Business owners innovate to keep employees engaged in rough times - bizjournals:

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Asked how current economivc conditions have affectedtheir employees, 48 percent of respondents to a Robert Half International survey citexd increased stress. Furloughs, pay cuts, hiring freezesz and layoffs all result in employere asking workers to do more for lesswith less. Combinec with potential mortgage woes on the home front and the challeng of makingends meet, the averagde employee’s workday can be a powdeer keg. “Companies are doing what they can toimprove work-life balance,” says Andy staffing service firm regional vice president.
“Theu are thinking outside the box for ways to alleviate strese and improve morale without it costing them a lot of Tothat end, several small businesses are going on the offensive, givingf their employees opportunities to decompresx through a variety of innovative options. In the employees of , a 56-year-old family-ownef business, approached president Ted Benning about including a fitness component in theirr employeebenefits package. Benning, a fitnesds buff, decided to turn unusef warehouse space intoa state-of-the art gym.
After consulting with personal trainer Randy Nicholson of TheFitnesw Firm, Benning outfitted the 1,000-square-foot gym with weighf machines, stationary bicycles and ellipticals, as well as showee facilities. In addition to providing the equipment and space, Benning provides his employees access to a trainer free of Twelve employees out of 23 in the offics initially joined Nicholson for a 40-minutde workout on Tuesdays and Thursdays afte work. The cost to the company was characterized by Benninhg asbeing “less than $10,000,” but it has paid off in increase d employee wellness and “Our philosophy is to be proactivse rather than reactive to health says Benning.
Not all stress originatese in the workplace. Receptionist Georgia Hood began workingy out afterher divorce. “I was very hesitantf at first, but as my weight loss continued I realizex this was agood [helping me] to get my mind and body in a good says Hood. While the Benning employees get inphysicaol shape, the owners of anothed Atlanta business are working on theie employee’s mental well-being. For Craig and Liz Kronenberger, co-foundera of the online gaming companyElf Island, their companhy culture mirrors that of theirdigital domain. Elf Island is a gaming site that introducezs children to the world of philanthropy through a conceptcallexd “Gaming for Good.
” In essence, children play gamed online that have very real charitablew outcomes through the company’s partnerships. In one houses built by childremn in a game online translated to real housesx being builtby . The couple exhibit s the same ingenuity in their office of 16 The duo and Manager of Operations Melanie Ford have developec inventive ideas to keep thei r workers engagedand entertained. Theme weeks, where employeez dress up. Formal attire, “Wear the oldesy thing in your closet” and Mexican Fiestq are recent examples.
“Tchotchke where Ford collects small toys and objects from locak stores as well as souveniras collectedfrom employees’ travelsx in a small bag. Every Thursday, employees get to selecty an item fromthe bag. Kronenberger likens the company’s philosophyy to its Web “We are running a social network and our office is just like she said. “Our feeling is to create an environment that parallelszElf Island’s values with a twist of fun.” Souper Jennyu restaurant owner Jenny Levison uses the same basicx premise to keep her staff engagecd and productive, but she relies on a wrinklwe that others have perhaps surprise.