New research from Paychex, the payroll and HR services company. 65% of employees whose benefits had changed since switching to remote work reported an increased level of job satisfaction. In comparison, 73% of employees noted that productivity levels had improved when employers adjusted their benefits packages. The headline – employees who update their benefits packages to new working preferences benefit from greater productivity, higher job satisfaction, and better company culture.
Remote workers’ most common benefit updates included flexible-working hours and performance bonuses. However, when asked which additional benefits they most wanted, employees placed a home office stipend (31%) and reimbursement for internet costs (30%) in the top two spots.
While I’m mentioning these changes, the world’s largest trial of the four-day work week kicked off in the UK this week. The pilot, lasting six months, involves 3,300 workers across 70 companies.
Add to that an article in Protocol reviewing the apparent shift in employee desires in perks – calling some anti-perks. These include free food, video games, open-plan offices, fitness rooms, nap rooms, and the like. Research shows employees don’t want snacks – they want work that aligns with their values, structural benefits like location-agnostic pay, and support for different kinds of employee leave.
Why do we care?
This particular set of stories feels very actionable. A noticeable trend is that employees generally don’t value the “fluff” – food, games, etc. Things designed to keep staff in the office more than empower them. The general rule of thumb – employees can smell the bullshit a mile away.
Favor benefits that are benefits to them, and they respond.