Dive Brief:

• Orca Pacific's "Beyond the Boardroom" program gives employees 30 days a year to enjoy a far-off activity or place after working remotely by day, the company revealed in a release sent to HR Dive. The company, which said it helps brands sell on Amazon, called the program a part of its "Human-Centered" benefits package promoting employee happiness by enriching their life experiences through travel.
• Orca Pacific said it based the program on numerous studies claiming that happy workers are more productive and engaged. The company said its plan offers an alternative to traditional workplace cultures, which negatively affect workers through "regimented work hours and isolated workspaces," the company claimed.
• "I believe that a company's success and the happiness of its employees are directly correlated," Orca Pacific Founder and CEO John L. Ghiorso said in a news release. "It is not a zero-sum game. We can create and foster an enriching environment for our employees and harness it to thrive in a competitive market." 

Dive Insight:

Benefits can help shape a positive brand for an organization if employees need and appreciate what they're offered. Various studies have revealed the importance of offering exceptional benefits packages; a 2018 survey by the American Institute of CPA found that employers value a job with benefits more than a job with higher pay and no benefits. The survey resonates with other findings that money remains the biggest motivator for job seekers but not so much in the absence of benefits. Benefits packages that meet worker needs can help attract, retain and engage talent, especially in a tight labor market, where employees have the upper hand in their choice of employers and how they want to work.

Just as employer branding helps to define a company's culture, a damaged brand won't escape the judgment of job seekers. A 2018 MRINetwork Reputation Management Study found that 69% of candidates consider brand strength important or very important in deciding whether to accept or reject a job offer. In fact, job seekers routinely check employer rating sites in their search and will pass over poorly rated workplaces.