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Providing generous benefits for church employees is part of a strategy that is used to attract and retain key employees.
Benefits vary greatly by the organization and can be as simple as health insurance for church employees to as complex as flexible work schedules or on-campus daycare.
Benefit packages come in many shapes and sizes, depending on the industry and the size of the organization.
The larger the organization, the more expanded and diverse the benefits become while smaller organizations often lack the resources to offer expanded benefit packages – as well as the manpower to administer them.
All employee benefits packages require a designated person to administer them and maintain employee file records.
Employees often participate in funding a percentage of insurance premiums while the percent of cost participation varies by organization.
These are some examples of benefits that are used in other industries. Many come with a cost but some simply help provide a great work environment.
20 Example Benefits for Church Employees
2. Vacation time
3. Sick paid leave
4. Holiday pay
5. Birthday holiday
6. Personal day
7. Jury duty pay
9. Insurance
- Health
- Dental
- Disability
- Life
10. Tuition reimbursement
11. Matching retirement contributions
12. Discounts on area attractions
13. Employee assistance programs
14. Health and wellness programs
15. Discounts to workout facilities
16. Discounts on business products and services
17. Flexible work schedules
18. On-site daycare
19. Bring your pet to work
20. Dry cleaning services
Things to remember when creating an employee benefits package:
- The cost of benefits should be considered part of a comprehensive compensation package and the total value of the package should be presented to a job candidate at the time of the job offer.
- Higher-level employees often receive increased benefits that coincide with the employee’s level of responsibility. For example, the Executive Pastor may be entitled to more vacation days because of his job responsibilities.
- While good benefits attract employees, if benefits are too rich, they can retain employees for the wrong reason and employees who may have the desire to move on to another job may stay merely for the benefits. This can result in an undercurrent of disgruntled employees who are frustrated that they want to leave but can’t because of their dependence on the rich benefits package.
So how do you balance the two?
Take the time to benchmark other churches or like organizations.
This step will help you find out what others offer their employees.
A good rule of thumb is to have good benefits but maybe not the best among your peers.
While maintaining the ability to flex the benefits to attract desired employee candidates.
Use a structured process to manage performance appraisals to maintain top employee performance.
- Use professional development programs to prepare employees for higher levels of responsibility.
- Rewarding employees for their contributions is what a benefits package is all about.
Creating a fair church employee benefits package coupled with strong performance management can help churches achieve their objectives and ultimately their mission!
What kinds of benefits do you offer your employees?
