Keeping staff happy

UKFast's Lawrence Jones is certainly one of the most generous bosses I've ever heard of

If rumours are to be believed, the economy is starting to pick up.

It is definitely feeling more positive out there from everyone I'm speaking to, so that is encouraging.

And that is good news for everyone either in employment or looking for employment apparently. Becasue it means a decent payrise might be on the cards, or there actually might be a job out there. I'll believe it when I see it!

But even in this period of relative uncertainty, one thing is key, and that is holding onto valuable staff. Without them, it is very difficult to keep a business running smoothly.

However I don't think many bosses will top the generosity of UKFast's chief Lawrence Jones.

Every year he hands out long service rewards to his staff, and this isn't just a bottle of cheap plonk.

For those that have done five years, they get £1,000. And those that have managed ten years' service get a whopping £10,000 cash. Jones even pays the tax on that for them.

That is a pretty amazing perk and you don't hear of it very often.

His reason for doing this is that the costs of recruiting and training someone new to a similar level woud be pretty high, so he is safeguarding his interest so to speak. It is a fair point.

I hear pretty often that people are the biggest asset to many companies, but it is a fact that some look after their staff a lot better than others.

However as times do start to pick up, employers really do need to be on their guard and instead of cost-cutting, should look at ways to keep staff happy, as good staff could well be poached by ambitious rivals looking to grow aggressively.

While few could afford to be as generous as Jones, remembering to make long-serving and hardworking staff feel valued will become even more important in any boom times ahead. Happy staff mean productivity. Unhappy staff are not good for business.

Money may not be everything in life, but few people woud fail to have a huge grin plastered on their face after being handed £10,000 tax free.

Employers take note.