50 Employee Perks

50 Employee Perks to Offer Staff

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Businesses will use all kinds of incentives to encourage staff to work well. These efforts lead to better personal development, higher work output, and greater business success.

A popular way to achieve this is by using an employee perk. However, they only work well if people find them interesting enough to aspire to them.

Whether you’re rewarding new starters or those on your recognition scheme, these perks can help motivate and retain great workers. Let’s look at some of the best employee perks and benefits to use in your business:

Financial perks

1. Bonuses

 Most people would work more if given bonuses. Bonuses show instant appreciation for hard work and efforts – making them a great perk to offer.

2. Commission

 Commission perks are often earned by individuals or entire teams. They promote friendly competitiveness between peers; but in the end, the business wins!

3. Profit shares

 Profit shares aren’t just for those in senior roles. Many businesses use them to promote their retention rates, specifically for their high-flyers.

4. Student loan reimbursements

 Student loan reimbursements are great perks for employees with ongoing debt. It’s incentives like these that can make a difference in their personal lives.

5. Access to salary early

 We’ve all been in situations where we could do with a little more cash. Having access to our salary early can eliminate all kinds of financial penalties and late fines.

Health and wellness perks

6. Gym membership discounts

 Going to the gym isn’t just good for our physicality, it also helps our mental state. From fitness classes to yoga sessions, these healthy perks provide something for everyone.

7. Therapy sessions

 Whether it’s financial troubles or bereavement issues, therapy can help people in times of need. Perks like these vastly improve employee well-being, as well as personal welfare.

8. Meditation rooms

 Meditation rooms provide a space to escape the stresses of life. Employees can use these perks to pray, meditate, or simply decompress for an hour or two.

9. Nap rooms

 Nap rooms are popping up in more workplaces today. Studies show a 20-minute power nap can do wonders for our health. Just be sure to include alarm clocks with these perks!

10. Wellness programs

 Wellness program perks cover all kinds of fields; like therapy, exercise, and even addiction programs. Remember, privacy and confidentiality are paramount in these spaces.

Career progression perks

11. Promotions

 An extremely common perk used to encourage hard work is promotions. These often include higher positions, increased salaries, and greater benefits.

12. Work mentoring

 Some employees are motivated by being able to grow professionally. That’s why work mentoring perks are a must in all businesses.

13. Ambassadors

 When employees are constantly over-achieving, try promoting them as your brand ambassador. They’ll be able to represent your business values with authenticity and pride.

14. References

 Nothing’s more eye-capturing in CVs than a glowing reference. Don’t just save these for existing employees. Offer this perk as part of your career progression program.

15. Paid training

 Many businesses actively help their staff develop their skills and talents. Paid training courses are an ideal perk to have and work in almost any kind of workplace.

Annual leave perks

16. Extra paid holidays

 Most UK employees are entitled to 25 paid holidays per year. But, who wouldn’t want a few more? Perks like these lead to greater engagement, motivation, and loyalty.

17. Additional sick leave

 Most employees receive five paid sick days per year. If you give more, provide perks to deserved employees or across your entire workforce.

18. Late starts and early finishes

 Nothing inspires employees to work harder than being able to finish early and start late. Just be sure these perks don’t interrupt the flow of your business productivity.

19. Birthday off

 A personalised perk you can offer employees is having their birthday off. Roll this out across all your staff for a more caring touch.

20. Four-day working week

 This new fad has its ups and downs; but if it works for you, give it a shot. Again, ensure this perk doesn’t end up costing your business.

Workplace perks

21. Flexible working

 Many candidates actively seek jobs that offer flexible working. You definitely can’t afford to ignore these employee perks at work. Or else you’ll lose candidates to rival businesses.

22. Personalised parking

 Parking perks aren’t just for senior staff or the CEO. Offer it to employees who’ve truly worked exceptionally in recent times or projects.

23. Extra parental leave

 It’s so important for employees to have a healthy work-life balance. Extra parental leave perks allow this – ensuring they never miss out on another family milestone again.

24. Ergonomic furniture

 A great workplace perk to offer is ergonomic furniture. Reclining seats, blue-light-blocking glasses, and gel rest pads – they all help employees work in safer and more comfortable environments.

25. Shared kitchen appliances

 Make employees feel at home with shared kitchen appliances. Toasters, microwaves, fridges, ice machines –  they’ll never worry about being hungry at work again.

Food and drink perks

26. Healthy snacks

 Fruit baskets, juice dispensers, cereal pantries – healthy snacks are a great perk to keep your workforce fueled with energy.

27. Free breakfast

 We all work better on a full stomach, so imagine the potential of your workforce. Why not offer free breakfast as an employee perk? Do it every day or as a special reward.

28. Happy hours

 Many businesses host happy hours; either after reaching certain goals or as a Friday treat. Just be sure to cater to employees who don’t drink alcohol for religious or personal reasons.

29. Food delivery discounts

 In an age where food delivery is the norm, why not offer discounts to help employees save on these extra charges?

30. Celebratory lunches

 Round up the team and celebrate work achievements with a free lunch. You can book a fancy place for a real treat, or order in for an office party.

Recognition perks

31. Company newsletter

 Being recognised for hard work is a perk that helps improve our self-esteem and drive. A great way to do this is through shout-outs in company newsletters.

32. Employee of the month

 Having an ‘employee of the month’ scheme can inspire employees to work hard. You’ll soon be struggling to pick only one person for this perk!

33. Gifts cards

 There are all kinds of gift cards out there – making them a versatile employee perk! Pick ones that everyone will love; or something related to their interests for a personal touch.

34. Awards evenings

Many businesses host awards evenings to showcase their greatest achievements. What a great place to recognise your employees’ diligence, loyalty, and above all, efforts.

35. Dinner with the CEO

 These perks allow employees to receive great career advice. Not to mention, this type of recognition is pretty hard to top.

