Millennials, working mothers value telework, varying hours

Stevenson

Skelton

Gallion

Flexible schedules are an increasingly sought-after perk, and more associations are offering them to employees.

"In the last several years I've seen an amazing trend toward flexibility," Mark Stevenson, founder and president of Alexandria, Va., outsourcing firm Smart HR, told CEO Update. "That's the number one valued thing by employees. Whether that means telecommuting, coming early or leaving later or taking Fridays off in summer, it's highly valued right now."

The trend is being driven by younger employees and working mothers, Stevenson said.

Michael Chan, vice president and director of human resources at association management company Bostrom, said allowing employees to work remotely sets a good tone for the workplace.

"People are definitely more productive, they're willing to work longer hours, the culture is better and they actually enjoy their jobs more," he said.

"Another perk would be flexible hours. Some people are definitely more morning people than others. Bostrom offers that and we recommend it to clients because it doesn't cost the association anything," Chan said.

"Younger employees especially consider [flexibility] more of a benefit than actual benefits like life insurance or disability," he said. "A lot of younger employees don't think they're going to need them but flexibility and remote working is something they care about."

‘Baby steps'

Stevenson said associations should be cautious when it comes to allowing staff to work at home two or three days a week. Too many people out of the office at the same time could interfere with business, he said.
"It's hard to pull that back one you've given it to them," he said. "We recommend baby steps—starting with some smaller chunk of time and seeing how that works," he said.

Bob Skelton, chief administrative officer at the $28 million-revenue ASAE, and others noted that there are still limits on association salary increases. But with the economy improving, associations are looking for different ways to retain employees.

"Good organizations are looking at other ways they can keep people engaged and happy in what they're doing," he said.

"Probably the most important things people enjoy and appreciate are number one, flexibility, and then recognition," Skelton said.

Washington, D.C.-based ASAE, with 120 employees, offers flexibility to employees, he said. One worker is in Kansas, and others work one to three days at home and some come and go early or late, he said. "Around here, commuting is a nightmare," Skelton said.

"We really encourage our supervisors, when people have doctors' appointments or activities with kids, to be as flexible as you can," he said. "Our receptionist works part time for the Washington Nationals [major league baseball team] and leaves early for home games."

Recognition programs are easy ways to boost morale, he said. Associations can recognize employees of the month, quarter or year.

"It can be as simple as acknowledging somebody's efforts or achievements in an all-staff email or even on the website where members can see it," especially if it deals with a member benefit or issue, Skelton said.

Boosting wellness programs

Julie Gallion, senior human resources consultant on benefits for Nonprofit HR, said enhanced wellness programs are becoming more common. It's a way to show employees that the organization cares without substantially raising salaries, she said.

"Associations and nonprofits in general are similar—their mission is to serve. They can be more paternalistic in that they want to support employees as individuals and make sure they have what they need to survive," Gallion said.

Some nonprofits are sharing health care costs generously or offering health insurance to employees for free, only charging premiums for dependents, she said.

The $39 million-revenue American Society of Hematology boosted its already robust wellness program this year, for instance providing additional personal trainers, said Matthew Gertzog, deputy director of ASH.

"Our credo is health, wealth and fitness so we have what would be the traditional health benefits, strong PPO, dental, vision … short-term and long-term disability and we are paying for a full family—in some cases 90 percent of the premium—so it's a strong benefits package," he said.

ASH owns its building at 20th and L streets Northwest in Washington, D.C., and built in a workout facility.

"We also bring in a trainer one day a week [Thursday] and a yoga instructor a couple times a month," he said, adding that ASH purchased a yoga mat for each of its employees this year. (According to its latest tax filing, ASH had 69 employees.)

‘You gotta be competitive'

"It's a bonding experience. When you sweat together you feel a little closer," Gertzog said.

For those who want to work out even more, the association subsidizes gym memberships.

"ASH will make a 50 percent contribution to a fitness center membership up to a maximum [contribution] of $500 a year," he said.

"We represent physicians and scientists and those in the health care field, so there is an unwavering commitment to health for that reason, and we show it with what we've provided to our employees," Gertzog said. "It makes employees happier, better and more productive.

Gertzog said a better economy puts a premium on retaining employees.

"It's reasonable to expect more turnover as things improve," he said. "We're always trying to make it better than it was, asking people for ideas.

"It you want to get the best you gotta be competitive," he said.