Employees who are helped to perform will feel better about themselves and the company for which they work. Supervisors are often among the few people who can influence an employee who needs mental health counseling, or should attend a drug or alcohol clinic. Often people need assistance, as well as confidentiality, to use these facilities. Managers can also help workers find child care facilities, legal specialists and other professionals. It's not unusual for employers to pay for some of these services, advance paychecks and commissions, or grant special leaves of absence to help valued employees through periods of personal difficulties.
Some firms allow employees to use company equipment or facilities during non-business hours.
For example, workers may use company trucks to move furniture, borrow shop tools over a weekend to work on home projects, or use the photocopy machine at night to reproduce a community newsletter. Even the most conscientious company can let conditions deteriorate. And employees can get careless about wearing earplugs and safety glasses just as managers can get lax about enforcing the use of safety devices. Employees appreciate your concern for their health and safety. If you expect your people to be loyal to you, you have to be loyal to them.