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Offering benefits to migrant workers not only enhances their well-being but also contributes to societal stability and economic growth. Access to healthcare, fair wages, and legal protections can empower migrant workers to fully participate in and contribute to their host communities. Prioritizing their rights fosters a more inclusive and equitable society for all.
Employers and relevant stakeholders should read on for practical, outside-the-box, ethical options to consider when formulating a responsible benefits program for migrant employees.
Provide Education Benefits
A great way to set your business apart is by offering education benefits to your employees. This could include reimbursement for tuition, books, and other associated costs. For example, if you have a team member who has an interest in computer programming, you could offer to help them find a good online IT degree program that allows them to continue working while learning this new skill. And because these programs are affordable, you could also offer to help cover the cost of tuition. There are also government-based options to explore. Better-educated, happier workers are an asset to your company. So, find out what your business and employees need and want, and then go from there.
Access to Exercise Equipment
Exercise is an important part of shaping a healthy and productive life. Migrant workers and their families often benefit from access to onsite fitness facilities, which can be outfitted relatively inexpensively. Equipment like recumbent stationary bicycles, elliptical machines, and even simple tools like yoga mats and resistance bands can be affordable and provide well-rounded opportunities for exercise.
While some businesses offer gyms on their premises, this doesn’t work for everyone, especially field employees. Instead, consider offering to pay for gym memberships. This perk can cost as little as $20 per month per employee, but it can have a big impact on employee satisfaction. Employees who have access to a gym are more likely to be healthy and productive, which is good for business in the long term.
Housing Assistance
If you have employees who are relocating, offering rental assistance or onsite housing to help them get settled is another generous and extremely helpful benefit that you could offer – especially if the person has a family and will need some space. To begin, do research to price accommodations and amenities. Luckily, there are plenty of options out there, including campus-style housing solutions and loans designed especially for providing appropriate accommodations to migrant workers.
Medical Care
Offering medical assistance to migrant workers and their families ensures they receive essential healthcare services despite often facing barriers due to their transient lifestyles. Providing such support can prevent the spread of communicable diseases and address chronic health issues, thereby improving overall public health. Moreover, access to medical care fosters a sense of dignity and well-being among migrant workers, promoting a healthier, more productive workforce.
Accident Recovery Assistance
A comprehensive rehabilitation program for migrant employees injured on the job should prioritize both physical and psychological well-being, providing tailored support to help with their recovery and reintegration into the workforce. Shape a program offering access to medical care, rehabilitative therapies, and vocational training to ensure your workers can return to work safely and confidently. Ideally, this will include working with a clinic who specializes in accident recovery. Such services are often all-inclusive, providing therapies for injuries such as whiplash, bone fractures, spinal cord injuries, and soft tissue injuries.
This solution allows employers to put the worker’s healing first, ensuring the best outcomes for all. By engaging a specialized facility, employers, doctors, and patients can work together to formulate a practical and ethical timeline for returning to work.
Nutrition Services Are Great, Too
Proper nutrition is essential for good health. Unfortunately, many migrant workers do not have access to healthy food options. Employers can help their employees by offering nutrition services such as cooking classes, meal planning services, or even subsidizing healthy meals. Consider also providing healthy snacks in their break room, access to filtered water and even once-monthly lunches from healthy restaurants.
Time Off to Volunteer
Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community, and it can also be beneficial for businesses. Allowing employees to take time off to volunteer can help to foster a sense of goodwill among staff, and it can also be great for team-building. In addition, businesses that provide time off for volunteering can often get a boost in publicity. As more and more people become interested in supporting socially responsible businesses, providing time off for volunteering is a great way to improve your company’s image.
Check In Often
Employers should survey their staff every year to gauge employee satisfaction with the current benefits package. Surveying your staff will give you valuable insights into what benefits they value most and what changes they would like to see made. Shorter, concise sentence structures can minimize the impact of translation on your surveys. By surveying your staff regularly, you can make sure that your benefits package is always up-to-date and offers optimal solutions to future employees.
Employers must get creative when it comes to offering benefits to migrant workers. Some ways to ensure best practices include offering education benefits, paying for wellness programs, medical and accident recovery services, and supplying housing options. Surveying staff every year is also important so that you can make sure that your benefits package meets their needs. When you make these changes, you set the stage for a healthier and well-rounded team.
Stephanie Haywood is happy to be living her best life. Personal development and self-care gave her a boost when she needed it most, and now she works to share the gift of self-knowledge, selfcare, and self-actualization with everyone who visits MyLifeBoost.com.