By Andrew Curtis
The year 2020 has brought along so many surprising twists and turns in so
many aspects of our lives. Our work lives are not exempt. Thankfully,
employers everywhere quickly got with the program, implementing new benefits
to their healthcare packages. Things that were once not covered like mental
healthcare and access to retirement tools are now widely available to
employees. Stay informed of what you have rights to and notify your lawyers
at
Wyolaw Law Firm if
you think your employee rights have been violated. Here are some surprising
employee benefits you probably did not know you had access to.
Adjustable Paid Time Off And Sick Leave
Because of the looming pandemic, employers are having to rework their leave
policies to accommodate more paid time off as well as give more flexibility
around working hours. A new act called the Families First Coronavirus
Response Act was passed in March. This act holds employers accountable for
ensuring their employees get two weeks paid sick leave so that they can
rightfully care for themselves or their family members who have contracted
the virus. Some companies have taken it a step further, permission
12 weeks of paid time off
so employees can look after their children’s virtual learning.
More Childcare Benefits
With schools not allowing to hold sessions in-person, that has forced many
employees who are also parents to monitor their children’s virtual learning.
For some parents, this is an additional 27 hours spent per week. Some major
companies like JP Morgan Chase have expanded their childcare benefits to
include tutoring, emergency childcare support, and virtual support groups.
This is great because it all plays into keeping their employees energized
and ready to take on the daily work tasks. If employees are too busy trying
to run their household while working from home, they are going to be tired
out and ineffective.
Mental Health Benefits
Employees are juggling a lot at once, especially since most companies have
transitioned to either partially remote or fully remote. This adds another
level of stress and anxiety. That is why many companies have expanded their
mental health benefits as a way to offer support to their employees who are
challenged at balancing their mental health. Costs for things like
telehealth resources and meditation apps are being included in some benefits
packages. Some companies have even gone so far as to offer free health
benefits to their employees.
Financial Wellness Benefits
Companies are finally starting to see their employees as people and not just
cogs in the machine. The pandemic has humanized a lot of their workers
because many have suffered a substantial amount of
financial hardship. Employers recognize how difficult times are and are doing something about
it. From benefits like early wage access, automated savings programs and
financial education resources, companies are doing more to provide other
forms of financial support during these challenging times. Some companies
have also provided their employees with financial literacy resources to help
them better manage their money.
