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36 PalletCentral • May-June 2022 palletcentral.com 36 PalletCentral • May-June 2022 palletcentral.com Workforce By Gene Marks Smart business owners are offering key innovative perks to entice workers to join their ranks. I t's no secret that there's a significant labor shortage and that finding good workers is among the top challenges facing most small businesses. Of course, in times of low supply and high demand, costs go up, which is why many companies have been increasing compensation to attract employees. So much so that payroll firm Paychex has reported that the average hourly wage has reached an all-time high of $30 and that overall compensation paid to employees has increased more than 11% over the last 12 months, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. But it's not just about wages, it's also about benefits. Smart business owners I know are offering innovative perks to further entice workers. Here are five that you may want to consider for your business. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's that many employees are able to get their jobs done even when they're not in the office. And, as countless surveys have proved, employees very much want this type of benefit. So whether it's a flexible paid time- off plan, a work-from-home program, or the ability to stagger hours and work whenever and wherever, this is a benefit that's critical for attracting and retaining employees this year. "We have five different shift times so that we can be flexible around people's livelihoods," said Molly Siciliano, a human resources manager at Evolution Gaming Ltd, an online gaming and casino company with studios in Philadelphia and Atlantic City. "It's the best of both worlds. People prefer to work different times of the day due to their family situations and we can help accommodate that." Mental health is a top priority in 2022. Cheryl Kiley, a managing partner at employee benefits firm Fairmount Benefits in Radnor, has seen a "strong desire" by her clients to help their employees with mental health issues. Whether it's through health insurance coverage, or through coaching, counseling or making available such services as BetterUp and Talkspace, many companies are revisiting their mental health benefits and making sure both prospective and current employees are fully aware of what's available. at's because, thanks to the pandemic and attention Five Hot Benefits for Small Businesses to Help Attract Workers iStockphoto.com/jacoblund/Kateryna Onyshchuk

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