Almost half (46%) of top employers worldwide offer parental leave in excess of local legal requirements, according to research by the Top Employers Institute.
The report, HR trends 2018: priorities and practices of the world's leading employers, analysed the priorities and practices of 1,300 global employers which have been audited and certified by the Top Employers Institute. It also found that 82% of global employers are transparent about their compensation and benefits policies.
The research also found:
- 46% of global employers allow staff to choose telecommuting and work-from-home arrangements, while 72% have created flexible office arrangements.
- 70% of European employers offer part-time working opportunities, and 66% provide sabbatical leave.
- 24% of leading employers based in Europe provide workplace childcare facilities, and 32% provide subsidised childcare; this compares to 17% and 10% of global respondents, respectively.
- 71% of organisations define an overall global wellbeing programme for their organisation.
- 84% of employers offer health screenings, 82% provide stress management training, 79% facilitate access to time management initiatives and 71% offer healthy eating programmes.
- 38% of top European organisations allow their employees to select and exchange specific elements of their remuneration package.
- 80% of worldwide respondents view gender as the number one priority when it comes to looking at diversity globally, and 72% have introduced training to teach staff about the different dimensions of diversity and the policies and practices that need to be followed.
- 80% of European top employers link performance and individual behaviours to organisational values.
Phil Sproston (pictured), UK country manager at the Top Employers Institute, said: "Top employers are genuinely focused on engaging employees, as opposed to ensuring they are 'satisfied' or 'happy'. This is demonstrated through a focus on challenging work, personal development, family-friendly and flexible working policies, and a clear focus on giving people a sense of purpose.
"In addition, the 'cafeteria' model of offering employees choice across a range of defined benefits, often including salary and holiday, is fast becoming common, if not standard, practice within UK top employers.
"Openness within compensation and benefits policy is also a key feature within top employers. This openness may well be driven in part by technology."
