11 Must-Have Perks for Remote Employees and Virtual Teams

A remote company that’s able to motivate remote workers, retain them, and build a thriving company culture will be set up for success.

How perks and benefits motivate remote employees

It has long been a trend, especially in tech companies and startups, to go beyond salaries when attracting and retaining top talent. In the modern world, where the workforce is increasingly global, companies must provide more than just a good paycheck to attract and retain top talent. 

A good employee benefits package means investing in your employees, their quality of life, work-life balance, and financial stability. After all, a happy employee is a productive one. With workers not worrying about a potential medical emergency or paying for their commute, they can dedicate their work hours to doing their best and maximizing their impact on the company’s profits.

Office workers often have perks such as company-catered lunches, covered commute expenses, or health insurance plans as part of their employment packages. However, remote workers are sometimes excluded from these benefits by the nature of their work, especially if they are tied to their presence in the office. These perks help build a human-centered company culture and increase employee retention.

Here are some ideas about what to include in the perks and benefits package for remote workers:

A home office stipend

Many tech companies provide stipends for equipping and setting up home offices.

One approach is to approve a one-time sum to cover the desk, chair, computer, headphones, speakers, and any other office supplies your team may need in their day-to-day work. 

Another way is to offer a monthly stipend that allows your employees to cover expenses such as internet, printer, or upgrading their existing amenities with new ones. Some companies opt to do both, giving out an initial sum to set up the office and then covering monthly expenses with smaller allowances.

A coworking space membership

Remote employees may benefit from a membership to a coworking space. Not everyone has space for a home office or can work efficiently from home without distraction, and some people enjoy having human contact in the workspace.

Companies can cover coworking membership costs in these cases, providing their teams with a comfortable workplace and a reliable internet connection. Most coworking spaces are even pet-friendly, making them the ideal choice for many remote employees who love spending more time with their pets.

Wellness programs for remote teams

One of the best employee benefits you can offer your remote team members is wellness and health programs. For all the positive effects remote work has, its main downside remains the lack of face-to-face interactions and burnout. Setting boundaries around availability and not working overtime is hard for remote workers. Companies should support them by showing care for their mental health, wellness, and overall well-being.

There are many options: a gym membership, fitness program allowance, reimbursement for exercise equipment, nutritionist, or private health insurance. 

Flexible working hours

Apart from the lack of commuting, one of the biggest benefits of remote work is flexibility. Flexible hours are among the most sought-after employee perks and, for many workers, the essence of remote jobs. Flexible work hours will help remote workers to organize their days better, take frequent breaks, stay focused on their work output, and be more productive. 

Emphasizing trust in your team’s relationship is key to transitioning to flexible working. Asynchronous working and tracking tasks and deliverables instead of hours worked makes flexible working effective. 

Unlimited time off

Offering PTO (paid time off) has become the norm. However, companies striving to get the best talent go a step further by offering unlimited time off. And while many readers will immediately think this sounds ludicrous, it’s a very successful PTO strategy. 

Of course, don’t take the phrase literally and think anyone would be able to work for only half a year. This policy ensures workers don’t need to consider whether they have 7 or 9 days of vacation left. As long as work gets done well and on time and teams coordinate well, this policy ensures workers can get a long weekend getaway whenever needed.

As we mentioned earlier, encouraging time off is crucial with remote teams — it prevents burnout, keeps productivity high, and supports wellness.

Childcare benefits for a remote workforce

Another employee benefit to consider strongly for remote workers is the topic of childcare benefits. A good way to start is to offer paid parental leave, as you would for office-based employees.

While parental leave is significant for new mothers, make sure to have the option for fathers to take the leave too. Spending time with a newborn without the laptop pinging in the background is vital for new parents, probably desperate for a good night’s sleep. Companies that go the extra mile offer allowances or subsidies to cover childcare.

Relieving the parents from one part of their childcare expenses will be much appreciated by the team members and, therefore, likely increase their company loyalty (and those magical hours of sleep!). 

Health insurance

Health insurance is a great perk if your workers reside in a country that doesn’t have a national health service. In the US, for example, the healthcare system is predominantly private, meaning US citizens must purchase a healthcare plan from a health insurance company or receive coverage through an employer or union. 

There are several options for offering health insurance for remote workers. To get an overview, check out 5 Ways to Offer Health Insurance to Remote Workers. 

Delivery services and subscriptions

Some employee benefits can be costly, while others have a small price tag but mean a lot. This is where your human resources managers can get creative and tailor an individual experience for each employee. Think anything from covering subscriptions to delivering Christmas gifts through Amazon.

Some companies deliver meals to employees’ doorsteps at least once a week, while others send books or dog toys monthly. You can give allowances for this too, but it’s more exciting to have actual items delivered if possible. Providing your team with goodies or paying for their Netflix account will make them smile and enjoy their time off.

Company retreats

Another great perk is company retreats which are incredibly important for building and strengthening company culture. Getting your remote team to gather in a different place once or twice every year helps team building and makes great memories for each team member.

Interacting face-to-face with coworkers we only see on screen is a great experience that improves work relationships and employee engagement. 

Education allowance

Top-tier professionals always work on honing their skills even further. 
Companies with remote teams should invest in their employees’ professional development by establishing a monthly budget for books and publications, covering the fees of attending conferences and seminars, or even paying for courses that expand their skills. 

Providing learning and development opportunities is another way to increase employee retention and loyalty since most people appreciate the chance to grow and develop without financial implications.

Donations and other ways to impact the community

When people’s basic needs are met, they usually pay more attention to the world around them and have an increased need to give back to their community or support a cause near and dear to their hearts.

Companies worldwide have started making donation-matching plans for their employees, where they match each donation by a team member for a particular cause or organization. This is an amazing way to support your employees’ community engagement and increase your CSR efforts. 

Provide flexible perks and benefits with Deel

Coming up with perks and benefits for remote employees requires some creativity, some budget, and a bit of effort. Still, it’s worthwhile if you aim to establish a rock-solid remote team that overcomes challenges and barriers easily.

With Deel, you can provide your remote team with flexible perks, rewards, and benefits that work in countries worldwide. We’ve partnered with the best companies globally, so you benefit from exclusive discounts for your company and team. 

Sign up for free and get access to perks worth over $150,000.

With Deel, you can also: 

• Leave staying on top of local laws and compliance to us
• Go from offer letter to onboarded in minutes
• Streamline your entire payment process with a click
• Give your team total flexibility to work anywhere, compliantly
• Provide inclusive benefits for everyone