Flexible working tops most wanted list of staff benefits

Flexible working options, healthcare and a flexible benefits programme are the perks employees would most like to be offered, according to research released by Accor Services.

Of the 1,200 employees canvassed in the survey, Reward to engage: rewards, benefits and employee engagement in today’s organisations, 37% said they would most like to receive flexible working options, 34% said they would like to have healthcare perks, and 26% favoured a flex scheme.

Employers appear to be aware of employee preferences. The same survey has revealed that flexible working options and healthcare are the two most commonly-offered perks, received by 47% and 27% of employees, respectively. These are followed by childcare vouchers (21%) and lifestyle discounts (18%).

However, only a quarter of employees regard their benefits package as competitive, although 35% think they are fairly paid. Overall, few employees believe their pay, benefits and incentives are not competitive compared with others doing a comparable job in similar organisations.

Some 22% of staff in organisations with fewer than 100 employees believe they have more influence over the choice of benefits and incentives, compared with 11% of staff in organisations employing more than 5,000 people.