Employee Benefits – Our Top 10
Health Insurance
Private medical insurance is a valuable benefit that provides you with private medical treatment, often employers include your family as well which is a big bonus. Depending on the policy your insurance can cover anything from Consultant appointments, surgery, cancer treatment or routine medical care like dental checkups.
Flexible Working
The Covid pandemic meant that workers who had previously been working full-time in the office had to adapt to working at home and some employers still offer home or hybrid working. The benefits of this include skipping stressful commuting, spending less on lunch and travel and having more time at home – how wonderful.
Good Pension Contributions
As the State Pension age creeps ever higher we are increasingly looking for benefit packages that help us save money for our retirement. Every employer is legally required to provide workplace pension, this is set at 3%. Some employers pay more than this, for instance the NHS pay 23.7% into their employees pot. Anything over 3% as a contribution is a real benefit.
Paid Sick Leave
Ill health can affect any of us at any time. A short-term illness may only result in a day or two off of work, but more serious conditions can lead to long term absence. A generous sick leave entitlement is a real benefit as you just don’t know what is around the corner.
Employee Discount Schemes
Employee discount schemes can help save money on many, many things. Discounts available to some people include cinema tickets, coffee vouchers and wellbeing discounts such as discounted gym memberships, fitness trackers and mindfulness apps. Discount schemes can be wonderful so if you get any, make the most of them.
Extra Holiday Allowance
A good work-life balance is what most people want nowadays. So if you can obtain a job with more than the statutory allowance ie: 20 days a year plus 8 public holiday days you are on a winner. Many employers now pay 25 statutory days + 8 public holidays, some employers even pay 30 days and some even give you your birthday off as well.
Parental Support
Many women don’t work because of family commitments however some employers offer practical support for parents. This includes childcare assistance where your employer will pay nursery costs via a salary sacrifice scheme. Many employers also offer paid parental leave and critical illness cover. Who knew!!
Death Benefits
Whilst you may not benefit directly from this, a death-in-service payment gives you peace of mind knowing your loved ones will have financial security when you are gone. Some Companies also provide bereavement leave, which is another wonderful benefit if you unfortunately loose someone.
Professional Development Plans
The potential for career development is very, very important. Some employers offer their staff the opportunity to progress their careers and move into different areas of the business by offering set development plans which include both internal and external training which may include the opportunity to take formal recognised qualifications. How wonderful!
A Positive Working Environment
If your employer creates a good working environment which combats stress this will have a positive impact or your well-being. A pleasant and comfortable workplace is also very important. For example is there plenty of natural light, comfortable furniture and a space to relax during breaks. All of these elements will make your work day pleasant and should be considered a perk.
So to finalise when you are looking for a new job don’t dismiss the benefit package available, it can often be more important than your salary, so definitely consider it very carefully.