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For its part, ATS does very well out of the deal. The $22,000 a year that the company pays Stuart for his counseling services is about a fifth of what it saves on hiring new people, according to Michael Hackett, vice president of human resources. ATS's turnover rate is 8%; the norm for the telecommunications industry is about 25%, he points out. "People walk around this place feeling better about themselves and their jobs compared with workers in other companies I've seen, since they know they have someone like Paul to talk to if they need to," Rowland says.
In a similar approach, Marriott International offers a 24-hour, toll-free hot line manned by social workers to give employees assistance with and referrals for almost any problem. This can include anything from tips on how to maintain a budget to advice on how to handle a child being expelled from school, to what to do if your house burns down. The hot line costs about $1 million annually to operate. It saves Marriott about $4 million in reduced absenteeism and lower turnover.
Another virtue of creative benefits is that a company need not be a multinational giant to offer them. Take the case of Russell, Karsh & Hagan, an 11-person public relations firm in Denver. Employees are allowed to donate public relations work to their favorite charities--on company time. Over the past year, the firm has donated pro bono p.r. expertise to eight charities, says managing partner Charles Russell. In 10 years of business, only one person has left for another company, he says. "The company cares about what is important to me personally," says accounts supervisor Meghan Dougherty, 32, a six-year employee. Dougherty has donated more than 100 hours annually to help promote Big Brothers Big Sisters programs and a local aquarium. "It's nice to get out of the office in the middle of the day and know you're doing something worthwhile for a good, worthy cause," she says. "I come back to the office feeling refreshed and more thankful for what I have in my life. It's like the same kind of endorphin rush you get from exercising."
One of the major worries of working parents is how best to take care of their kids. To meet that need, NationsBank of Charlotte, N.C., provides five different on-site or near-site child-care centers that are open to the children of its 100,000 employees. There is even a public school accommodating 150 students for grades K-3 that is just for children of NationsBank's employees in Jacksonville, Fla., says Nancy Poe, a vice president in the bank's personnel department. The school is a joint project of the company and the Duval County school system. "The school is an extension of our day-care program," says Poe. "Parents have the comfort of knowing that they can visit their children in the school, which is right near their office."
PHASE BACK FOR PARENTS
New mothers and fathers at NationsBank, including those who adopt a child, can take up to six months of partial home time after their six weeks of maternity or paternity leave, Poe notes. In this program, employees can "phase back" into their jobs, working more than 20 hours and less than 40 hours, if they want.