Discount perks

36. Commute discounts

 Trains, buses, trams – many employees use public transport to get to work. To deal with the costs, offer discounts on travel commutes as the perfect perk.

37. Driving discounts

 Car owners are constantly adding up the costs of driving to work. Tailor your perks to help with fuel costs, parking tokens, and even vehicle maintenance.

38. Technology discounts

 Whilst this may be work-related, providing new tech and apps can be especially helpful for certain employees. Not only can it make work easier, but it can also extend their skills.

39. Accommodation discounts

 In some industries, employees are required to stay near their workplace, or even live onsite. If you don’t offer free accommodation, set up discount perks to help cover rental costs.

40. Company cars

 A super popular perk that many businesses offer is company cars. However, make sure employees comply with relevant driving regulations or you could end up facing costly fines.

Family-related perks

41. Emergency childcare

 Childcare fees are some of the most expensive household bills we have. Offering employee perks for these can really take a load off their mind, as well as their bank balances.

42. Bring your pet to work day

 There’s nothing more fun than playing with pets in the office. They can help encourage happiness and relaxation. Just be sure to check for allergies before initiating this perk.

43. Workplace crèche

 Having a family-friendly crèche at work is such an attractive feature to own. Perks like these allow employees to avoid the stresses of school commutes.

44. Wedding gifts

 Nothing’s better than receiving gifts to commemorate weddings. Send employees wedding gifts to show congrats for their big day.

45. Fertility and adoption support

 Employees who are thinking of having children deal with all kinds of stress. Be supportive by offering fertility or adoption support perks, like paid leave or references.

Social-related perks

46. Social tickets

 There’s a ticket to an event that’ll just about suit everyone’s taste. That’s why it’s a fool-proof employee perk to offer your hard-working staff.

47. Office parties

 Office parties allow employees to celebrate work achievements together. Try to schedule them after pinnacle moments or when your teams need an additional boost.

48. Team-building exercises

 A great perk to offer employees is team-building exercises. Schedule these creative employee perks on a weekly basis or send them off for the weekend if and when needed.

49. Charity donations

 It’s very common for some employees to raise money or awareness for charities they support. Why not match them pound for pound and double their donations as a work perk?

50. Cultural celebrations

 Eid, Hanukkah, Diwali – there are so many cultural festivals celebrated in Britain. Be an inclusive business and enjoy innovative employee perks together! The perfect excuse for a ‘knees-up’!

Contact Love2shop for our awesome corporate perks!

Here at Love2shop, we have the everyday benefits card, which gives employees discounts on big brands. Contact us for more details.

Working Overtime

A Guide to Working Overtime

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When businesses fall behind on projects or deadlines, they often present the notion of working overtime.

However, there are specific legal and moral requirements needed before initiating this. It’s not as simple as asking employees to stay behind and work longer than normal. One bad move and you could end up breaching contracts and legislation.

Let’s take a look at what working overtime means, what the law covers, and how to manage it in a compliant manner.

What is working overtime?

Working overtime is when an employee works beyond their normal contractual hours.

They’ll either work overtime voluntarily or involuntarily. For example, if they’re contractually obliged to work overtime once a month. Or, if they’ve been asked to help out during an unexpected busy period.

The rules on hours and pay vary when it comes to overtime work. That’s because it depends on what type of work is being done, how many extra hours are needed, and what the pay rate is.

If you plan on initiating overtime, it’s important to adhere to the law. Employers should also be sympathetic when it comes to taking efficient rest periods or having commitments outside of work. If not, you could end up losing valuable and talented staff.

What are the advantages of working overtime?

There are countless reasons why companies offer overtime. Let’s take a look at a few examples:

  • Need more time to reduce or complete the workload.
  • Missed the deadline for a certain task or project.
  • Currently low in staff numbers.
  • Helping employees earn more money.
  • Dealing with unforeseen business issues.

What are the disadvantages of working overtime?

Whilst the benefits may seem attractive, you can ignore the downsides to working overtime. For example:

  • Lead to potential health, safety, and welfare issues.
  • Need to budget for greater expenses.
  • Face an increase in absences (due to ill-health).
  • Employees feel obliged to work despite personal matters.
  • Could impact the quality and quantity of output.

Are you obliged to work overtime?

In the UK, there isn’t a specific law that outlines the rules on working overtime. Instead, employers need to refer to legislation relating to work hours, pay, and wellbeing.

An absence of legislation means employees aren’t legally obliged to work overtime. Meaning, you cannot force them to work more than 48 hours per week – regardless of whether they have a written or verbal contract.

This is outlined under the Working Time Regulations 1998. If an employee agrees to work more hours, they must sign an agreement to ‘opt-out’ of this right. (They also have a legal right to defer back to the maximum weekly limit).

Are you obliged to pay overtime work?

There is no law on how overtime works when it comes to payment. Meaning, employers aren’t legally required to pay for overtime hours. However, it’s very unlikely that employees will work for free!

Many businesses will pay their staff to work overtime. And they’ll usually offer one of three options as payment:

  • Statutory minimum wage rate.
  • Normal hourly rate.
  • Additional pay on top of their normal hourly rate.

A very common practice used by businesses is paying ‘time and a half’. How to work out overtime pay here is simple. The employee is paid their hourly rate plus an extra half – for every hour of overtime they complete.

However, many hours you offer as overtime, the average pay for the total hours must not fall short of the National Minimum Wage rate. If it does, you could be forced to pay back missing wages with compensation on top.

Do you get extra holidays for working overtime?

In the UK, employees can receive extra holidays for working overtime. From 2017, any employee who works regular overtime must have their hours included in their holiday pay and other compensations (like commission or bonuses).

Employers have a legal duty to calculate overtime hours into a minimum of four weeks for holiday pay. You can then choose to either pay their basic hours rate or amend it accordingly.

