With the introduction of hybrid work models, many businesses with employees who have resumed working five days per week in the office are finding a higher than normal turnover of their staff. Similarly, many employers are experiencing difficulties in attracting new staff.
Employers who offer flexibility, growth, great experiences, healthy lifestyles, and psychologically safe environments where employees will thrive are increasingly becoming the employers of choice.
As a result, many businesses are finding that they need to become more and more creative in what they can offer in order to stand out and attract and retain their staff.
Below we take a look at six staff perks offerings, outside of hybrid working arrangements, that are increasingly being adopted by employers and that can provide greater benefit and incentive to employees.
Volunteering Opportunities
For example, providing five days paid leave for employees to engage in volunteering activities to support their chosen causes and communities.
Extra Long Weekends
Providing additional leave throughout the year to allow for permanent employees to be able to take either a Friday or Monday off work without impacting their accrued leave balances.
In many instances where such a measure has been introduced, the additional days can be taken at any time as long as it is not attached to annual leave or public holidays.
Free Team Lunches
The provision of incentives such as a free team lunch every week, providing free breakfast supplies and weekly coffee carts in the workplace.
Bring Pets to Work
While not always practicable, many employers are encouraged employees to bring their (well-behaved!) dogs to work. The frequency of such arrangements vary from being each day to one day per month.
“Life Leave”
Some employers are offering permanent employees with an opportunity to have up to five additional paid leave days per financial year for life events and occasions such as looking after a new pet, moving house, a birthday, a child’s first day at school, heartbreak leave or community impact. Such leave, where offered, is in addition to annual or personal leave balances.
Business and First Class Fares/Travel Vouchers
In anticipation of travel restrictions easing, some employees who have completed a qualifying period (i.e.. 6 months) with a business being offered business or first class travel fares to international locations and at times, the provision of an additional week of paid leave.
Where staff do not wish to travel overseas, alternative domestic offers may be provided such as long weekends away at five star resorts.
As with any workplace incentive or benefit introduced by an employer, it is recommended that detailed policy documents always be created to support the application of the initiative to ensure clarity and to minimise the potential risk of misuse.
If you require advice or assistance regarding any HR matter, please contact the team at HR Advice Online at advice@hradev.connexionpoint.com.au.au or on 1300 720 004.
Information in HR Advice Online guides and blog posts is meant purely for educational discussion of human resources issues. It contains only general information about human resources matters and due to factors, such as government legislation changes, may not be up to date at the time of reading. It is not legal advice and should not be treated as such
