> PERKS THAT PAY OFF


EMPLOYEE PERKS Kennedy’s Flowers & Gifts in Grand Rapids, Michigan, gives employees a handwritten birthday card as well as an annual budget to purchase fresh fl owers for personal use.


a toll on bodies. From sore feet to stiff shoulders, some store owners are taking steps to care for their employees’ phys- ical health by bringing in a masseuse or taking the team for a pedicure. “We are standing on our feet all day,”


says Fenwick. “A pedicure is a luxury that not everyone is going to treat them- selves to, but I can put it in the budget, and we can all get enjoyment out of it.” In Ohio, Linehan once treated staff


to 15-minute massages and on another occasion sent employees to the salon next door for face, hand and feet treatments.


Pet Insurance $25+ Per Employee Annually Beginning this year, the 600 employees at Family Flowers’ more than 30 stores can add pet insurance to their selected enrolled benefits. Given that it’s part of a group plan, the monthly premiums are likely reduced from what an employee could find on their own. “A lot of our employees loved the


option, and it wasn’t expensive for us to do,” says Kevin McCarthy, owner and president of Family Flowers.


Career Development $50+ Per Employee Annually Career development and educational opportunities foster employee growth


and can also benefit the business. Many florists pay to have their designers and staff attend conferences and training sessions to help them improve their skills and network within the industry. “If they want to do something that


will better themselves and my business, I most certainly want to pay for that,” says Fenwick, noting that she’s sent staff to various trainings at a nearby grower, Len Busch Roses. Heroman’s has a detailed manager


development plan to identify employ- ees they want to train and grow into manager roles. Linehan wants her staff to engage


with the industry and work toward cer- tifications, so she’s willing to help cover the expenses associated with that. “I’m always open to their ideas and


supporting their education in this indus- try,” she says, noting that she often takes advantage of nearby events and classes.


Financial Support $100+ Per Employee Annually Some owners look for ways to ease stress and financial burden. In snowy Minneapolis, Fenwick


ensured her designer could make it to work by purchasing her new snow tires and rims. “It was a $1,700 investment on my part, but it was something she was


34 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | March/April 2025 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG


DRIVEN BY KINDNESS Lesa Fenwick, owner of Candlelight Florist, Gifts & Flower Delivery in Wayzata, Minnesota, gifted her designer, Lani Massengale (above), a set of snow tires to ensure she could make the drive to and from the shop safely.


never going to do herself,” Fenwick says. “I wanted to give her these tires so she could get home safely from the shop and back to work safely the next morning.”


A Caring Culture Family Flowers is actively buying new shops and expanding its business, and sometimes McCarthy can offer benefits to a newly hired staff member that were not previously provided. Other times, he hears of an idea that deserves to be adopted at every shop in the business. This approach is paramount to pro-


viding the right benefits and fostering a caring culture, he says. “We want to be a tremendous place


for team members to work, where they are proud and feel part of something much bigger,” McCarthy says. “We are cultivating an environment where we are good to people, and we show gratitude and appreciation for those who work for us.”


Sarah Sampson is a contributing writer for Floral Management.


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