Since 2022, holiday pay for part-time workers who work overtime is based on the last 52 weeks worked. Employers are still legally obliged to apply the same overtime pay rules for both full and part-time employees.

How to manage employees working overtime

Now that we’ve looked at the benefits and laws, it’s up to you whether overtime will work in your business. If you do, here are a few steps to consider:

Outline your overtime terms

The first step you need to take is to outline your terms for working overtime. Include them within your company policies and handbooks so all employees have access to them.

It’s also a good idea to include them in employment contracts, even if certain employees won’t be asked to do overtime. Run this by your HR department to ensure your terms are lawful.

Keep track of all overtime hours and pay

Employers must keep track of all overtime hours and pay. This includes calculating how many hours individuals complete; as well as paying them accordingly. Remember, you cannot pay them less than the National Minimum Wage rate.

It’s also important to keep on top of any work benefits employees are entitled to. For example, commission pay, annual leave, bonuses, or other entitlements agreed to within their contracts.

Care for their wellbeing

Remember, employees who work regular overtime will be more tired than normal. So, make sure you care for their wellbeing as best as you reasonably can.

Make sure they’re taking breaks in accordance with their overall working hours. Some may legally be entitled to longer breaks depending on how many overtime days they’ve worked.

Be aware of presenteeism

Presenteeism is when an employee works despite being ill or sick. They may feel they can’t afford to miss out on overtime pay; or believe productivity will be affected if they don’t attend work.

Employers must ensure their staff are physically fit enough to work. Make sure people are eating and resting well. If a sick employee is worried about losing out on extra wages, send them home with the promise of making up lost hours.

 Love2shop can help you reward hard-working employees

When it comes to overtime work, employers must keep on top of hours, pay, wellbeing, and work benefits. If it’s done well, your productivity levels will sky-rocket – along with your revenue.

When employees are taken care of well, it leads to work satisfaction and engagement. Why not reward their efforts through Love2shop’s customer loyalty schemes? We guarantee there is a gift or incentive that’s suitable for all your hard-working overtimers.

What is mental health

Mental health in the workplace

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Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing; all of which affects how people think, feel, and act. A big part of mental health, and how we manage it, determines how stress is managed. It also affects how we relate to other people, as well as the way choices are made. In all, it undeniably makes us unique individuals; everyone having their own way of dealing with life issues.

It goes without saying, but mental health (and by essence mental health support) is vital at every life stage. It changes as we grow older, developing when new situations are experienced. Mental health problems shape how we think, mood, and behave. When we’re struggling, it might be unbearable to deal with stress, or other worries brought on by modern life; such as life admin.

What is mental health?

Mental health is about how we feel on the inside; referring to emotions, psychological state, and overall wellbeing. It’s just as important as our physical health, as both aspects strongly affect our lives on a daily basis. When our mental health is good, we’re calm, hopeful, accepting, and at peace. It doesn’t mean things are perfect, as all of us have our ups and downs.

Weather serves as a good analogy for mental health. Think of it like this; when the seasons change, so does the weather. Some days are bright and sunny, and this is when we feel happy. Yet, when days grow dark and rainy, our emotions dip to the point we don’t want to leave the house. This can happen to any one of us.

Mental health is affected by situations, what we’re doing, and things outside our control. This includes how other people interact with us, physical health, financial state, and even world events like the pandemic. All of us, no matter our story, are affected by things that happen to us; no matter when it occurred. Our genes are also a factor, as they influence how we process things,

A lot of people find it difficult to discuss their mental health, as there still is a stigma around talking about feelings. However, keeping in how we feel is one of the most detrimental things we can do when it comes to mental health. Mental health support comes in many different forms, but the first step is admitting to ourselves we need help in dealing with how we feel.

Types of mental health problems

Mental health issues come in many different shapes and sizes. Ranging from mild to severe, they all affect someone’s thinking, in turn leading their mood and behaviour to change. In these circumstances, it’s vital we get help as soon as possible. That’s when we’ll start feeling better. Here are some signs of poor mental health:

  • Having trouble sleeping, either sleeping too much, or not being able to have a restful night’s sleep.
  • Eating more so than usual, which is known as comfort eating, and having no appetite.
  • Feeling as if we have little to no energy.
  • Numbness, such as the feeling of nothing mattering.
  • Unexplained aches and pains.
  • Helpless and hopeless moods.
  • Over indulging in bad habits like smoking, drinking, and doing drugs.
  • Unusual mood swings of heightened confusion, forgetfulness, paranoia, anger, sorrow, anxiety, and fright.
  • Short temper, lashing out at friends and family; yelling or fighting.
  • Mood swings affecting relationships.
  • Persistent thoughts.
  • Hearing voices that aren’t there.
  • Thoughts of self-harm, or of hurting others.
  • The inability of performing daily tasks.

How to support employees’ mental health

Employers should do what they can to offer mental health support for employees. When tackling employee mental health, employers and managers need to be aware of what signs to look out for. Everyone exhibits their mental health in different ways, but there are some tell-tale traits to keep in mind. Intervening at an early stage helps prevent issues from escalating, but employers can’t give advice about mental health issues if they’re not qualified to do so. This guide, jointly written by mental health charity Mind and the CIPD, contains information on how managers can better support employees experiencing stress and mental health issues.

Signposting to support is arguably the best course of action. It’s important that line managers have the knowledge, as well as the confidence, to be able to point members of staff in the right direction. This includes suggesting a GP visit, or referral to occupational health.

