When you look at a company with a strong employee culture, you’re likely to find great employee benefits as a part of the picture. While these traits are not mutually dependent, a strong culture often is supported by a company that is devoted to its employees.
At GES, we look at our own firm as an example of this. A committee of our employees backed by management holds monthly events to keep their coworkers engaged. These aren’t birthday cakes in the breakroom, but rather champagne toasts to celebrate achievements, chili cookoff competitions, or silly holiday games for fun prizes. The camaraderie and joy found at these events have led to staff hosting their own game nights, camping trips, and rafting adventures. As our staff bonds grow stronger, so do their support for each other at work.
Meanwhile our staff enjoy more paid time off than the average American. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics a large segment of workers does not receive paid vacations, with the typical employee earning less than a week of vacation during their first year of employment.
At GES we earn much more than a week, and we are encouraged to use it! If we take a full week of vacation, within a few small parameters, we gain an additional vacation day connected to it. This encourages our employees to take a block of time off to unplug and reset, while spending time with loved ones or maybe even exploring the world.
We have additional unique benefits that are hard to find. If we want to learn karate or salsa dancing, for example, GES will pay a portion of the expense. Why? It’s part of a wellness benefit that also covers gym memberships, rock climbing and other fitness programs.
Another unique benefit is our dedication to recognition. Every quarter, our entire company—across four offices and remote team members—joins the same Teams call for an all-out themed lunch. We celebrate quarterly anniversaries, share the latest company updates, hold a safety raffle, and top it all off by announcing our Staff and Client Employees of the Quarter.
Our staff award is employee-nominated, with time dedicated to reading each nomination aloud and cheering on our peers. The client award is nominated company-wide and recognizes an employee who went the extra mile or was specifically called out by a client for excellence. Good work deserves meaningful recognition, and at GES, we’re always ready to clap, cheer, and celebrate our colleagues.
At GES culture and benefits have a positive impact on our employees, and our happy, motivated staff deliver better results for our clients.