The package was delivered to the family, allowing mom to spend more time with the kids when her husband was away on business, says Nora Spinks, managing partner of Work-Life Harmony Enterprises, a consulting company that works to build supportive work environments, strong families and healthy communities. This is just one of many creative incentives small business owners are using to show staff they care. These same companies however, would likely have informal incentive programs, preferring to reward employees on an ad hoc basis. Informal incentives run the gamut from movie passes to hand-written notes to weekends away with the family. Massage therapy and spa-type packages are becoming more popular.
Family time is also important.
Larger companies may rent Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens and have a family skate day, says Graf-Smith. Owners of smaller businesses choose informal incentives for many reasons. Most don't have human resources personnel to administer formal programs. It's also a case of protecting their interests. By having formal programs, such as profit sharing, competitors may be able to get valuable information that will give them an advantage, says Britton.