Blog Post

The cost of living crisis. It’s something we’re all sick of hearing about…and experiencing. With winter on the horizon, finances are a concern for many employees. Energy prices will rise by 10% from October, so supporting employees with financial perks is one way that you can help reduce the sting.

Financial Advice

Knowledge is power, so providing employees with all the tools they need to budget, make better financial decisions, and manage their earnings effectively can be effective in combating the cost of living crisis.

A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) should include access to qualified support and financial advice. From online resources to experts to speak to, an EAP is a fantastic tool to offer employees.

Supermarket Savings

Everyday spending adds up, and there are essentials like food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies which are non-negotiable when looking at budgets. A perk that employees will actually see the benefits of is supermarket discounts.

Whether they shop at Tesco or Aldi, with My Staff Shop employees can save up to 7% every time they shop. This flexibility means that everyone will get to enjoy the perk! Everybody relies on supermarkets, so it is guaranteed that every staff member can feel the benefit.

Discounts

Employee discounts are a great way to boost employee morale, but if you don’t have a company that can offer in-store discounts, offering up savings for the most popular high street and online stores is the next best thing.

Again, this is where flexibility is key. We all have different shops that we frequent, and offering up discounts for shops that your staff don’t use is not only a wasted investment, but says to your team ‘we don’t understand your wants and needs’. Giving your team the choice to reap the benefits wherever they prefer to shop is the next best thing to a salary increase. That’s why access to benefits from retailers across the UK is a big plus.

On Demand Pay

Payday can sometimes come after an important payment is due, and this is what On Demand Pay is for. It isn’t the same as a loan, as employees can only access income they have already earned. Your team not having to use an unarranged overdraft and face extra charges can help them to keep on top of their financial wellbeing. On Demand Pay is a financial perk for employees, with no extra admin for you!

Support your employees through cost of living challenges with the My Staff Shop employee benefits platform. To learn more, arrange a free demo with our friendly team.

Ever wonder what terms will be trending in the workplace next year? We have already heard of job hopping, quiet quitting, loud quitting, quiet firing and anti-perks, but there are some new buzzwords in town set to define the work environment in 2024 and beyond.

And while it might sound a little tongue-in-cheek, according to the 2023 Gallup State of the Workplace report, nearly every UK employee (90%) is unhappy at work. What’s more, HR magazine reported that 54% of employees said that they currently have tailored benefits but the majority desire for more personalised rewards with 90% expressing a preference for immediate rewards offering tangible or real-life benefits, such as extra days off or flexible working hours.

Here are some of the fresh expressions circulating currently that HR professionals, managers, and businesses need to know to stay in tune with employee experiences and expectations.

Anti-perks – the whole thing might sound crazy, but free dinner, catered lunches, massages, nap rooms, video games, unlimited vacations and pet-friendly offices are some of the things that apparently employees DON’T want!

Acting Your Wage – Matching your effort to the paycheck you receive – which provides a great argument for increased employee productivity and a strong rewards and recognition system

Monk Mode – Going into deep focus mode by shutting out distractions (previously known as ‘focus time’)

Performance Punishment – Getting overloaded because you’re just that good (potentially leading to burnout)

Loud Suffering – Letting everyone know how close you are to burnout (with hopes for a raise) and a new addition to the ‘Suffering’ family

Fake Happy – Smiling through the stress while secretly exhausted from life/work

Toxic Positivity – invalidating, dismissing, or ignoring real, genuine feelings of distress, sadness, or discomfort. It’s the belief that one should always maintain a positive mindset, regardless of the circumstances, and that negative emotions or experiences should be avoided, suppressed, or denied

Woliday – Turning your holiday into a workday – another strike for the ‘unable to unplug’ argument

Interview Insanity – Navigating a never-ending interview process with zero feedback, something that is increasingly common in current recruitment practices

Office Peacocking – Employers sprucing up the office to lure employees back (think pet-friendly, new cosy nooks, hammocks, fancy coffees)

Ghost Jobs – Posting jobs that don’t actually exist to boost the company’s image – a form of ‘job washing’

Quitting Guilt – Feeling bad about leaving a toxic workplace even when it’s the best option for you

Interview Post-Mortems – Grimly dissecting an interview after the fact – which is a positive activity but not when coupled with interview insanity

How do you see these buzzwords playing out in your workplace?

If you would like to see a suite of benefits that actually improve engagement, motivation and raise the employee experience in your workplace, get in touch with our friendly team by filling out the contact form.