Employee mental health support can be championed by…

  • Revaluating workloads: one of the main causes of work-related stress is unmanageable workloads. Give employees realistic timescales, which helps minimise the risk of stressing about unreasonable deadlines.
  • Promoting awareness of mental health issues: unfortunately, there’s still a stigma about discussing mental help issues, but promoting awareness and educating colleagues helps dispel myths; replacing falsehoods with established facts.
  • Work-life balance: working long hours on regular basis isn’t a sustainable way of working. It increases the risk of burnout. Employers need to ensure team members maintain a balance between their workload and personal life, and this might differ person by person.
  • Offer flexible working: flexible working arrangements offers support for an individual dealing with mental health issues, as they can better manage their work-life balance from the comfort of their own home.
  • Adopt a wellbeing policy: such a policy should cover both physical and mental health. Begin with a clear statement, committing to supporting a working environment that champions employee health and wellbeing. It should be kept under constant review, as well as being taken seriously by senior management; outlining the responsibilities of stakeholders. Advice regarding advice, support, and training bettering employee wellbeing should be readily available. The wellbeing policy, and its various processes, can be evaluated for its effectiveness.

Give the gift of self-care with gift cards from Love2shop

When you give someone a gift card from Love2shop, you’re showing them that you care about their well-being. You’re giving them the opportunity to take some time for themselves and focus on their mental health.

What is mental health

What is Company Culture?

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Every business will present their own kind of values, ethics, and missions. These are known as ‘company culture’.

The culture of a company will indicate how its workplace represents itself. Some rules might include supporting new employees during their first weeks. Others may promote sharing commission pay with all team-members.

Whatever your rules may be, it’s important to promote cultures that are inclusive, supportive, and respectful. If not, you could end up losing talented workers, facing reputational issues, and causing discriminative acts.

Let’s take a look at what a company culture is, why they’re important, and how to create the best workplace for your business.

What is company culture?

A company culture is a list of beliefs, values, or behaviours set out by a business. These rules are created with the expectation that everyone acknowledges and respects them.

The culture of the company will outline standards that employees are expected to follow. Like, working safely to protect themselves from harm, as well as other colleagues. However, the rules can be directed to non-employees; for example, asking customers not to smoke on the shop premises.

Cultural rules are usually written and included in specific documentation. For example, contracts, policies, and handbooks, However, you may have unwritten rules; like implied terms or social expectations. Whichever they may be, they’ll represent the ethos of your company – for better or for worse.

Why is company culture important?

Company cultures are often a great reflection of their workplace. When employees understand and adhere to your rules or missions, it manifests comradery and cohesion. In the end, a solidified workforce is beneficial for the business overall.

Let’s see why it’s important to have a positive company culture:

Increased engagement and output

When employees respect the values of a business, they’re likely to have higher levels of engagement and output. The quality and quantity of work increases – resulting in greater revenue.

Stronger collaboration between colleagues

A strong company culture can manifest stronger collaboration between colleagues. They’re able to understand one another better and work together to reach the same business goals.

Higher loyalty and retention

When employees are able to work cohesively, they often feel satisfied with their job role. They’ll most likely stay employed with you – leading to higher rates of loyalty and retention. In return, it lowers the cost of recruitment, training, and turnover.

Better business representation

Positive cultural representation won’t remain within the vicinity of the workplace for long. Potential candidates will become interested in working for you. Customers and contractors will also become attracted to high levels of professionalism. In the end, it results in growing potential relations with other businesses.

What are examples of a good and bad company culture?

Examples of a good company culture:

  • Collaborative and teamwork ethics.
  • Performance and recognition reward strategies.
  • Training and career development opportunities.
  • Employee benefits and compensation packages.
  • Levels of mutual trust, transparency, and accountability.
  • Healthy work-life balance and flexibility.
  • Diversity, inclusion, and equality in the workplace.

Examples of a bad company culture:

  • Poor communication (between colleagues and senior members).
  • Gossiping and bullying.
  • Acts of discrimination (both direct and indirect).
  • Disrespect towards leadership.
  • Poor performance and demotivation.
  • Inflexible working conditions.
  • Micro-managing and lack of praise.

How to create the best company culture for your business

Businesses will possess all kinds of norms and visions that best represent themselves. Some may champion improving employee wellbeing; whilst others may priorities boosting clientele listings.

Whatever your values may be, it’s important to keep improving your workplace culture. From this, you’ll be able to improve your output, brand-name, and overall revenue.

Let’s take a look at ways to create the best company culture for your business:

Present your values from the start

The first step employers should take is presenting their company’s cultural values from the start.

This doesn’t just mean outlining them on an employee’s first day of work. You can present them within job specifications, interview stages, and online platforms.

From here, employees will have multiple access to them at all times. Employers can also highlight their values within employment contracts, employee handbooks, and company policies.

Recruit new candidates wisely

Employers should be cautious and recruit new candidates wisely. Choosing them goes beyond their qualifications and certifications. You need to prioritise finding people who’ll best suit your company culture.

This doesn’t just mean finding people who like the same football team as you. It’s all about choosing people who you believe will adhere to your shared missions and goals. They could be super compliant or bring fresh perspectives towards growing business success.

Neglecting this means you could end up hiring people who don’t fit in well – resulting in wasted time, money, and resources.

Encourage open communication

Employers should make a conscious effort towards encouraging open communication. This type of company culture will not only support employees daily; it’ll also help reduce potential issues in the future.

You might think you have a well-developed culture that churns out respectable levels of work. However, certain employees might be suffering in silence. Or some may seek means for voicing their opinions on workplace improvements.

For example, many businesses have weekly or monthly ‘drinks-hours’. This type of cultural rule helps employees unwind after stressful periods of work. However, these events aren’t always inclusive as they can isolate those who don’t drink for religious or personal beliefs.

Adapt with the times

Some employers may have certain cultures that work well for their business. And don’t believe they need changing or updating. However, it’s important to be flexible and adapt with the times.

This isn’t just about keeping up with the latest gimmick or viral trends. Instead, be open to making positive changes that employees or others suggest.

For example, some employees suffer from commuting issues due to ongoing bus strikes. Employers should avoid sanctioning those who are repeated late due to the issue. Instead, be sympathetic to the situation and allow later starts and finishes to make up for lost work hours.

