# **What Is An Employee Benefits Programme?**

An employee benefits programme is a set of extra benefits that you provide your employees, aside from the mandatory benefits such as paid holiday, parental leave, etc.

Employee benefits programmes, provided to your team members as an employee benefits package, are a powerful way to not only support your team’s health and happiness within their job, but outside of work too.

Additionally, employee benefit programmes can be used to reward employees, provide them with extra monetary contributions, and support their learning and development. Most employees now expect out-of-the-box benefits and see them as an essential part of the [company’s culture.](/content/blog-posts/employee-wellbeing-and-company-culture-are-key-to-winning-the-war-for-talent-juno-x-platypus/index.html)

If you already have an employee benefits programme set up but your employees aren’t engaging with it, there may be a few things missing that you simply need to tweak.

# **What Should You Offer In An Employee Benefits Package?**

It’s completely up to you which benefits you provide and the list of employee benefits that companies offer is expansive - it’s really impossible to define exactly what you should offer, since each company culture is unique.

For example, here’s how companies that offer Juno, EduME, Flatfair, and Grant Tree, showcase that they are supporting their employees with benefits on their job descriptions.

### [**eduME:**](https://www.edume.com/careers)

### [**Flatfair:**](https://flatfair.co.uk/careers/)

### [**Grant-Tree:**](https://granttree.co.uk/careers/)

# **How Employee Benefits Are Changing: A Focus On Wellbeing**

Since findings in our [Workplace Culture Study](https://share.hsforms.com/1XCcM5zq_T46gXQ5O7deQQw571ge?__hstc=224936389.bd7c8e965bdd664821829be01e0d05e8.1644257365606.1652258426509.1652266890879.192&__hssc=224936389.10.1652266890879&__hsfp=2007563824&utm_source=whatemployeeswantfromworkplaces&utm_medium=blogpost&utm_campaign=whatemployeeswantfromworkplaces) found that **58%** of respondents said that improved access to benefits and wellness tools were the factors behind they would choose a role at an alternative company, prioritising wellbeing benefits is especially impactful.

However, more traditional core benefits are still highly prioritised by both employers and employees and can provide great benefits for individuals and companies overall.

So, what’s the difference between traditional core benefits and flexible wellbeing benefits and how can you provide your employees with the most powerful benefits package possible by combining both?

## **Traditional Core Benefits**

Traditional benefits, also known as core benefits, are the more classic offerings that people associate with workplace benefits. These types of benefits are normally centred around medical health, insurance, and pensions.

For example, these could be pension schemes, medical insurance, or dental care.

## **Flexible Wellbeing Benefits**

Health and wellbeing benefits are amongst the most popular benefits currently being looked for by prospective employees, as [research](https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/health-wellbeing-work-report-2021_tcm18-93541.pdf) and findings from [our own studies](https://share.hsforms.com/1XCcM5zq_T46gXQ5O7deQQw571ge?__hstc=224936389.bd7c8e965bdd664821829be01e0d05e8.1644257365606.1652258426509.1652266890879.192&__hssc=224936389.10.1652266890879&__hsfp=2007563824&utm_source=whatemployeeswantfromworkplaces&utm_medium=blogpost&utm_campaign=whatemployeeswantfromworkplaces) have shown.

Therefore, they need to be prioritised. Providing your employees with flexible wellbeing benefits actively shows them that you understand that wellbeing is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Implementing a flexible wellbeing benefits scheme gives your employees autonomy to support their own wellbeing in a way that suits them better.

# **Connecting Core Benefits and Flexible Wellbeing Benefits**

If you’re providing your team with both core benefits and flexible wellbeing benefits, you are covering all bases, committing to showing your team you care, and actively supporting every aspect of your team’s health and wellbeing.

So, the best possible employee benefits programme you can offer your employees is one that merges both these types of benefits.

# **How To Create An Employee Benefits Programme In 6 Steps**

Now you’re aware of the three main areas in which you should be prioritising when it comes to the benefits you are providing to your employees, it’s time to take a look at exactly how you can create an employee benefits programme in 6 steps.

## **1\. Redefine What You Think Benefits Mean**

Employee benefits are great, but the right ones are amazing! Many companies make the mistake of thinking traditional benefits like gym discounts and free coffee at the office are enough to check the benefits box. But in reality, you might be wasting your benefits budget on benefits that aren’t actually relevant to your employees and won’t be engaged with.

That’s why redefining the meaning of benefits is so important. Employees are looking to join and stay in companies that are thinking beyond the ping-pong tables.

## **2\. Get Feedback From Your Employees**

If you want to provide your employees with benefits that give them exactly what they want, the best thing you can do is communicate with them and ask them what they need.

## **3\. Choose An All-In-One Benefits Platform**

There’s nothing worse than endless providers and hours of admin. So, make sure you’re choosing an all-in-one employee benefits platform that makes it simple and quick to provide benefits to your team.

## **4\. Get Your Proposal and Budget Signed off By Key Stakeholders**

Therefore, you need to make a plan to advocate for a wellbeing budget and get your programme signed off by your key stakeholders.

## **5\. Implement Your Programme and Communicate The Details To Your Employees**

Once your wellbeing proposal and budget are approved, you can start implementing your employee benefits programme. To ensure that your team is actually going to engage with the benefits you are offering it’s important to clearly communicate what you are providing them with.

## **6\. Monitor and Assess The Employee Benefits Programme**

After implementing your employee benefits programme it’s important to track the data that’s coming from it to ensure not only that your team is engaged with what you are offering, but that it’s genuinely making a difference to their wellbeing.

Are you ready to provide your team with an employee benefits programme that will support their wellbeing in the most flexible and impactful way?