As an employer, you do everything in your power to ensure that your employees and broader workforce are taken care of and that they are happy.
The last twelve months have been challenging for many of us and have led many businesses to overhaul how they have been doing things altogether. From practices big through to those more subtle, it has been a period of adjustment.
Keeping in contact with employees during this time has been made easier with technology, but how can you truly know if your employees are happy with their work-life? Naturally, employee benefits play a significant role in an employee’s happiness, but that is not to say that some benefits are not up to scratch.
With this in mind, we will be considering some of the least popular employee benefits out there and what you, as a business owner, should consider replacing them with.
Zero-Hour Contracts
A term that we feel confident many reading this are somewhat confident with and have come across themselves at some point or another.
For those unaware, the term zero-hour contract relates to employees’ work and employment contracts. It is often known for its flexibility, not to mention how casual the contracts are regarding employment. Ideal for those who are not looking to work full-time, this is sure to attract the attention of many.
While that is very well the case, zero-hour contracts can cause employees concern and stress and worry concerning their employment. None more so than if they are not receiving regularly scheduled work hours.
Replacing zero-hour contracts with something similar but different – think of 8-hour contracts and those similar – will eliminate the concern employees might be experiencing while also ensuring that they can receive regular hours.
Rigid Options
Naturally, some businesses would be somewhat restricted in providing their employees. While this is very much the case, if you can offer your employees some choice in what they would like as an employee benefit, then this is something you should consider offering. After all, who doesn’t like the ability to choose?
Implementing a program within your business, which enables employees to easily access their benefits at any time, is an excellent way to choose what benefits they would like to use and at what time.
Companies like Zest Benefits provide these programs to businesses like yours and can eliminate any unhappiness surrounding the choice of benefits available. To learn more about the Zest Benefits employee benefits platform, head to their website for more.
Dress-Down Days
We all remember the excitement of non-school uniform days in school like they were yesterday. But unfortunately, while dress-down days are indeed an excuse to wear your comfy clothes to work, it is something that appears not to be all that favored by employees.
One thing that should be considered regarding this is that those people who have been working from home have become incredibly used to wearing comfy clothes and are most likely not looking forward to wearing smarter office wear once more.
Consider replacing the existing employee benefit of dress-down Fridays with that of a relaxed dress code. Not only would this make the transition back to the office a bit easier on your employees, but it would eliminate the need to purchase smart clothing, which could often come at a cost.
Unlimited Food
Whilst this may sound like a great idea, having unlimited food on offer is not the employee benefit it is cracked up to be. A great perk may happen once a month, but if the food is always on offer, it can go very stale quickly. Some employees even cite this sort of benefit as unhealthy, usually unhealthy snacks or processed foods.
It can also be quite distracting for employees. The temptation is always there to get up and consume the snacks on offer. It is also not always fair for everyone. There could be people with varied tastes and even allergens, so it is essential to cater to everybody. But, of course, this is easier said than done. Doughnuts and cereal bars may come in handy once a month but not every day. It certainly won’t be a perk that will entice someone to work for your company or motivate them to do a better job.
Of course, you can continue to offer free snacks and food as a treat but try not to justify it as a benefit. It would be best if you also thought of better benefits for some of the perks mentioned above. By replacing these and not sitting on your hands, you can motivate your employees to do better. They may even come to work with a smile on their face!
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