Develop a positive company culture with Love2shop

From meeting commission goals to attending social events – the culture of a company paints an overall picture of a business’s ethics and values.

A popular cultural strategy used by many companies includes employee recognition programs. At Love2shop, we offer a variety of rewards that’ll align perfectly with your specific company culture.

 

importance of employee wellbeing

What is Employee Wellbeing and Why is it Important?

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Every employer has a moral duty of ensuring their staff work within secure conditions. That doesn’t just mean complying with relevant health and safety laws. It also extends to covering your employees’ wellbeing.

Good wellbeing is found to have direct links to higher work productivity, job satisfaction, and personal welfare. But it’s not just a great benefit for the workforce. Maintaining a good level of wellbeing at work is proven to increase your overall business success.

Let’s take a look at what employee wellbeing exactly means, why it’s important, and how to encourage it within professional and personal capacities.

What is employee wellbeing?

Employee wellbeing is considered to be one of the most crucial aspects of workplace health and safety. It’s all about being on top of your staff’s welfare during work – as much as reasonably possible.

There are several factors to take into account when dealing with wellbeing for employees. It may include physical being, mental health, financial status, or even their social state.

Whilst some of these may not be work-related, employees could continue to suffer from their issues during work hours. For example, they could be facing problems paying their rent, getting medication, or even going through bereavement.

For employers, you aren’t expected to heal or resolve their issue. This isn’t considered to be part of your legal duty for your staff. However, you do have a moral duty to provide support and aid were reasonably possible.

A quick conversation or referral could help fix the problem for good. In the end, you end up with happier, healthier, motivated, and loyal employees.

Why is employee health and wellbeing important?

Understandably, some employers will believe wellbeing isn’t part of their responsibility. However, an unhappy workforce may lead to business problems that you’re unaware of or hadn’t foreseen.

Employees are more likely to take more sick leave or unauthorised absences. This decreases the total amount of production hours; and places an additional burden on other workers covering work duties.

When an employee is suffering from poor wellbeing, they’re also likely to feel unsupported and unmotivated at work. Employers may be forced to dish out disciplinary actions, like hearings, demotions, or even dismissals.

In the end, it’s always better to aim to promote a healthier and happier workplace. This can include making sure employees are fit enough to work, all the way to supporting those with medical issues.

As mentioned, it’s not about relieving them of their issue completely. It’s about helping them get through it whilst balancing their professional and personal lives. And it all comes from promoting positive wellbeing in the workplace.

How to improve employee wellbeing in your workplace

When it comes to business success, your staff play an important part. That’s why many companies invest time, money, and effort into employee welfare. After all, a happy workforce leads to a healthy bottom-line.

Don’t be distracted into thinking wellbeing is another marketing or HR gimmick. A workplace culture that promotes positive wellbeing will ultimately lead to higher productivity, loyalty, and overall business success.

Let’s take a look at ways to boost employee wellbeing in your workplace:

Create a wellbeing policy

The first step employers should take is create a wellbeing policy and make it available to staff members. The policy should outline what wellbeing means, why it’s important, and how to ensure it stays protected during work hours.

Along with the policy, it’s also a great idea to present a workplace culture that vocalises positive wellbeing. That doesn’t mean holding meetings on eating healthy or cutting down on smoking. It also includes things like tending to personal mental health or treating others respectfully.

Employers should also highlight the importance of good wellbeing at pre-recruitment. This includes referring to it in job specs, interviews, and even during onboarding stages. That way, employees are made fully aware – respecting their own wellbeing state, as well as that of others.

Highlight the importance of mental health

From work-related stress to suicidal tendencies, mental health covers all kinds of diagnoses. Many people suffer alone – without medical or personal support. Positive wellbeing helps employees prioritise their own mental health; over other people, places, and even duties.

Employers aren’t expected to heal people with mental health problems. However, you must ensure your workplace doesn’t exacerbate a person’s health condition further (through triggers, negligence, or even discrimination).

Many businesses offer things like mental health prevention support, personal counselling, medical referrals, and even resilience training. It’s also important to eradicate any taboo or stigma surrounding mental health. Normalise and help those suffering in silence.

Promote a healthy work-life balance

It’s so important not to dismiss the importance of a healthy work-life balance. When it’s done right, it flourishes positive employee wellbeing all around.

Employers have a legal and moral duty to create an environment that encourages a healthy balance. This may include ensuring employees take efficient time off, working in safe conditions, and avoiding presenteeism (overworking whilst being ill).

Remember, employers should lead by example and not let others pick up bad work habits. Meaning, you should avoid working extra long hours, neglecting breaks, or working to the point of ill-health (including both physical and mental).

Encourage open communication and support

The only way to know if an employee is suffering from poor wellbeing is through talking about it. Employers should encourage open communication and support for those who need it.

Often, employees may be unable to work well due to personal wellbeing issues. For example, having trouble paying bills or dealing with an ongoing medical condition. Whatever the case, be sure to provide professional, confidential help as soon as possible.

With the recent rise in hybrid working, it’s also important not to neglect open communication with those working remotely or in isolation. Ensure they’re being supported just like any ‘office-based’ colleague – regardless of their working hours, location, or position.

Benefits of Employee Wellbeing

There are a multitude of benefits for implementing employee wellbeing policies in the workplace. These include:

  • Improved employee engagement
  • Reduced absenteeism
  • Increased productivity
  • Reduced turnover
  • Improved mental and physical health
  • Enhanced creativity and innovation
  • Stronger company culture
  • Increased profitability

What is an example of an employee wellbeing strategy?

There are countless strategies businesses can use when it comes to improving employee wellbeing. Some are free of charge; whilst others can be sought at reasonable prices.

