Businesses Urged To Simplify Worker Benefits
More than 8 in 10 (82%) employees believe businesses are over-complicating workplace benefits, making them difficult to understand or use.
Recruitment firm Michael Page surveyed 1,000 workers and found 64% believe employers are investing in expensive workplace benefits which they neither want or need.
73% said workplace benefits are a key factor in their decision to turn down a job, highlighting the importance of employers needing to do more to provide competitive benefits for employees.
Top 5 most wanted benefits by individuals that employers should offer:
- flexible working hours (71%)
- working from home (55%)
- unlimited paid holiday (46%)
- company car or subsidised travel (43%)
- weekly free lunches (41%).
Oliver Watson, executive board director for UK and North America at PageGroup, said:
“Whether you’re an employer scouting for new talent or a candidate searching for a new job, the benefits package on offer needs to match both parties’ expectations.
“While we may be accustomed to negotiating a starting salary, discussing more tailored benefits is rarely given the same priority – resulting in neither party getting an agreement that drives engagement for an employee and performance for an employer.
“As working cultures become more flexible and dynamic, a ‘one-size fits all’ approach to benefits no longer applies. Employers need to relax their typically fixed policies and start an open conversation about benefits far earlier in the recruitment process.”