Here are this week’s links to a few good stories we found and selected. We feel they might add valuable insights and perspectives for small to midsize businesses.

For more than a decade, many companies (mostly high tech startups) have offered a plethora of unique employee benefits.

In her article Why Unique Employee Benefits Are Becoming the Norm, Anthonia Akitunde cites a number of out-of-the-box employee benefits. My favorite is a Salesforce benefit: six days to do volunteer work. If employees use all six days, the company makes a $1,000 contribution to a charity of their choice. Not bad!

Happy employees mean happy customers.

It’s a simple adage that makes a lot of sense. In a blog post for USA Today, Tamara Holmes shares how Jennifer Hyman, CEO of Rent the Runway, takes employee satisfaction to the next level. The post includes an article and a video.

What should a small business do about providing health insurance for its employees?

According to Robb Mandelbaum’s article Should Your Small Business Offer Health Insurance?, ever-increasing cost of group health plans may mean Obamacare is an option. While this option deserves a look, other options also exist. For example, partnering with a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) might make the most sense. PEOs make sense—they offer access to robust and affordable health insurance offerings, along with advice from seasoned HR professionals who can help guide business owners through the process.