Let’s take a look at a few examples:

  • Health: Like, gym memberships, sports classes, and fitness sessions.
  • Medical: Like, GP appointments, therapy sessions, or health professional referrals.
  • Career development: Like, shadowing, mentoring, or training sessions.
  • Social: Like after-work gatherings, team-building days, and lifestyle events.
  • Financial: Like, rent support, loan advice, and money vouchers.

Improve your employee wellbeing with Love2shop

Every business should nurture the benefits of employee wellbeing. Not only does it make employees feel valued and respected, it also directly leads to higher work efficiency and loyalty.

Why not help encourage it further by offering gift cards and vouchers? At Love2shop, we offer a variety of rewards guaranteed to help improve your employee wellbeing rates.

However, you plan to encourage employee wellbeing, Love2shop has the perfect gift card for you.

2024 will bring uncertainty – investing in loyalty will be key to growth

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We are heading into the Year of Loyalty, where businesses that invest in their employees and customers will give themselves a platform for success.

Predicting what 2024 will bring is challenging – with the prospect of a General Election and the constantly shifting sands of economic policy have created a much more uncertain future.

Last year, we knew everyone was in for a rough ride and so it proved, with businesses and employees wrestling with rising costs and interest rates. But while 2024 may not be as clearly-defined, what is certain is that loyalty will be the most influential driver.

The experience of the last 12 months – and in some ways the last three years – has created in consumers and workers a greater sense of their own value – to themselves, the places they work and the businesses and services they use.

The businesses that succeed in 2024 will be the ones that recognise how to build and maintain loyalty in a more meaningful way.

Out with the old – sales and loyalty are changing

From a consumer standpoint, traditional loyalty programmes no longer have the influence they once did. Already we have seen the biggest supermarkets adjust their loyalty programmes so that rather than focusing on accumulating points, members get instant discounts at the checkout instead.

Price remains a strong influence, but that is falling. According to data from customer experience managers Qualtrics, 61% of consumers base their loyalty to a brand on the quality of the service or product and 47% on the customer service support. Only 43% base it on low prices. So the impact of sales – with the possible exception of Black Friday – is diminishing in customers’ eyes.

These significant shifts in consumer behaviour will filter through to all businesses in 2024. Consumers post-Covid have an increasing need to feel looked out for and protected from the unexpected.

Businesses that can offer wraparound care with tangible benefits – service packages for major expenses for example – will see real growth in 2024. But those packages need to offer real value at the right price. Never have consumers been more aware of what they are actually getting when they sign up for value-added services.

Make it too complex, too expensive or pay lip-service to the problem you’re claiming to protect them against and it could be very damaging to your business.

Retention is still king for employers

We’ve seen a lot of recent articles preaching retention for 2024 and we agree, retention is vital. We actually had this as a key point for 2023 and the message has not changed.

Recruitment remains challenging for business, with significant numbers of unfilled vacancies across the economy.

Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show almost a million unfilled vacancies in the UK right now. So it’s obvious that retaining employees is vital to growth.

Love2shop’s own Employee Value Report, published in September, told us that despite this need to retain staff, 4.4 million UK workers are considering leaving their job as they feel undervalued, with 1.5 million ready to leave without a new role to go to.

When asked why, 41% said they felt their contribution to the business was not acknowledged, 32% cited poor pay and benefits and 29% believed that loyalty is a one-way street and they did not matter to their employer.

That indicates serious disillusionment with employers – and that could become a crisis in 2024.

What’s frustrating is that the UK workforce is not asking employers for a lot. We also found that 90% would feel more valued by receiving a spontaneous gift card at work but 47% said their employer never gifts them anything.

Small regular shows of appreciation beyond the pay packet in 2024 are the key to employee retention. Employee discount schemes can be one solution, but many are complex and not valued by employees.

Consider offering employees discounts they can apply instantly. Everyday Benefits from Love2shop for example is a card employees pre-load funds onto at a 7.5% discount. So for example, if they load £100 on, they only pay £92.50. They then have £100 on the card to spend at more than 140 partner retailers.

Businesses that get it right will be in a strong position when the economy begins to truly grow again.

AI will find its place

This year AI has been the buzzword in business and that is unlikely to stop. However, we believe it will settle down and find its place in the ecosystem in 2024.

The rapid explosion of artificial intelligence in 2023 made it seem a bit like the Wild West, with even Google struggling to keep up!

But 2024 will see more businesses employ AI strategically. Used as a support tool to improve customer experience alongside human interaction it can help businesses manage more enquiries and ease some of the teething troubles growing businesses sometimes have with fulfilment.

According to global research firm Forrester, AI will be used more surgically, particularly by digital businesses, to support customer service delivery, however it also predicts that 40% of buyers aged 25-44 will rate person-to-person interactions as their most meaningful – so if customer loyalty is your goal, invest in people.

Spreading API-ness

APIs are nothing new, but we will see them deployed more by businesses to enhance their user experience.

Businesses working with partners to deliver key employee benefits or customer rewards will move away from engineering their own in-house solutions and instead will expect suppliers to provide seamless APIs that help them to deliver global-quality brand engagement and user experience within their budget.

Critically, the most important investments businesses will make in 2024 will be around experience – the workplace experience, the customer experience, the online experience.

Integrating Love2shop into your reward and recognition systems is a great way to enhance those experiences – opening up a mammoth catalogue of brands for recipients to spend with.

You can find details of how our API integration offers safe, secure real-time integration here: https://business.love2shop.co.uk/api-for-gift-cards.

Whatever happens 2024 will be a year of significant change for business. Attitudes and behaviours may be shifting but by using new insights to focus on what’s really important businesses will thrive.

The primary focus, as ever is on quality of products and services. But invest in your workforce and your customers. Create an eco-system around your brand that people want to engage with and be a part of.

That will make your business resilient, agile and ensure you’re ready to grow whatever surprises 2024 has in store.

