What are the most important employee 'perks' and can they every make p for a low salary?

[KatyMac]

I run my business on a bit of a shoestring & whilst I'd really like to put my staffs wages up high, I really can't afford to (to put it into context I made no profit at all this year - I'm not going to stop doing it tho' I really love it)

So I need to find ways to show my staff that I value them and appreciate the work they do

So I am considering increasing A/L, playing about with subsidised childcare, I also provide meals, a Christmas Bonus (& presents for any children under 18)

Are they any interesting/unusual ideas which I could add to their employement package?

TIA

[Judy1234]

All the things above of course. Chocolate biscuits or fruit or something at work. Staff Christmas party -- they are tax deductible for you up to certain limits (check all the tax rules on any perks before you offer them).

When I read the thread title I was going to post about the biggest perk we got - virtually free school fees for a child (my ex husband taught at the school) and a virtually free flat. We knew one couple who got free private education in the wife's school for 3 children aged 4 - 13 and then at the husband's boarding school from 13 - 18 plus free school house. The school fee benefit to them was about £640,000 tax free so presumably about £1m if you take it out of taxed income and accommodation for them all for 20 or 30 years virtually free would have added a good bit on to that. Those are pretty good perks!

[KatyMac]

Xenia - free out-of-school care is pretty fab for those of us at the other end of the scale

I will check with IR btw

[Judy1234]

I am sure it is. I've bred my own (older student children and they're invaluable).

Perks do make a huge difference to people. They can be more troubled by cutting of perks in hard times (taxis home after 9 in the City or even culling of chocolate biscuits) than wage issues so it's important to get it right.

[LittleBella]

Well the biggest perk I've got which is why I do the job I do, is flexible and home working, but I appreciate that's difficult for you to do. It's also really important to me that I'm not expected to do extra time for free - I'm no longer prepared for my employer to cannibalise time which belongs to me and my children.

[ivykaty44]

You also do actually give a considerable amount to your staff already, as I noticed you give your staff a meal - is this a meal on duty?

When I was working in catering my meal on duty (and free coffee) was one of my biggest perks and saved me a hugh fortune in supermarket bills. When I left catering for the job I love now my food bill shot up! Probably about £20 per week difference to my food bill and I only worked part time. But because I eat on duty and my dc were at a minders it was 3-4 meals per week I had to make when I left.

I now have to pay for tea and coffee, supply my own meals when working, these things add up to probably around £5-6 per week.

Don'y get me wrong I love my job, and get a better wage, a good pension but it is all swings and roundabouts.

[KatyMac]

At leat I'm not mean

[Judy1234]

A monthly night out paid for to some extent is another one or even just organising work things that people pay for like a fun run for charity, things that foster the corporate spirit. Suggestion boxes employees can contribute ideas to with £10 for the best one work well too in some companies.

[SmugColditz]

Subsidised childcare would be a big pull to me.

[KatyMac]

I think I have to limit it to 3 school age children tbh

[tigermoth]

flexiblity is the biggest perk for me. Also allowing employees to work from home - but I don't suppose that's possible?

How about six monthly salary reviews as opposed to yearly ones? know you can't afford to raise wages much but could you afford to give little and often?

[Bubble99]

Extra A/L (you've already thought of this)

Paid breaks - surprising how few nurseries seem to do this. the usual seems to be a nine hour day at work but paid for eight.

A decent staff room with internet access and use of a printer.

Lots of (genuine) praise and thanks.

Time and a half back for weekend training couses and time back for after-work staff meetings or open-evenings (again, not the norm for a lot of staff we have interviewed/employed)

I'll think of some more soon...

[KatyMac]

Thanks for that Bubble - atm it's just for childminding - the nursery is off

[tiredemma]

Katy, I earn an absolute pittance at the moment (minimum wage) for demanding, hard, stressful work. I love my job because I love the residents and the clinical area that I work in (mental illness), my main gripe is that the management have no appreciation for the work that we do at all.

I think that what you are doing so far sounds fantastic, the birthday day off and half day xmas shopping day would be good.

For me, the best thing that a manager could do is acknowledge the hard work that I do with a regular thank you.

You sound like a great employer.

Sorry to hear about your nursery- hope things turn out good for you- God knows you deserve it x

[tiredemma]

( I really miss working for Thomas cook though and getting fantastic holiday concessions!-))

[Judy1234]

Acknowledgement for hard work is really important and doesn't cost anything. I think any of us who are employed a nanny probably have experience of how to try to make an employee feel good too.

Praise. Employee of the month awards. I know one employer where one employee each month gets a free trip to the company's or the director's villa in Tenerife which is a much appreciated perk.