Covid-19 Has Dramatically Altered Company Benefits. Here’s How.

Ben  have surveyed more than 150 businesses in the Ben Benefits Outlook Survey to see how their benefits packages are shifting with the world around them over the next year. With 30% of employers planning to increase their benefits budget, here’s an overview of what they’re planning to spend it on.

Businesses are investing more in their teams’ mental health than ever

After the year we’ve had, helping teams turn up to work every day as happy and healthy as possible is vital. 39% of businesses Ben spoke to are adding mental health support to their benefits package. Investing in therapy for your employees improves their quality of life, helps them grow as individuals - and avoids burnout and stress-related poor performance and absenteeism. 

In fact, 44% of businesses are going even further, giving their employees a wellbeing allowance to spend on anything that boosts their mental health - from the gym to their Netflix subscription 🤑.

For many, office collaboration and workplace culture is a big part of what keeps them ticking at work - so 44% of businesses have invested in more team socials to keep the company culture alive. After all, a happy team is a healthy team! 

Getting more comfortable working at home 

Whether you had a chair that left you with back ache, a “desk” that was actually the kitchen table covered in crumbs or a rigid 9am-5pm structure but notifications flying through every hour of the day - and night - many of us weren’t exactly well-prepared to enter the new way of working. 

Now we know work-from-home is here to stay, business leaders around the world are investing in making sure their employees are as productive and happy as possible in their home offices. 28% of companies Ben spoke to adopted more flexible working patterns, and almost 1 in 3 gave work-from-home allowances to allow their teams to upgrade their home-office set-up. The result? A productive team that can perform at its very best. 

Employers are helping staff spend more quality time with our families

For most of us, we’ve spent a lot more time isolated with our loved ones - and there’s never been a more timely reminder that family comes first. Many employers have rolled out benefits that support family life - whatever it looks like. 

As well as flexible working patterns and wellbeing allowances to help employees enjoy quality time with their loved ones, 20% of companies are adding childcare benefits, and 13% of teams are adding insurance products or income protection schemes to give employees and their loved ones peace of mind. 

So what does all of this mean for your business?

With 66% of Ben’s survey respondents racing to make their benefits package as competitive as possible, it’s a good time to find out how your offering stacks up to other businesses in your industry by taking the survey here. 

With remote working here to stay, it’s important to consider all aspects of remote working. So whether that’s the logistics of hiring someone compliantly from another country or building a dream benefits package, make sure you’re partnering with a global employment services provider that’s got you covered.