The King of Workplace Christmas Gifts – a handy guide

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Christmas may be a time of peace and goodwill to all… but it can also be a period of stress that drives us up the wall.

Finding the right gifts for family and friends can be challenging enough but employers up and down the land face the same dilemma… what’s the best way to show appreciation for their staff at Christmas?

More to the point, if you are going to offer a gift to members of your team, should it be cash, a gift or something else?

Fortunately, Love2shop are the experts in workplace gifting and employee engagement, so we’ve got the lowdown on the pros and cons of every gift type to help you choose what’s right for your workforce.

What you give – and how you give it – is important. Why? Well, according to the Love2shop Employee Value Report 2023, 57% of UK workers – that’s 17.2m people – say their productivity increases when they feel valued.

It also found almost 90% of UK workers said if they were surprised by their employer with a multi-retailer gift card they would feel more valued, while more than 87% said spontaneous gifts from their employer gave them a feeling of value and recognition.

So, gifting your employees is unquestionably beneficial to your productivity and output. But how do you choose the right gift. Here’s our handy guide:

Cash

Pros: Giving people cash, usually through payroll, is simple and straightforward and requires little thought or planning. Keeping it simple in a complicated world can be appreciated.

Cons: Every penny you give is subject to tax and National Insurance, which will either make it a lot more expensive per head for your business or eat into the amount your employees receive.

It also lacks thought and imagination. It’s a gift given as a process, another line on the payslip. It can feel cold and transactional and any warmth it creates disappears as soon as it is spent.

Gift cards

Pros: In an age when we are used to paying for things with a swipe of a debit or credit card, a gift card is a convenient, portable and way to make gifting easy. Balances can be viewed online and digital e-gift cards can even be added to digital wallets to scan via smartphones.

Multi-retailer gift cards give the gift of choice so they can make their gift mean more and some brands offer personalisation options to add to the overall gift.

Cons: It’s important to maximise the presentation. Just handing over the card can make it feel like an afterthought. Also watch out for brands that reduce the value of cards on a monthly basis with ‘admin fees’. Find a gift card provider that will not give your employees any nasty surprises.

Physical gifts

Pros: Giving just the right gift to someone is very powerful. Showing you know someone and care about their interests and what they love shows an exceptional level of appreciation and is a significant motivator for people.

Cons: It can be hard enough to pick the right gift for a family member or close friend. Choosing the right gift for a colleague opens up a whole world of stress, especially if you are buying for multiple team members. It’s hard to really know people, especially as people tend to code-switch between the workplace and home. Getting it wrong can be just as powerful or memorable as getting it right.

And if you opt for the job lot of hampers, chocolates or bottles of wine, you might as well not bother, as that’s the impression they will get. Unless you’ve spent a lot, chances are they will use most of it as gifts for people they don’t really like.

Vouchers:

Pros: In a digital age vouchers are less popular than they once were. However, people the more mature members of your workforce may prefer them because they are familiar. Multi-retailer vouchers offer the flexibility of cash but have the more tangible feel of a thoughtful gift. They are easily redeemable and universally understood.

Cons: While older members of staff may love a paper voucher, younger ones may prefer a gift card that more easily fits in their purse or wallet, or even their phone case. They can also become easily damaged.

Gifting your employees is always a great idea, whichever type of gift you choose. With Christmas fast approaching, hopefully you are already sorted, but if not take a look at our Christmas reward options here.

Alternatively, contact our team here today to discuss how you can get your Love2shop gifts delivered in time for Christmas 2023.

Tips from the uninspirational boss

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What’s better than a boss? That’s right, a cool boss who wants to be your mate or thinks they’re some sort of productivity guru.

Love2shop is proud of our expertise in employee engagement – but we are always on the lookout for mavericks with an alternative view of business.  We managed to find one of these big beasts of industry in the wild and sat him down to see what pearls of wisdom he could offer heading into 2024.

We thought he looked familiar – although we’ve spent so long in The Office it’s hard to know whether it’s just our minds playing tricks on us.

Never mind, here are the top five tips this uninspirational ‘legend of business’ had to offer:

1: Nothing drives people like a bit of fear. If you want a technique that’ll leave your team literally terrified, try the almighty “Envelope” technique.

2: Have you created an atmosphere at work where you’re a friend first, a boss second, and probably an entertainer third? Then go and get the guitar.

3: When it comes to management styles, you don’t always have to play by “the rules”. Take public appraisals for instance. Some staff love them. (Editors note: most do not)

 

4: This Christmas, tell your team that they will never work in a place like yours again. Fact. And they’ll never have another boss like you. Someone who’s basically a chilled-out entertainer. The signed photo might be a step too far though.

5: You might be chasing the bunce this Christmas (bunsen burner, nice little earner), but younger team members probably won’t be. Try motivational books. Avocados even.

Wow, so there you go. We have to say, as advice goes, that is pretty terrible. Rather than give yourself a major recruitment headache to start the year, why not simply Pass on the Love with Love2shop?

Our range of Love2shop Gift Cards, e-Gift Cards and vouchers are perfect for incentives, performance bonuses and gifts for your workforce. Whether it’s a thank you for being great or a ‘you smashed it’ for going above and beyond their targets, Love2shop incentives help you show your team that what they do really matters.

Make it special – presentation is key for workplace Christmas gifting

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There’s an icy nip in the air and the constant sound of sleigh bells and children’s choirs on the high street – the festive season is now well and truly upon us.

Christmas, of course, is all about peace, goodwill and spreading cheer and employers – or their HR departments – up and down the land are now planning how they can deliver Christmas gifts that make their employees feel truly valued.

Offering members of your team a gift to say thank you for their hard work during the year is a simple and effective way of boosting morale. Get it right and your gift can help illuminate those dark and miserable mornings through January to get your year off to a great start.

But get it wrong and it could have the opposite effect. And we’re not just talking about what you give (or don’t). How you give it is just as important.

