Beneva Inc. is enhancing its hybrid work policy to provide employees with more flexibility.
The company is offering employees $1,000 to purchase ergonomic home office furniture and $240 for home internet upgrades. For employees working onsite, Beneva is offering free parking or an annual $500 commuter allowance for public transit.
“We reviewed some of our working conditions in order to [reduce stress on employees], so parking will be free now. For employees who don’t use parking, we’re going to offer a yearly allocation of close to $500 annually for our commuter allowance as a way to promote more responsible and sustainable transportation,” says Martin Robert, executive vice-president and leader of talent, culture and communication.
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After surveying 3,000 employees last year, the company found most workers wanted to return to the office, but only for reasons such as collaboration, training and team meetings, says Robert. “What we’ve decided to do is going to be very voluntary and flexible. Office spaces will be open if anyone chooses to come back whenever they want, but presence in the office will only be mandatory on [a few important] occasions.”
Beneva is also adding gender affirmation coverage to its employee benefits program, says Robert, noting the coverage will reimburse eligible expenses not covered by provincial programs.