As a fan of free-markets, I am pleased to see that the hiring frenzy is causing companies to come up with some cool ideas to both attract and retain employees.
Finding affordable childcare is an issue for most parents, and Starbucks is out to help their employees out with that. As part of their new partnership with Care.com, the coffee giant just announced that they will offer employees 10 subsidized backup care days each year.
The days, which can be used for care for both children and adults, allows their workers to pay one dollar a day for in-home care, and five dollars a day per kid for in-center care. The program also offers workers free premium memberships to Care.com, helping them find caregivers, and senior-care planning resources.
Starbucks is one of the few companies offering backup care to employees. In fact, a recent study found that only 5% of employers offer such perks.
But YOU KNOW that companies are watching what their fellow employers are doing and want to copy the most successful ideas out there. On my show, we've featured segments on employers who are offering everything from afternoon naps to "pawternity," in which workers are allowed paid time-off to bond with a new pet.
What would be a cool "perk" that you'd really appreciate from your employer?