You may have heard of the phrase ‘Employee Value Proposition’ otherwise known as an ‘EVP’, but what does it mean and why is it important?

As it all falls under employer branding, think of it as how you are presenting yourself to existing staff and prospective employees. By offering up strong values, a healthy company culture, opportunity for progression and comprehensive reward & recognition, you can recruit the top talent and retain your best employees.

Communicating to employees what you give back to them in exchange for their hard work is the beginnings of an EVP strategy, and enviable employer brand.

Values

Do your people know what the company stands for? If you were to ask around the workplace what the business values are, would they look at you blankly? Communicating values isn’t just for the benefit of good PR, but attracts people that believe in what they’re doing and advocate for the company too.

Whether it’s through a meeting, asking anonymously what people think the company values are, holding a workshop, or creating a company newsletter, there’s ways of ensuring that people have a clear understanding of the company values.

Culture

It isn’t just about talking the talk, though, actually creating a working environment that reflects these company values is key. When employees are comfortable and happy with the culture that has been created, not only is this good for staff satisfaction, but there are also links between company culture and productivity.

Happy employees are more likely to stick around for the long run, so if employee retention is high on your list of priorities, culture is a good place to start.

Progression

Ambitions and growth drive a lot of employees, so enabling progression is a large part of an EVP. Creating learning opportunities and potential to advance in the workplace is a way that a company can prove its value to existing talent and promising candidates.

Whether through training, external courses and experiences, or putting employees on track for a new role, career progression is integral to a strong EVP.

R&R

Reward and Recognition are a big part of an EVP. Aside from salary, the perks, benefits and rewards that a company offers can be the difference between new talent accepting a job or seeking better offers. With the cost of living crisis also remaining an issue for most, financially rewarding benefits outside of salary have more allure than ever.

Invest in your EVP with an Employee Benefits Platform that gives employees the rewards that they want! Get a free demo from our friendly team, here.

 

Everyone wants their employees to feel satisfied with their job; to feel motivated, passionate and excited for a long future with their business. But it’s not always possible, and after time or with the stresses of the workplace, disengagement and dissatisfaction can set in within your work force. The simple way to combat this is through offering employee benefits. But they are not always utilised to their fullest potential, and can be disregarded when life is busy and employees don’t always have time to understand what is given by their employer. Since the pandemic, and with it the cost of living crisis, 64%  of UK employers have been actively promoting their benefits offering, to help support their employees during difficult and financially stressful times.

But what are the best employee benefits? It’s different for every business, as no one employee’s needs are the same. For some, an EAP (employee assistance programme) will be a life line for those struggling with financial, mental health or personal life concerns. For others, the ability to own their own car with a salary sacrifice scheme peaks their interest. So it’s really important to get an idea of what your team actually needs in terms of benefits. Perhaps the top employee benefit sought after by companies today is shopping discounts. With everyone currently feeling the pinch, being able to save money on everyday expenses is an attractive offer for the majority of the UK workforce. Lifestyle savings on supermarket shopping, cinema trips and days out means that all employees no matter their circumstance or background can find a way to save money.

Providing generic and service level offers will not help your team, or encourage them to take advantage of the offers available to them. Conduct surveys, be open to suggestions and make time to listen to the ideas of your team. With all of their ideas which are specific to their own needs, you can provide a tailor made and unique set of benefits, which will satisfy and be the most essential for your team.

But you can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.In a survey conducted by GRiD, 42% of employees don’t know or understand all their employee benefits, and 25% of those know that the benefits are available to them, but don’t understand them at all. The key to success with your employee benefits is to make sure management and the team who is promoting the benefits know their way around the systems, and actually use them, too. It is all too easy to offer benefits to ‘tick the box’, but this will only cause your employees to lose motivation and increase turnover within your work place as it becomes an unhappy environment.
Being able to promote something that your larger team actively uses and is happy with is half the battle. With My Staff Shop as your benefits provider, you won’t be alone in the dark when it comes to creating your bespoke benefits packages. From the setup process  to engagement check ins, You will be able to see what is working, and what needs more promotion within your team. There is so much that a business can do for their employees, and with a majority of employees saying they would work harder for their employer that cares about their wellbeing, engaging with employee benefits is crucial for the future of businesses. 

To find the best employee benefits for your workplace, contact our team for a demo.

Employee Benefits don’t have to be dull. Useful and practical? Good. Inflexible, hard to obtain and unengaging? Pass.

