61% of UK workers don’t get enough perks from their employers

Research commissioned by facilities and building maintenance specialists Direct365 has shown that 61% of UK workers believe they don’t get enough perks from their employers.

The findings seem to tally with a 2015 study conducted by the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM), which suggested that one in three people plan to leave their jobs in 2016. More specifically, 17% of the 2,000 people surveyed said they will move on because they feel underappreciated by their employers in their current roles.

Looking at both sets of results, it’s clear that employers could be doing more to keep their workforce happy and engaged.

Emma Gilroy, brand development manager at Direct365, said: “A lot of companies suffer from ostrich syndrome when it comes to employee benefits – they think they are offering perks that their staff genuinely want, but as our survey results show, the reality is very different.

“If employers spent more time focussing on rewarding their staff and showing gratitude, they would not only see increased productivity, reduced absenteeism and improved customer service (happy staff always come across more positively to customers), but more importantly they would drastically reduce the amount of staff looking to move on.

“It sounds so simple, but few businesses actually ask their workers what perks they’d like. Talk to them and discover what the majority want from you.”

Direct365 decided to heed its own advice and asked the UK workforce what type of staff perks they’d favour.

Flexible working

The majority of the survey respondents (35%) opted for flexible working. Such incentives, when implemented sensibly, can be mutually beneficial for employers and employees alike. Employees can benefit from a better work-life balance, avoiding unnecessary commutes, whereas employers can save money on overheads and often notice an increase in productivity.

Company car

27% of those surveyed opted for a company car as their ideal reward.

Corporate gym memberships

According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Absence Management 2015 report, two-fifths (41%) of organisations reported an increase in stress-related absence (such as depression and anxiety) over a 12-month period. By offering gym memberships, companies can reduce this figure. Taking greater care of staff wellbeing, ensuring that everyone is fit and healthy, can reap major rewards in the long run.

Childcare vouchers

6% of those people surveyed would choose childcare vouchers as their preferred employee benefit. By introducing this type of perk, an employer is demonstrating that they take an employee’s family into consideration and shows an understanding of their work-life balance.