Inland businesses are employing a variety of approaches to bolster employee morale and boost loyalty during these tough economic times.

Some have turned to free meals and events for employees' families. Others have opted to facilitate community service projects. And one business is earning revenue by offering discounts and free tickets to employees of small businesses.

Cal Perks, in Wildomar, was launched in January to help small businesses provide employee perks similar to those at large companies. The perks are intended to level the playing field both for the employer and employees of those companies. Inland Empire vendors also benefit from a partnership with Cal Perks because it drives customers to them, said Bill Dunn, CEO.

"We've changed the model of this type of program," Dunn said. "There are a lot of programs that sell the concept, but they are really ticket brokers."

The company secures discounts, services and tickets from vendors. Those perks are then passed on to employees. Small businesses that sign up for the program pay a one-time fee to obtain the perks.

Cal Perks, which Dunn describes as a "virtual company" because much of its service is web based, has partnered with 140 vendors to provide perks to more than 50,000 employee members, he said. The perks go toward anything from hotels or shopping to golf and even haircuts.

Some of the perks that are offered include L.A. Kings tickets, Clippers tickets, movie tickets, skydiving discounts or paint ball discounts. Employers pay less than $5 per employee per year to participate in the program at the highest level, Dunn said. The service is priced based on the employee population of the individual company.

Cal Perks filled a niche, providing a service for small employers who wanted to provide a perks program but wouldn't ordinarily afford it or implement it.

"Our platform is employee self-service," Dunn said. "It's really a great value for their employees. Companies right now are finding it very difficult to extend benefits to employees because costs are always rising."

Despite workforce reductions and salary freezes, companies may still be inclined to provide perks for employees.

The 2009 Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations, a report forecasting employee retention and the job market by CareerBuilder and Robert Half International, found that employers are concerned about employee turnover, and that as the economy improves, employees will expect better benefits and perks. The report found that 40 percent of hiring managers surveyed said that when the economy improves, providing more money will be their primary method for retaining performers.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino offers a number of benefits to its employees directly through the company. One of the reasons behind the perks is related to employee retention.

"Fantasy Springs has a long history of giving perks to its employees because it keeps them happy and keeps morale high," said Ciara Green, public relations manager. "The employees appreciate it."

The idea is that it costs time and money to hire and train new employees, Green said. Having long term employees also translates to better customer service because employees are more likely to be informed about the resort casino and can be more helpful as a result, she said.

"You offer these perks and its keeps employees that much happier," Green said. "There have been a lot of studies that show it costs three times as much as someone's salary to fill that position after someone leaves."

The resort casino operates a cafeteria where employees are provided free meals, even if they are working a night shift, Green said.

"They aren't necessarily having to spend their own money on their meal," Green said.

And they don't have to leave the resort casino's property to get a meal, she added.

Each fiscal quarter, 10 employees are selected for going above and beyond the call of duty and are rewarded with a $500 prize, a special parking space, a dinner banquet and plaque, Green said.

The casino also holds holiday events. Recently, the casino's departments held a pumpkin carving competition. The casino has also hosted karaoke events where employees could sing with a live band and compete for prizes. Over the summer, the casino hosted Saturday events for employees and their families where they watched family friendly movies.

Jack Brown, chairman and CEO of Stater Bros., said his company has taken a different approach to perks. The company hosts a potluck lunch each holiday season, but it also facilitates community service projects to donate food to needy families.

"We help feed over 500,000 individuals during the holiday season," Brown said. "Those are individuals that obtain meals from groups that we donate to."

Some of the company's departments, such as accounting or transportation, adopt families and provide them with either a complete Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas gifts, Brown said.

The company does not give discounts to employees, Brown said, adding that one of the benefits this year has been that the company has had no layoffs.

"I don't know of any company our size that hasn't had significant layoffs," he said. "The best job benefit the company can do for our employees and the communities we serve is to keep everybody working."