Staff perks should be genuinely beneficial and easy to use, which is where My Staff Shop comes in. Here are just a few of the exciting benefits that you can provide to your employees when you use our Platform.

Discounts, galore!

An Employee Discounts Scheme is the best way to help your staff to save money. We offer discounts and savings for most major supermarkets – including Lidl and Aldi – and high street stores! Employees can stretch their money further, and aren’t limited to just one shop.

Check the Daily Offers

Through the My Staff Shop portal, you can find appealing daily deals, from boosted discounts to mouth-watering freebies like a free Tesco Meal Deal or Greggs sausage roll! It’s easy to find the daily deals, either via the website or app, so your team can login and snag themselves a treat to perk their day up.

Save for a rainy day

Not only can your employees access discounts, but they also have the option to save more with our virtual currency, Reward Beans. When members opt for Reward Beans when making purchases through the My Staff Shop gift cards, they can collect and save these magic beans! Whether saving for a rainy day to help pay car insurance, putting aside for a family holiday, or invest in your ISA. 

Feeling lucky?

We all dream of winning big on the lottery, but that £3 scratchcard or few pounds a week on a lottery ticket all adds up. A fun perk that your people can access through the My Staff Shop platform is entry into a monthly lottery for an exciting prize. From cars to hot tubs, every month a new prize is offered up. And if you don’t match all numbers, there’s still prizes for matching some numbers!

Near me 

Have a browse of the Local Deals when you sign up to My Staff Shop. While you can get discounts from most of the high street retailers and even some designer brands, you may also find savings at your favourite local restaurant! 

Grab it while you can!

The daily Price Drop (AKA Dutch Auction) sees a range of exciting offerings and experiences being reduced in price until they are snapped up. Just another reason to log in to My Staff Shop and see what’s new!

To find the best employee benefits for your workplace, contact our team for a demo.

 

It’s no secret the NHS has been under immense pressure over the last 5 years. Covid-19,a shortage of beds, and doctors leaving for private clinics has caused unprecedented stress on our health service. The strain has brought NHS waiting times up to 14.5 weeks, and only 58% of patients are being treated within 18 weeks. With these waiting times, employee health & wellbeing programmes have become the most highly sought after benefits. There are many offerings to choose from, and not all will suit your business. It is important to consider what works for your business, and what will satisfy the majority of your workforce. Take a look at a few examples to help you understand the world of health and wellness.

Private Medical Insurance (PMI) can be very appealing for employees or potential employees. According to research, 51% of UK employees want private healthcare provided by their company. This covers ‘acute’ medical conditions, such as diseases that will be effectively and  quickly treated and get patients back to full health. Private medical insurance can be a benefit provided by your company, with different levels of cover available. PMI can also cover treatments not offered by the NHS, meaning employees that may require a specialist or specific treatment, can receive the care they require, without the extra worry of the cost.

Hospital Cash Plans offer employees the ability to claim back some of the money spent for routine health expenses, such as dental, optician or hospital appointments. Depending on how much employees pay in, the more that can be claimed back. This can be deducted from wages, or paid for by the company. This offers the ability to ‘opt in’ – making sure that only those who want the service are having premiums charged. It can be hard to get a weekend appointment, and for some services, it’s impossible. Being able to claim back on hospital stays and appointments means that the pressure of taking time off work to look after an employee’s health won’t have a large financial impact.

It’s also important to make sure employees have support for their mental health. Offering an EAP (employee assistance programme) not only gives employees peace of mind that they can get help, but your business’s overall productivity will be improved. Depression and anxiety can cause insomnia, headaches and the inability to concentrate, which can lead onto physical illnesses, and long periods of absence. Offering mental health support sets your business apart from other employers that may not prioritise the health of their employees or even promote the support they provide. In a recent survey from GRiD, 42% of employees have no idea about what benefits their company offers. Set aside time to go over all benefits available to your employees, so they can fully understand the range of assistance they can access.

It is a fact of life that at some point, everyone will need to use some kind of medical assistance, whether that be with a GP, Hospital or therapist. Having employees’ physical and mental health at the centre of your employee benefits offering will reduce stress within your workforce, assuring that your workforce remains driven, and attracts potential employees to your business. 

To learn more about all the health and wellness benefits My Staff Shop offers, sign up for a free demo.

What are Employee Rewards?

Employee Rewards are perks that a company delivers to its employees to motivate, engage, and retain their workforce. It’s that simple. Rewards will likely look different from company to company; for example a large group of retail workers will likely appreciate high street store discounts, and employees that work in an office may appreciate Monday morning coffee orders or Friday catered lunch.

