Discounts Are Available

Ensure that your workers can take advantage of what your company has to offer, whether it is goods or services. It is a tax-free fringe benefit if the price drop meets specific requirements (not taxable to employees or subject to payroll taxes). Unless otherwise authorised by the employer, service discounts are 20% of the amount you charge non-workers for the service. An employee discount is calculated by multiplying your gross profit percentage by the price you charge non-staff customers for the goods or other property. However, discounts must be offered to all employees on a non-discriminatory basis. If they aren't, any discounts provided to high-paid employees will be taxed by the IRS.

Equity

Employees that have an interest in the firm have a stake in the game. Stock options that vest over time can be easily issued by publicly traded companies. This is a straightforward procedure. Employees of privately held firms have additional choices for transferring ownership to their peers. Employee stock options plans (ESOPs). Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), a type of employee ownership that provides tax benefits to the firm, can be implemented by corporations. According to the National Center for Employee Ownership, there are presently over 14 million persons participating in employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). The NCEO has further information on how ESOPs function. Grants to encourage equity participation. Corporations may give workers stock options and restricted stock units (PSUs). When exercising options or settling RSUs, they can postpone income recognition for up to five years using a special rule known as the Section 83(i) election. More information on equity grants is available from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Day-to-day Musings

Make sure you understand which benefits must be offered on a nondiscriminatory basis for tax reasons (e.g., equity awards). Do you want to know more about how to keep your employees? Robert Half, a people solutions company, has created fourteen successful employee retention techniques. Choose the ones that are most appropriate for your situation.