Do sustainable employee benefits really matter?

Today we’re asking do employees really care about sustainable employee benefits? Of course they do! And here’s why your business should take note…

Employee benefits have come a long way since the simplistic days of free fruit in the office and casual Fridays. We now live in a world of gym memberships, car benefit schemes, health cash plans, and much more. The options are limitless, so why should you explore ethical employee benefits as an option for your business? Do sustainable employee benefits really matter?

The truth is, the focus of employees today has shifted significantly, with more employees prioritising their mental health and becoming more conscious of their impact on the environment. Over 84% of employees say they are concerned about climate change, and this increases to over 88% for under 25s. In fact, the environment is the second most important issue for under 25s only behind health.

This change didn’t happen by accident. It’s a direct result of changing attitudes amongst new generations of employees, and if you want to ensure you attract and retain top talent in the workplace, it’s important your employee benefits reflect this change in perspective.

We might seem biased, but sustainable and ethical employee benefits are a pretty essential first step towards appealing to your employees’ values and priorities. By implementing a greener benefits scheme, you could appeal not only to existing talent in your business, but to new job seekers looking to align themselves to businesses with ethical values.

Where to start?

When faced with a new and emerging challenge such as sustainability in the work place, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin when it comes to making changes. We believe our simplistic three step approach is a great foundation to work outwards from.

Step one: Assess

It’s difficult to plan where you want to go when you have no idea where you currently are! A simple assessment of where your business already stands is essential. This includes investigating your carbon footprint, and also anything you already do to offset the impact on the environment.

Step two: Analyse

Check the temperature of your workplace with a simple pulse survey. Find out what your employees want from you as a business, and understand more about their values. Matching your core values with your employees is also an unexpected quick win for retention. 71% of working professionals say they would be willing to take a pay cut to work for a company that has a mission they believe in and shared values.

Step three: Action!

The starting point for a positive and sustainable change can often be the simplest. Once you know what your employees want, investigate how to give it to them. A simple solution that can often tick a variety of boxes in this remit can be re-assessing how you offer your employee benefits.

Your employee benefits offering needn’t be a drain on the planet or on your teams’ conscience. Implementing an ethical benefits platform makes it easier for you to meet your company’s sustainability goals whilst also offering desirable benefits such as NetZero pension schemes or electric car leasing.

How can Amba help?

This is where Amba come in! Our platform, Lumina, includes your choice of many ethical and sustainable employee benefits, products and services, plus your flexible employee benefits platform, HR Information System, online payslips, and other work-related technology. Good for people, good for the planet.

To book a free 15 minute demo of Lumina, simply get in touch with our team.

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