But what is truly considered rewarding to your employees? Of course everyone will have different incentives, but there will always be certain benefits that will be universally appealing. Finding employee rewards that will give your team the feeling of being appreciated is critical. Some key things to keep in mind when scouring the available Employee Rewards Schemes, is are they:

Incentivising

Keeping your employees motivated is key to maintaining productivity and employee satisfaction. Aim for employee rewards that provoke an ‘ooh’, that be thought of by employees as a reason to work hard – not impersonal, unpopular rewards that will go unused. Not only is that a waste of money, but also staff will feel that they aren’t being seen.

Flexible

Just like snowflakes, every workplace (and employee) is unique. Because of this, ensuring that your employee rewards programme can be adjusted to match your employees needs is fundamental. In order to achieve this, you need to be able to select specific perks to suit your staff, rather than be stuck with a one-size-fits-all scheme.

Engaging

A good rewards program is one that is well used. When you communicate your employee benefits platform, ensure that it is accessible and easy to use, and provide perks that can be used for the everyday, you should see employee engagement and benefit uptake increase.

Useful

Shopping discounts for all of the major UK supermarkets, for example, will be a beneficial resource on a weekly basis. Everyone needs groceries, so providing savings on UK  supermarket shops is a fantastic reward to offer staff. Ask yourself, are your rewards useful to all of your team, providing regular advantages?

Appropriate

Offering discounts for luxury brands and premium products may be not only useless to your team, but may even be insulting. Granted these may be utilised by a small number of employees within your workforce, Know your audience and ensure that the rewards are suitable. 

Why offer Employee Rewards?

The proof is in the pudding – companies with Employee Rewards have 14% higher engagement, productivity and performance. And with Gallup reporting that only 23% of UK employees are actively engaged at work, clearly there’s room for improvement.

Quiet Quitting and Job Hopping is on the rise, and long-term commitment to companies has staggered to a low point, so evidently there is a need to reassess what it is employees want. Offering up a comprehensive, flexible, employee rewards platform can help in making employees feel valued, and boosting both morale and engagement.

How can I provide Employee Rewards to my Staff?

Look no further than here! My Staff Shop offers companies a flexible, multi-faceted employee benefit package that includes a Everyday Shopping Discounts, Employee Assistance Programme and Salary Sacrifice.

If you’re interested in learning more about our rewards scheme, we can get you acquainted with one of our friendly experts, and they can give you a demo or the platform!

Simply fill in our contact form and we’ll be in touch.

Choosing the best employee benefits platform for your workplace is the key to fostering a motivated and engaged workforce. By providing a platform that not only offers a diverse range of benefits but also ensures flexibility, responsiveness, and client-centric service can really help build your EVP and improve the employer brand.

Curating the right employee benefits package can take time and effort. Employers need to offer something that will stand out from their competitors, while employees want to feel looked after. If you offer something which matches what they’ll be bringing to the team, this will encourage them to stay at the organisation. And the figures back this up. According to People Management, over 50% of employees would sacrifice pay to get personalised benefits, that’s how important it is to get it right.

What to look for in an employee benefits platform

A high-quality employee benefits platform should be agile, and responsive but there are some things that will help push a new benefits solution over the line when it comes to getting it signed off with the Board. Here are the factors we believe clients should look for in a benefits provider:

Flexibility is key to accommodating the diverse needs of your workforce. My Staff Shop offers a broad spectrum of benefits that can be tailored to meet individual preferences. This adaptability ensures that all employees, regardless of their unique situations, get the most value they can out of the benefits offered.

Responsiveness is another crucial factor. An effective benefits provider, like My Staff Shop, should quickly adapt to changes and address client needs promptly. This agility will help maintain a seamless experience for both employers and employees, minimising disruptions and maximising engagement.

A client-centric approach is also something to be mindful of. We pride ourselves on placing clients at the heart of everything we do, and as an employee-owned business, our team is highly motivated and invested in the success of the benefits solutions we offer – essentially, our clients’ success is our success!

Your chosen platform should definitely offer a great choice of staff perks. According to MetLife, 76% of millennials reported that benefits customisation is important for increasing their loyalty, compared to 67% of baby boomers. Our extensive range of services caters to this demand, providing options that support employees’ wellbeing, financial health, and helping to support the organisation’s culture.

