Five Ways Employee Experience Changed in 2020 Companies added new benefits and revamped existing programs to address challenges of remote work Some companies have added benefits to help employees cope during the pandemic, in one case offering a $300 pet stipend. Photo: eva plevier/Reuters By Dec. 30, 2020 10:56 am ET The coronavirus pandemic forced millions of workers to switch from conducting business in an office to working from their homes. Companies adjusted alongside them, attempting to bring new benefits to employees who could no longer enjoy some of the perks that came with working in an office. Mandatory Time Off As employees buckled down and outfitted their work-from-home spaces, the lines between work and home increasingly blurred. Without any commute, employees spent 35.3% of that extra time working at their primary job. With nowhere to go on vacation, employees also weren’t taking time off.