Overview
As part of your employee supports program design process, you will want to think about the specific structural components that support and comprise the delivery of your employee supports program. These components should align with and support the key goals and strategies for your employee supports program.
In this learning guide, we cover one of the six components: reporting structures. We cover three types of reporting structures typically used for employee support staff – with varying levels of coordination, access, and employee privacy. Please note, these do not necessarily represent a comprehensive summary of options or implications. Trade-offs should be considered prior to finalizing your social enterprise’s delivery method(s).

1. Employee Supports Within the Social Enterprise
Benefits
- SE Director continuously apprised of both operations and employee supports
Challenges
- Maintaining connection of employees with agency‘s client services
- Customizing client services for employee population
- Ensuring that employee information shared with the SE is not inappropriately shared with employee’s supervisors

2. Social Enterprise and Employee Supports Distinct But Complementary
Benefits
- Supportive of constraints on information sharing
- Maintains connection of employees to client services
Challenges
- Integrating employee supports within the SE and ensuring it feels seamless to employees
- Communication is imperative
- Often employee supports are represented in SE staff meetings, or there are standing meetings between operations and support

3. Employee Supports Reporting to Human Resources
Benefits
- Employee supports perceived by employees as a “benefit” of their employment
- Supportive of constraints on information sharing
Challenges
- Maintaining connection of employees with agency‘s client services
- Keeping employee supports as a priority of either SE or Client Services
Other Structural Components To Consider
You will want to think about the specific structural components that support and comprise the delivery of your employee supports program. These components should align with and support the key goals and strategies for your employee supports program. REDF has identified six core areas to consider:
Metrics to Track |
Budget |
Participation Model |
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Read more about metrics > |
Read more about budget > |
Read more about participation model > |
Delivery Method |
Staffing |
Reporting |
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Read more about delivery method > |
Read more about staffing > |
You will find links to resources for each of these considerations, walking you through the pros and cons and key considerations for each.