Creative Compensation
by Lynette Turner

During the 2006 TCG (Theater Communications Group) conference, AMS facilitated a workshop on team building strategies. One of the topics participants focused upon with great interest was the issue of compensation, and how to increase “remuneration” without actually increasing pay. The discussions revealed many alternative compensation strategies to support staff, reduce stress and build greater organizational stability.

Many people working in the arts are doing so because they enjoy what they are doing and believe in the power of the arts to play an important role in the lives of the people they serve. Employees often leave their positions because they cannot meet their living expenses with the low salaries in the arts, and get burned out on the long hours and lack of resources. The workshop participants discussed what steps employers can take that cost little or nothing monetarily and can make a difference. Enabling employees to meet financial needs will help increase productivity, morale and loyalty and make the work experience and environment less stressful, more pleasant and supportive. While it was agreed that hiring more staff or increasing salaries would be most appreciated, this is not always possible. What then are the ideas for reducing stress, increasing job satisfaction, reducing staff turnover and improving the work environment through increased remuneration at little or no financial cost to the employer?

It should be noted that many of the ideas that follow may have legal implications with respect to labor laws and regulations, union rules or other employment policies. As you consider these ideas, it is strongly recommended that you consult compensation experts and legal counsel.

Ideas put forward by the workshop included:

• Comp Time & Vacation:
  • Encourage comp time. Arts employees work many hours without a break and most do not qualify for overtime. Encouraging comp time without projecting a sense that employees are slacking could help to support overall employee health and increase productivity in the long term.  (note that there are often state and federal labor regulations that define  “exempt vs. non-exempt employees” when considering comp time)
• Extend paid vacation time in lieu of higher salaries. This could increase employee productivity by rejuvenating interest in work (distance makes the heart grow fonder) and aiding in stress relief.
• Paid holiday on employee birthdays
• Ticket Exchange:
  • Trade your organization’s event tickets (theater shows, exhibition admissions, special events, etc.) with those of another organization(s) so employees can attend events they may not otherwise afford. A side benefit is that this encourages partnership among organizations.

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• Snacks & Lunch
  • On busy days there may not be time to prepare food to bring to work and/or time to go out for lunch. Having available an array of (healthy) snacks at the office (nuts, fruit, crackers, granola and energy bars, water and other drinks, etc.) can foster support for healthy living.
• Bring in a lunch periodically
• Collegial and casual atmosphere
• Let pets come to work
• Support casual dress
• Allow napping after lunch
• While this seems a provocative idea, William and Camille Anthony in The Art of Napping At Work state that sleep is ‘The no cost natural way to enhance our work productivity and satisfaction’. They state that some workers sleep on the job anyway and that by giving permission for napping (45 minutes max) it can prove to be a positive experience for both the employee and employer.
• Reimbursables
  • Consider reimbursable expenses for activities that support a healthy and stress-free lifestyle, like gym memberships and yoga classes, internet access and health-care payments not covered by the organization’s insurance plan.

Increasingly, we live in a society in which we work more and rest less. Through our market research on arts participation, we consistently encounter the linked issues of decreased leisure time and more options for leisure time activities from which to choose. Those working in the arts can also be affected by having less time to enjoy life and balance a heavy work load, given many in the field work long hours to do multiple jobs. Spending the day working administratively (writing grants, researching projects, completing paperwork, etc.), and the evening acting in or directing a play, or attending an exhibition, can leave little time for anything else.

Those in the arts are said to be creative and out-of-the-box thinkers. Approaches to alternative forms of compensation not only promote productivity, but also help build morale and loyalty for the organization by providing a supportive environment in which the employee and organization can thrive.                                      

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