Looking after your employees: How to get the most out of your workforce
To succeed in the business world, all bosses must learn to look after their employees. They are the people who ensure your company runs smoothly and always makes a profit.
They turn up for work every morning with enthusiasm and a will to work hard. So, you need to ensure that you are looking after your employees when making all major decisions.
At the end of the day, you want people to think of you as a good employer. That is never going to happen if you don’t provide adequate protection for your workers. Also, you run the risk of losing a lot of money if your employees are less than happy. The last thing you need is for one of them to suffer an injury and take you to court.
In this article, you will find everything you need to know about employee care. We don’t expect you to put all the ideas into practice today, but they should help to inspire you for the future. Failing to look after your team will mean they’re never willing to go the extra mile for your brand. You need people working for your company who are dedicated to pushing it forward. Your business needs to grow and expand so you can make more profit for shareholders. That is not going to happen anytime soon if you are not looking after your employees.
Pay a fair wage
Firstly, you need to look at the amount of cash you pay to your workers each month. Does it accurately reflect the effort and enthusiasm they put into the business? Can you afford to give them a little more to ensure they know you value their contribution? If so, it’s important that you increase wages as soon as possible. Workers will look for alternative jobs if you don’t do that.
You don’t want to lose team members because they’ve been offered more money elsewhere. That would be a tragedy. Believe it or not, the minimum wage is there to stop companies from employing slave labour. It is not there as a guide for the level of wages you should pay. Minimum wage jobs get minimum wage workers. You need to pay more for a better team.
Offer incentives
Looking after your employees does not mean just putting cash in their pockets. Although it is exciting to know that you get an extra twenty to fifty pounds on the paycheck for pushing yourself that month, after the deductions of tax and national insurance it quickly becomes disheartening.
Offer your people something a bit different. That could be in the form of gym membership discounts, or money off at local restaurants. This could even be a way to build strong bonds between your workers. You could also look at giving your employees bingo vouchers. UK bingo is one of the most popular pastimes in this country with about 3.5 million active players. It is quite likely that someone in the office is an avid player.
Your business could also benefit from incentive schemes. Many larger companies now offer affiliate programs. If you are able to incentivise your employees to spending their money with certain brands they could pay you up to 20% back as an affiliate partner. You can be looking after your employees whilst earning a bit extra income.
Do not force overtime
It is illegal to force your employees to work overtime unless it is stated in their contracts. However, many employers put team members in a position where it is difficult to say no. You should avoid that at all costs. Ideally, you want your workers to feel excited about coming to work. They are unlikely to respond in that matter if you force them to lose their free time at the weekend.
The basic rule of thumb is that you need to employ more people if you can’t get the work done on time. You can use agency staff or temporary contracts to limit the obligations of your company. You’ll pay more in the short term, but you won’t have to worry about things like sick pay. Just make sure there is always a trained member of staff around to offer guidance. Agency workers are only good for manual tasks.
Improve health and safety
There are thousands of workplace accidents reported to authorities each and every year. You simply can’t afford for people to hurt themselves at your place of business. Many business owners overlook the most obvious risks, and so you need to make changes today. Appoint a dedicated health and safety representative who will become responsible for your team. Make sure they understand how to create risk assessments and provide the best information to new employees.
Workplaces that use dangerous chemicals might have to go one step further. Purchasing all the right safety equipment should help to make sure there are no issues. Just make sure all your masks have undergone face fit testing. Also, it’s vital that all your goggles have been checked for cracks and imperfections. Someone could lose the sight in their eye if it becomes exposed to hazardous fumes and liquids.
Provide basic food and drink
Most bosses provide a coffee machine for their workers. However, they often have to pay for the drinks themselves. You should offer subsidised products at the very least. Ideally, you want a machine that dispenses coffee and snacks for free. When all’s said and done, it is in your interests to ensure that team members have enough energy.
Presuming they’re forgotten to bring something to eat, you should give them something suitable. Otherwise, they will under perform all day long, and your productivity will suffer. It’s not going to cost a fortune to give your team some free drinks. So, put your hand in your pocket!
Conclusion
As you can see, there are lots of things the average business owner can when looking after their employees. It’s all about treating them like human beings and understanding they have a life outside your company. Don’t be too tough with people when they call in sick unless it becomes a regular thing. Make sure you encourage team members to go home if they are not feeling well because that will let them know you care.
Profit is the most important element in all modern businesses. However, you’ll never increase your income if you don’t look after the people who help to create it. You should now have enough ideas to make some positive changes in your operation.
