Perks Or Pay? Staff Want Money Not Massage
The Age
Wednesday August 18, 2004
Companies are wasting time and money installing espresso machines and offering massages and yoga classes to employees - most workers would rather have more money in their pay packets.
Recruitment firm Link has surveyed workers and found that only one in five consider that fashionable workplace extras, such as yoga classes, massages, mental health days and free movie tickets are "very important".Over the past 12 months, Link Recruitment surveyed about 200 people in Victoria and NSW in industries including finance, the public sector, information technology, law, retail and manufacturing and found that most were more focused on traditional workplace concerns such as working hours and pay.The survey found that 47 per cent of respondents considered it very important to be paid well and 37 per cent nominated flexible work arrangements as very important.Link Recruitment warned that even though only a relative handful of people rated new-age bonuses on their must-have lists when in the hunt for a job, employers should be careful staff did not come to consider them a right rather than a privilege."Everyone loves freebies and special benefits, but employers need to consider whether the benefits they are offering are what employees really want," said Link Recruitment director Steve Roberts."There is a danger that some benefits become expected as a right rather than appreciated as an additional extra. This is particularly the case for generation X workers who have become accustomed to trendy treats such as cappuccino machines and mental health days."He said employers should maximise their "return" from extras by structuring them as incentives or rewards, or in direct response to employees' needs and ensure the benefits they offered were actually in demand."There is no point offering subsidised gym memberships if employees would prefer to spend a couple of days a year volunteering for their favourite charity instead," Mr Roberts said."Our message really is for businesses to listen to employees and make benefits part of a holistic approach to managing a productive and happy workplace."
© 2004 The Age
