GILMER, Texas — Life can be expensive as is and with inflation causing an increase in the prices of everyday items, things can add up pretty quick.
So what if on top of getting your regular paycheck your boss helped out by putting a little extra money in your pocket? Well, one East Texas business is doing just that.
Robroy Industries, a manufacturing company, has a location in Gilmer and is helping out their fellow East Texans.
The company created the Robroy Economic Assistance Program which offers employees support and stability. Through the program they've partnered with Brookshire's to give employees a $500 gift certificate they can use for gas and groceries. They've also implemented a rebate program to provide coupons to several different places. They're also working to enforce a flexible spending account (FSA) so workers can get pre-tax dependent care. Robroy has more than 200 employees and want to ensure the wellbeing of their employees is their first priority.
Steve Voelzke, president of the electrical division for Robroy Industries, says this type of assistance is vital.
"It's really important for us to kind of show that we're thinking of things before they become an issue," Volezke said. "So hopefully we're doing that across our entire organization. And we're just glad to help out. We're glad to be part of the community that we're in. And we just really appreciate the fact that our people are hard working at it and have continued to support not only the organization, but each other during this time."
He also says they're continuing to monitor the situation so they can do whatever possible to make it easier for their employees living through these hard times.
Robroy says they want to lead the way for other organizations to put their employees' needs first, and to give them some relief because we all know life can be stressful at times especially when juggling money.