Thanks for the idea Manoush

Are employers re thinking how and why they have employees? I meet regularly with employers who contemplate offering health insurance to their employees. I wonder sometimes about how a lot of them view those employees. Some pay their workers minimum wages and the thought of having to pay an extra $150-$350 a month in insurance scares them while others see it as a cost of doing business. So what is the true value of employees? Are they a cost? A burden? or an asset?
When you run a business, customers and clients are always in need. You can't just shut your doors one day and expect them to be happy with you. I know I absolutely hate it when the product or service I need is out of my reach because someone is no there. The problem is we are human and we can't always be there. We have more to life than being the robot producer. We have families, emotions, needs to refuel and to rest.
So how do we look at employees a an asset that can be something more than just an able body to complete a task and allow them to still be human? How can we have confidence they will be there and allow them the opportunity to expand their reach and leadership when they have a life to live?
I was listening to the podcast Note to Self and this week they concluded their 4 part series on following working mothers trying to make a difference in the lives of working mothers.
http://www.wnyc.org/story/work-life-balance-need-done-partnership/
They mentioned something that made me think. How can a company provide flexibility to employees to take the needed time to be flexible and still meet its own demands? Are there things a company can do to develop safety nets for its employees so they can have the flexibility to be human? Gender roles are on their way out with regards to work and the constraints of having a family are ever increasing, especially with over 50% of our population single and single parents having to raise the next generation.
Some of my suggestions are below.
First, set up a bank of time for personal time off. Allow employees to take a moment to breathe without worry of losing pay. You still have to keep your lights on and still need people there to help out clients, so a systemized program that allows flexibility is key.
Second, invest in short term disability for your employees. It's not that expensive of insurance and it saves you money on taxes. If your employees get sick, hurt, or even have a baby (for girls only), then they will still receive a paycheck for a few weeks to a few months if need be without costing you any additional money above what you pay in premiums.
Third, have a backup plan and spread out roles in the company when someone is gone. Most companies can probably run on a lot fewer employees than what they have, but the more you have the easier the work can be. When someone is out for an extended time it shouldn't be a burden to the company that causes panic. Understand that even though we can do just as much with less doesn't mean you don't need the help. Think of moving big heavy boxes. If you are strong enough, you can probably move boxes all on your own. You might be able to do it for a short period of time, but eventually it wears on you and you get tired. If someone comes and lends a hand, it gets much easier and you start to accomplish a lot more.
Fourth, don't stress about the small costs. If you struggle to pay people what they are worth, then maybe you are not helping anyone out and hurting both your business and that employee. Change your mindset and hopefully increase your value to your clients so you can truly give people their worth.