Attracting and retaining quality employees in the portable sanitation industry isn’t easy. But Fred Hill III, owner of Gotta Go Now in Washington, D.C., does his best to keep employees happy and on board for the long haul.

Incentives start with a health insurance package including dental and vision checkups. The company pays 50% of the health insurance premiums.

“We may not pay the highest salaries, but our benefits package is untouchable,” he says. In addition, Hill says he makes a point of educating employees about the financial value of the health insurance package.

Employees do not get fully paid vacations. But Gotta Go Now does pay a stipend worth 30% of an employee’s daily salary for up to 10 days taken off per year. Also, if drivers finish their routes early, they’re free to leave and still get paid for eight hours of work. “We just don’t want them to rush through their routes,” Hill says.

Furthermore, employees receive annual bonuses if the company hits profit-margin targets. And for employees with children in school, Gotta Go Now will cover the cost of all books and supplies. The company also will pay for books, as well as laptop computers or tablets, for employees with kids attending college.

“It’s just one less expense employees have to worry about,” Hill says. “We can buy things cheaper through volume buying.”

The volume discount also factors into another perk: The company will buy paper and cleaning products for employees from its regular vendors and have it delivered to the company’s headquarters for convenient pickup.

“That saves employees both time and money compared to making a shopping run out to Walmart, for instance,” he says. “If I buy a case of toilet paper, I might be able to get it for $10 compared to $30 at a store.

“It shows if we all work together as a unit, we all can benefit,” Hill says.