Have employee preferences changed after lockdown?

Employee benefits should be more than a free breakfast and gym voucher. Perk packages should be an essential part of your workplace and a way to care for your staff.

 

After the past 18 months, it’s more important than ever for your employees to feel valued, as they have probably faced numerous personal and professional challenges throughout the pandemic.

 

If you are welcoming your employees back to the office soon, you need to start on a positive note.

 

 

Perk up their perks

You could change your benefits package and begin incorporating more valuable perks. From healthcare to remote working options, employee benefits can greatly impact each team member’s working life. Use this as an opportunity to reassess your company culture and make some healthy changes.

 

A great employee benefits scheme can attract the best talent and help you fill roles within your team. With so many jobs available online, employees are often choosing between positions at nearly identical companies. They may use an employee perks package to determine which company is a better fit for them.

 

Why make a change?

Employee perks can reduce staff turnover, improve job satisfaction and help you retain talent. If your employees feel valued at work, they are far more likely to stay with the company.

 

Benefits can also boost morale and encourage your team to participate in different activities and social events. You could arrange a company volunteering day or weekend retreat as one of your perks. Spending time away from the office can help employees build relationships and restore their work-life balance.

 

What perks are valued the most?

Flyer printing specialist instantprint found that flexible working strategies are the most sought-after employee perk. They surveyed 1,000 UK workers and found that healthcare, flexible working, and increased leave were among the best employee perks available.

 

Unfortunately, only 25% of respondents said they will have flexible working available to them when they return to their offices. This is despite remote working becoming the new normal during the pandemic.

 

What changed?

Before lockdown, workers placed more emphasis on social opportunities and work events. Flexibility is now much more important, as employees want to continue working from home part-time or choose their own working hours.

 

After being remote for several months, many learned how to operate more productively. Some people prefer to work in the early morning, while others enjoy working late into the night. Flexible working practices can allow employees to choose where and when they work.

 

Most employees use their workplace perks and reap the benefits. Update your company benefits package to promote a healthier way of working.