Giving your employees a benefits package can be a wonderful opportunity to inspire and motivate your employees. It also provides employees with something that is meaningful apart from their salaries for the work they undertake for your business.
If you are the owner of a small business, you’re likely wondering if offering your employees an incentive package is appropriate and worth the expense for your business. It’s a simple answer: yes. There are numerous benefits of providing your employees with a a benefits package that adds worth to their life and can help your company grow. If you’re wondering what the advantages and disadvantages of employee benefits, continue reading to find out.
What are employee benefits?
Employee benefits can vary between companies. While some businesses will offer simple benefits like paid holidays, pension schemes and company cars if the job role calls for the need, others could offer more extensive benefits plans that include:
Health insurance
Loan schemes for companies
Flexible working
Free gym membership
Childcare and child care services
The benefits of offering benefits
The benefits of an employee benefits program are many however, to summarize these benefits, here’s what we consider to be best four main reasons why you should think about introducing benefits packages in the event that you haven’t already:
1. Attract (and keep) top talent
A comprehensive employee benefits plan is a crucial factor for many employees when they are thinking about a job change. Most companies, even small and medium-sized enterprises provide some form of employee benefits plan, and the benefits package is something applicants will think about when looking for a new position.
Benefits packages give you a competitive edge when hiring. You’re more likely attract higher quality, motivated and committed staff by demonstrating your commitment to taking care of your team members by providing them an improved compensation package.
Remember that it’s not only about the compensation package. The fact that you offer employee benefits indicates that you trust in your business and its people and that you have the financial stability to provide such benefits. This also proves that you trust in your employees enough to invest in them.
Furthermore, after you’ve scouted out the ideal candidate benefits play a crucial role in keeping them happy. Someone who is aware of how valuable the benefits you offer is far less likely to be swayed to move on or be tempted by other job offers.
2. Increase energy, morale, and productivity
If you are able to help your employees save money on their everyday or larger purchases, as well as provide them with the opportunity to engage in activities that give them joy, you’ll be able to create an engaged and happier workforce.
A benefits package is able to significantly influence employee morale since employees will feel valued and their needs are met on multiple levels. This leads to an increase in the loyalty of employees productivity, as well as overall satisfaction with you as their employer. It’s important to keep in mind that happy employees will be singing your praises outside of work, too, making it easier to draw the top candidates when you are next hiring.
3. Healthy workers equal happy workers
Everyone works better when they’re in good health. When your employee benefits are comprised of health insurance and wellness offers and wellness programs, you’ll reap the rewards. In offering your employees dental, medical, or other benefits for health insurance can reduce the amount of duration that employees must get off work. They can access treatment quicker privately, instead of being waiting around long for to be scheduled for an NHS appointment.
The availability of paid sick time can be a significant benefit. It means that if someone in your workforce gets sick and is sick, they can focus on recuperating and getting better at home, rather than stressing about getting back to work before they are healthy enough to get paid. It’s also in the interest of the whole group to offer paid sick leave as well. One employee’s poor performance could spread to the team and lead to much larger problems.
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4. It can save both the employee as well as the employer money.
If you your employees benefits through salary sacrifice or net pay reduction plans employees as well as the business can benefit from tax reductions in these transactions. This doesn’t just apply to obvious benefits for example, pension and healthcare plans. This also applies to other employee benefitslike, personal use of a car owned by the company or mobile phones, cafeteria plans or cycle to work schemes.
Are there any drawbacks to providing employee benefits?
There is no doubt that the benefits of providing employee benefits far surpass any disadvantages. However there are a couple of crucial points to keep in mind when it comes to the creation of an employee benefit program is a good idea for small businesses may be beneficial to think about:
Rising costs
Each year, the price of health and medical insurance grows. Searching for a lower deal and having to switch your employees over every year may be time-consuming and difficult to administer.
Administrative costs
Administration tasks that go with offering an employee benefits package can again be time-consuming. How much administration they require will depend on how comprehensive your organization’s benefits package is, however, you can cut down on the time you devote to benefits by using a benefits tracking software solution.
In the end, if don’t already offer your employees the best benefits package, it’s worth considering. If you do, you’ll increase morale, loyalty and productivity within your current team. Furthermore, if want to expand your company, a benefits programme will help you find and keep the top talent.