Here's what I learned from the other side of the counter after being the boss for 30 years...

I have been self employed all my adult life. Recently, while being between businesses, I tried the "easy" way out of my financial problems--I applied for a j-o-b. After 30 years, would anyone want to hire me? Someone who was as desperate as me took the chance and hired me---at $8.50 an hour--. Soon I was up for a raise (to $9 an hr.). Soon after, I went for the big bucks elsewhere at $11 an hr.

It was brutal--not just the work and low pay, but the DRAIN on my life and my psyche. My "coworkers" did as little as possible and complained constantly about everything. The clock became my focus--how soon is quitting time? I learned that no good deed or idea goes unpunished. There were no incentives to create loyalty. Employees gossiped and bitched... had to watch who you spoke to and take care what you said.

Funny how the perspective of work as life draining can be to anyone who is a "gray" collar worker. This is what I ascertain "office" employees to be. They are a bit more valuable than the blue collar guys but not really getting much more than them in time and money--they just get to dress a little better.

The bc's are quite often more grateful for their position and know they must hang on to the job until something better comes along or until they, too, become more valuable. So they actually have more to look forward to than the office help. Hey, all you have is "up" from there, right?

The point of all this is that basically, perks, money, power and control over your own life is the binding force to keep working for someone else. Ultimately, we know you can't get rich working for the boss; you can't even make ends meet (yes, I quit those jobs and will never get another one--I made a month's pay this morning in 45 min. in my home business, so what do you think?)

Office level employees may actually work harder and stay with the job if they have a discernable and meaningful affect on the company--measured in goals being reached and being rewarded for doing so, or, better yet, sharing in the profits. Sales incentives, extra commissions on sales that are directly traced back to the employee, involving your workers in some decisions (find out what talents or interests they have and find ways to make them applicable to enhancing your business atmosphere--get them involved).

Just make them glad to be there. What you may consider a perk (getting time off, etc.), may not be what excites the worker. It may take asking them to take a survey just to get to know what they have on their mind. In the end, if you have done all you can to make the relationship work but it doesn't--make a clean break and stop wasting your life AND theirs. Someone else will always be happy to try to do the job. Add that advice to the other comments above and hopefully you will find a recipe for a few long lasting employees.
Good luck and take care.
Julia