When organizations talk about employee benefits, the conversation often defaults to healthcare, retirement plans, and paid time off. While healthcare compliance and essentials like ACA reporting are crucial, today’s workforce expects them (and more). Employees no longer view work as separate from life. They want someone who recognizes and supports their personal growth, family responsibilities, and lifestyle aspirations.
Creative perks go beyond traditional benefits administration and widely offered benefits like healthcare, retirement, and life insurance, instead reflecting a company’s culture, values, and commitment to its employees. These initiatives don’t just make the workplace attractive to top talent—they also improve retention, loyalty, and employee well-being.
Professional and Personal Enrichment Stipends
Learning and development is often framed in terms of professional growth, like certifications, leadership training, or technical workshops. While those are valuable, more companies are broadening the scope by offering enrichment stipends employees can use outside of work, too.
For example, giving an employee $1,000 a year to pursue a personal interest like learning French, sharpening their cooking skills with a local chef, or exploring photography with a beginner’s workshop. Others may finally try pottery, woodworking, or music lessons. They’re more than hobbies; they’re outlets that foster creativity, reduce stress, and build confidence.
When you invest in holistic growth, you’re sending a clear message: “We value you as a whole person, not just an employee.” Employees who feel supported in pursuing their passions outside of work often bring renewed energy, creativity, and problem-solving skills back into the office. It’s a small but powerful way to fuel engagement and retention.
Caregiving Support and Resources
Caregiving is one of the most overlooked but stressful responsibilities employees carry—and they can’t always leave it at the door. Parents juggle childcare, some employees care for aging parents, and others face unexpected family needs. Add in “pet parents,” and there’s a big pool of potential caregivers.
Progressive companies are meeting these needs with caregiving stipends that cover childcare, elder care, or pet care services. These allowances can help offset the cost of daycare, babysitting, or in-home nursing support. Some companies even take it a step further by offering partnerships with vetted providers for childcare, home healthcare, or pet grooming and boarding to simplify the process for employees.
This type of support reduces absenteeism and stress, helping employees stay focused and present during work hours. More importantly, it shows empathy. When employees see that their employer acknowledges the challenges of caregiving, they’re more likely to feel loyalty and commitment to your company.
The “Experience Fund”
Not every perk needs to be practical. Some of the most impactful benefits are those that enrich life outside of the office. That’s where an “experience fund” can be a big differentiator and emphasizes the “work hard, play hard” philosophy.
Instead of receiving generic bonuses, employees are given money that’s designated for specific experiences, such as tickets to a concert, a weekend getaway, a cooking class, a skydiving excursion—or anything else that may fit. Unlike a check that may disappear into other financial obligations, these funds are intended for fun and adventure.
There are two benefits to an experience fund. First, it encourages employees to step away from work and recharge to combat burnout. Second, it creates lasting memories tied back to you, the employer. When the employee thinks about the weekend trip they took with their partner thanks to the company funds, they’re more likely to feel an emotional connection to the workplace that fosters loyalty and reduces turnover.
Sabbaticals and Recharge Breaks
Traditional vacation days are important, but they rarely provide the deep reset employees need after years of high performance. Sabbaticals and recharge breaks, or extended periods of paid leave offered after a set number of years of service, that they can spend doing whatever they want.
For example, after five or six years, an employee may get four to eight weeks of paid time off. This time can be used for travel, pursuing a personal project, volunteering, or simply resting. Ultimately, it’s recognition of their long-term commitment and prevents burnout that can contribute to attrition.
Companies that offer sabbaticals often see higher retention among mid-career professionals who may otherwise seek opportunities elsewhere. Instead of switching jobs to find themselves, employees can take a pause, recharge, and return with renewed focus. From the employer perspective, this is a much less expensive option than replacing a veteran team member.
Financial Wellness Programs
Money stress is one of the top distractions in the workplace. Employees carry concerns about debt, savings, and long-term planning with them to the office, often at the expense of productivity. Financial wellness programs address these worries with benefits like:
- Workshops on personal finance,
- Budgeting,
- Investing,
- Retirement planning access to financial planners or employer contributions toward student loan repayment.
These programs reduce financial anxiety and offer peace of mind that extends well beyond a paycheck. They also promote a sense of stability and security, strengthening the employee’s bond with the company. You’re seen as a partner in their long-term success, not just the one signing their paychecks.
Lifestyle Perks to Improve Retention
Sometimes the most impactful benefits are the ones that touch day-to-day life. Lifestyle perks are designed to free up time and energy by reducing the burden of routine tasks. Some of the popular options include meal delivery stipends or partnerships with meal kit providers, home cleaning allowances, on-site or virtual concierge services, and gym or wellness subscriptions.
These perks may seem small, but they add up to a big improvement in quality of life. for a working parent, a weekly meal delivery service can mean less time shopping and cooking and more time spent with family. For busy professionals, having laundry or house cleaning covered reduces stress and creates a sense of balance. When employees feel that their employer is actively helping them reclaim time, they’re likely to be more engaged at work.
Community and Volunteer Time Off
Employees increasingly want to work for companies that align with their personal values. Providing volunteer time off is one way to connect personal purpose and corporate culture.
With volunteer time off, employees receive paid days to volunteer for causes they care about, whether that’s mentoring local students, supporting environmental cleanup, or helping at an animal shelter. Some companies organize volunteer days to build community and camaraderie across teams.
The benefit extends beyond philanthropy. Employees return from volunteer experiences more energized, connected, and proud of their company. They see their employer as a partner in making a positive impact, not just a business. This alignment strengthens retention, especially among younger generations that prioritize purposeful work.
Cross-Departmental Collaboration
Connection is important at work, but it’s often overlooked—especially in remote, hybrid, and distributed teams. Employees who feel siloed or isolated often disengage faster. Encouraging cross-team collaboration builds stronger networks within the company.
Rotate employees through short-term assignments in other departments. Host internal hackathons or idea challenges that require multi-departmental teams. If possible, create collaborative mentorship groups instead of one-on-one pairings.
Job shadow exchanges are a good way for employees to learn a completely different roles by shadowing employees in other departments like leadership, sales, or product development. This is a great way to broaden skills and build appreciation for other teams and how they contribute to the goals.
Purpose-Driven Work
While competitive pay and perks matter, one of the most powerful drivers of employee retention is purpose. More and more employees, particularly younger generations, want to know that their work contributes to something more meaningful than pure profit. If your employees feel disconnected from a company’s mission, they’re more likely to disengage and seek out other opportunities.
Clearly communicate the company’s mission and how each role contributes to it, highlighting success stories that show how your work positively impacts customers, communities, or the environment. You should also involve employees in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives like volunteer days, sustainability projects, or local partnerships that align with your values.
Employees who believe their work makes a difference are more likely to feel fulfilled, stay engaged, and remain loyal to their organization. Purpose ties day-to-day responsibilities to something larger and creates emotional investment in the company’s success and vision.
Commit to Employee Retention
In the competitive talent market, healthcare and retirement plans are just a baseline. Employees want more meaningful benefits that acknowledge them as whole people with lives, passions, and responsibilities outside of work. From enrichment stipends and caregiving support to sabbaticals, experience funds, and volunteer work, creative perks are a differentiator in the modern workplace and foster loyalty and retention.
The companies that embrace these innovative perks not only attract top talent but also retain it by creating workplaces where people want to stay, grow, and thrive.
About The Author
Frank Mengert continues to find success by spotting opportunities where others see nothing. As the founder and CEO of ebm, a leading provider of employee benefits solutions. Frank has built the business by bridging the gap between insurance and technology-driven solutions for brokers, consultants, carriers, and employers nationwide.