You only get what you give

According to corporate rewards and loyalty specialist, Love2shop, an increasing number of employers are offering gift cards or e-gift cards to their employees at Christmas. They can offer a Love2shop gift card, accepted by around 150 retailers, up to the value of £50 tax-free.

The Love2shop Employee Value Report 2023 revealed that for 90% of UK employees a surprise gift of a multi-retailer gift card would make them feel more valued while 57% said multi-retailer gift cards made the best rewards.

Presented in the right way, gift cards are actually a really great way for a business to give back at Christmas. Everyone is struggling with the increased cost of living and a multi-retailer gift card like Love2shop can make a real difference to people’s ability to spend and enjoy the holidays.

But just dropping them on people’s desks or sending our digital codes on email or SMS without a by-your-leave is a recipe for trouble. It can make a genuine, meaningful gift feel like an afterthought and could have a negative impact on morale and performance.

So how can you present your team with their gifts to show you’ve really thought about them?

Keep it real

We don’t think you should be hiring smoke machines, glitter cannons and streamers (but hey, you do you).

You need to be authentic, s if that’s not your usual way, don’t force it. Christmas means different things to different people. Also, in these cash-conscious times, nobody wants to think that you’ve spent more on the presentation than on the gift itself.

Keep things tasteful, perhaps decorate the kitchen or board room and call a team meeting to give everyone their gifts. Get some mince pies or festive chocolates and make a little bit of fuss over the team as a group as you thank them for their work and present each of them with their gift.

For larger teams, you could arrange meetings at each site or, if that’s not practical, even gather groups remotely on conference call to publicly thank everyone, highlight some key achievements and let them know that their gifts are on their way.

Never too late

Christmas may be fast approaching but there is still time to put some thought and planning into the presentation to avoid the last minute panic on December 20.

Don’t get hung up on presenting the reward in person. Working environments have changed significantly over the past few years. Flexible and home working, client visits and conference calls all reduce the time that people physically spend at their desks.

We are all now so much more comfortable with technology. An e-code sent out with a warm festive message is simple but can make a lovely surprise and it’s easy to include within a personalised festive message for the recipient.

What we give is more important than ever, as people try to manage their budgets and would rather have something to spend instead of a novelty item or office party.

But how we give it affects how our team feel. Make it more personal and authentic and you will amplify the positive impact

Take a look at our Christmas reward options here. Alternatively, contact our team here today to discuss how you can get your Love2shop gifts delivered in time for Christmas 2023.

Christmas – a time to make your staff feel appreciated

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The festive season is in full swing with joy all around – but it’s also a time reflect on a difficult year for both businesses and individuals.

Looking back, 2023 was a year of soaring inflation and eye-watering energy bills. As well as juggling precarious personal finances, your staff have worked hard to help keep your business moving forward during these tough times. What impact would a little bit of extra recognition have?

For people working in sectors such as retail, the festive season offers no end-of-year wind-down. They are in the maelstrom of the busiest period of their year, doing some of their most important work.

But for those in other business sectors there may be a drop-off in work intensity. This offers the perfect opportunity to allow your team to breathe and ‘take a moment’, to step back and appreciate how much they have achieved. They’ve earned it.

Family fun and time to recharge

No doubt arrangements for Christmas parties and nights out are already in the pipeline. But there are more meaningful ways you, as an employer, can show your staff how much you value them in the next few weeks.

Parents for example, will be feeling their own festive pressures. Whether it’s Christmas shopping or finding time to attend the Christmas fairs, nativity plays and concerts that always seem to be scheduled during the school day.

All too often mums, dads or guardians have to use their annual leave to attend such events. Maybe this year you can let them take half a day on you, as a thank-you.

Increasingly some businesses are even implementing Christmas shut-downs. This gives everyone a little more time off, particularly between Christmas and New Year when there may be no need for the whole team to come in. And if work tails off in the run up to Christmas why not let people go home an hour or two early?

A time for giving

Of course, whether you colleagues are buying for their family or trying to enjoy the festive party season, the rising cost of living has hit everyone hard this year. A nice way to show people their efforts in 2023 meant something that makes life easier – like a Love2shop Gift Card.

The corporate gifting experts at Love2shop have just published their Employee Value Report 2023. It highlights the risks of letting your employees believe you don’t appreciate their efforts, but also the value of getting gifting and rewarding right – to both your work environment and your bottom line.

It revealed just over 5.5m workers – around 18% – said they don’t feel valued at work. Of those disaffected workers, almost 1.5m are willing to leave their job as soon as possible, without a new role lined up.

But those surveyed also told Love2shop how employers can get it right. Additional days off, flexible or hybrid working and spontaneous gift cards as a little pick-me-up are the top three ways employees say bosses can improve their happiness.

And for a relatively low cost, you can show your appreciation with Love2shop Gift Cards, e-Gift Cards and vouchers. These are quick to deliver and can be tax efficient.

HMRC offers a Trivial Benefits allowance. This allows an employer to give non-cash gifts up to the value of £50. They can be given in the form of a £50 Love2shop gift card or e-gift card. The beauty of these gifts is that they are tax-free and require no additional paperwork.

You can find out more about how to give gifts tax-free using Love2shop’s free Tax-Free Gift Calculator tool here.

Love2shop is one of the best known gifting brands in the UK and is accepted by around 150 retailers. These include well-known brands such as Marks & Spencer, Iceland, Matalan, Argos, Costa, Harvester, Tui, Jet2Holidays and many, many more.

There are big risks to allowing your staff to feel their efforts are not recognised or appreciated. Fixing it is easy. With just a little bit of thought and effort you can create a warm glow around your team this Christmas that will last well into the New Year.

Contact our team here today to discuss how you can get your Love2shop gifts delivered in time for Christmas 2023 or visit our self-serve portal and get started yourself here.