Something for the weekend: Work perks have long been used by employers to inject a feel-good factor into the lives of employees and as a tool to retain top talent, but benefits such as paid pawternity leave haven’t always made the cut.
Now a new UK poll of 2,000 people by Sodexo Engage shows what workers really want and it includes a whole host of quirky perks.
Seemingly nothing can beat that Friday feeling, with 87.6% voting in favour of finishing early on the last day of the traditional working week. Paid holiday allowance ranked in second place (84.1%), while summer hours were popular with 76.8% of staff.
Paid pawternity leave for fluffy fur-babies was also listed as a desirable perk. Almost a third (31.4%) of employees claimed they would be more inclined to invest in a pet if their workplace had flexible policies around this.
Meanwhile, 47.1% of those polled said they would probably exercise more if fitness-related perks were available.
Emma Yearwood, director of HR at Sodexo Engage, said: “Whether you provide practical benefits or alternative perks to improve a person’s lifestyle, what’s clear is with 59.8% of people saying that they’re more likely to stay at a company if they provided great perks, getting your employee benefits right is vital for staff retention.
“There’s often a lot of pressure for employees to progress and hit targets, which is why offering perks like flexible working can support a healthy work-life balance. It also shows that as a business, you value your employees while encouraging them to perform their best for a great return.”
We’re animal lovers here at Employee Benefits and always yappy to see perks relating to our four-legged friends.