Summer is finally here, and as much as there is a huge wave of excitement by some, at the same time, there are still sighs as things have not fully returned to normality. Some employees are still working from home and have not yet returned to the office, yet others have taken the hybrid approach, working part-time in the workplace and the remainder of the time at home, with a smaller portion, fully returned back. With this in mind, summer and the summer break may look vastly different to years gone by. There may still be little distinction between working from home and some kind of summer break, where often there is a lot more time off and flexibility in the way we work. Our work-life boundaries are still somewhat blurred. Despite this, as schools have now closed for the summer, children are at home and the temperature rises, it’s expected that productivity levels may dip and minds may wander to outdoor BBQs, family days out, and time away from the grind.
Therefore, it is no surprise why management and HR teams need to think of innovative ways to engage the whole team, ensuring their motivation and morale are high and efficiency levels stay focused.
Employee benefits need to add value to employees’ lifestyles and offer tangible benefits, such as money and time savers. There are so many easily implemented benefits which employers could offer, especially in the run-up to the summer months, and during a global crisis, where the normal, well-received benefits may not be as viable as of yet. Below are 5ways to keep your employees engaged this summer:
Flexibility and flexi-time
The summer period can be very busy and challenging especially for those employees who have children with an extended break. This is where flexibility will make the biggest difference. This flexibility can come in so many different formats, for example, changing your team’s working hours – be it starting earlier and finishing earlier or starting later to accommodate personal schedules. It could extend to working shorter hours over the summer period or having a half-day off per week. This is all very dependent on the company, the nature of the role, and of course, the busyness of the period. Whichever arrangement works best for the organisation will no doubt benefit and be meaningful for each and every employee, guaranteed. According to a workplace flexibility study by Workplace Trends, 75% of employees rated flexibility as their most important workplace benefit.
Discounted e-vouchers and shopping cards
With many people still not traveling abroad, there’s a lot more time to do things around the house! Planning to do some DIY over the summer months? Or a BBQ with your family and friends? The list of things to do is endless and so are the opportunities with discounted e-vouchers and shopping cards from the likes of Tesco, B&Q, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Deliveroo, Just Eat, and so on. Give your team the gift of choice with a tailored employee benefits portal that houses over 100+ e-vouchers and thousands of exclusive offers. Let your team save some £££s and reap the rewards as this truly shows you care above about them above and beyond the role.
Healthy body, healthy mind = healthy employee
As the adage goes, a healthy employee = a happy employee. It’s a win-win, right? So, as summer has arrived, what better time than now to boost both our bodies and minds. After 18+ months of working from home with new-found anxieties and stresses, many employees have entered into a comfort slump. Employers have creative freedom when it comes to ideas for health and wellbeing. This could include everything from discounted gym memberships, online exercise and yoga classes, free access to a meditation app, or a team boot camp in a park. Research shows that maintaining a healthy body and mind can have multiplying positive effects on all employees, including increasing team morale and a desire to come together, boosting productivity levels as well as decreasing sick days and employee absenteeism.
Discounted days out and attractions
As the majority of the attractions and days out have resumed and booking is now essential, why not treat the family to a day out or a trip to the cinema with discounted pre-booked tickets? Or fancy a visit to theme parks and local attractions? These savings will go a long way and help bring many smiles during these summer months.
Travel packages and savings
More people are starting to travel within the UK, and gradually abroad as more countries are now green, be it just a weekend getaway, a family vacation, or a romantic break. By offering your workforce access to discounted exclusive travel packages, savings on hotels, flights, and airport parking, your employees will truly feel the effects. Shopping around for the best deals and packages can often be a faff, so why not give them access to a dedicated travel concierge service who can take all the pressure off and book the best possible deal? The concierge team will also be able to get extra perks including early check-ins, late check-outs, spa vouchers… to name a few.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to employee engagement. There are so many ways in which employee benefits can be used to engage your employees, both in the summer months and beyond. Companies need to think outside the box and tailor their employee benefits to their team in order to ensure it’s relevant and effective. There’s so much to take into account, from demographics to geographical location, from varying generations to specific likes and needs.
Xexec is a leading employee discounts provider offering access to a portal with over 1,000 discounts and benefits from major brands. If you’d like to find out how you could tailor a benefits package to engage your team, simply get in touch.