Features of a good employee benefits scheme

A flexible employee benefits platform should be tailored to meet the diverse needs of the workforce, ensuring inclusivity and satisfaction at every touchpoint. In the same vein, it needs to be accessible to all employees, allowing them to manage and utilise their benefits efficiently. Having an easy-to-use mobile app is a given, and a platform that allows employees to view their savings at a glance will help them engage better, helping you get a stronger ROI.

Let’s be real. Affordability is one of the most important factors for employers. Having a cost-effective scheme for both the employer and the employees, encourages usage and helps promote responsible spending habits. Here are some of the other benefits of a strong employee benefits offering:

Supportive of good saving habits: Your platform encourages employees to save and plan for the future, enhancing financial security.

Opportunities for improvement: Getting your staff perks right might mean finding a supplier that offers avenues for personal and professional development, boosting morale and engagement. We, for example, offer Learning and Development opportunities via our platform and mobile app to encourage skills development.

Reward and Recognition: Supports a culture of appreciation and acknowledgment, fostering loyalty and motivation.

A recent study revealed that just over half (58%) of employees consider benefits as a key factor in job satisfaction and retention. Implementing a robust benefits platform like My Staff Shop can make a huge difference in the levels of employee engagement and retention figures. Making sure your provider ticks all the boxes means that you stand to make the best possible ROI and really offer value and enhanced benefits to your people.

To find out more about how My Staff Shop can revolutionise your employee benefits, call our friendly team now.

Working from home may have declined in the last few years as offices have reopened and working life has started returning to ‘normal’ in the last few years post-pandemic, but the idea of more flexible and hybrid working styles has remained for many companies across the UK. In fact, 14% of UK workers exclusively work from home, and 26% follow hybrid working patterns as of mid-2024. With so many UK employees still working remotely, managing remote workers is still a challenge for many employers.

Communication is key

Creating connections when not working face to face can be difficult. This is inevitable. But there are ways to communicate among co-workers and colleagues, especially with the help of 21st century technology.

Utilising Skype, Slack, Teams, and other platforms can aid in communication with your team. Checking in with a morning ‘coffee and chat’ even just for 10 minutes, and using messaging platforms to say ‘well done’ can go a long way in creating a sense of community in the workplace. Not only is it useful to be aware of the latest updates in the team professionally, but it is a great tool to be able to have regular conversations for working relationships.

Communication can also prove problematic with remote working when it comes to the logistics of projects and workflow. Using an online calendar that everyone has access to can help to keep everyone on the same page with projects, meetings, and deadlines. There are plenty of tools about if you do your research to find the best option for your company.

Sharing is caring

Showing an interest in employees is always important. Everyone has a life outside of work with relationships, hobbies, interests, holidays, all making up a fulfilled lifestyle. While some employees may be more comfortable discussing themselves than others, taking the time to engage with your team and show that you care can help to bridge the divide that remote working can sometimes create.

It may sound obvious but asking after family, pets, trips away, and other life events can show employees that you see them as fully-rounded people and not just a number in the payroll. By remembering details and expressing interest, employees feel cared for and seen,

Teambuilding

Having a cohesive team is fundamental to success, but team building without the comradery and water cooler conversations of the office requires creative solutions. Whether it’s implementing monthly socials that are inclusive and feature activities that employees have expressed interest in, a weekly zoom quiz, or virtual escape rooms, there are ways that you can bridge the gap between employees.

Another way to improve colleague bonds is by encouraging peer to peer recognition. Promoting acknowledgement and gratitude amongst employees is necessary to have your team appreciating one another and gelling better within projects.

Bring on the Benefits

Engaging employees from afar can be tricky, but providing incentives to work hard can help. There are many links between Employee Benefits and engagement, and with engaged companies reporting 17% higher productivity and 21% increased profitability, engaging your team is the way to go.

By rewarding employees with a comprehensive benefits package, you can see your people want to give back to the company that gives them so much more than just a salary.

To learn more about all of the fantastic benefits that My Staff Shop offers, sign up for a free demo.

The modern workplace can be a pressured and tense environment. While offering working from home or flexible hours may work to relieve this stress for some, many employees are required to be in the office full time. 76% of employees report moderate-to-high or high levels of stress, and a quarter of workers experienced burnout symptoms, and this is continuing to grow due to the economic instability many have felt with the cost of living crisis. It can feel overwhelming for HR and managers to navigate employee burnout and even harder to combat, which is why we have put together some ideas to help keep burnout at bay. 

Sitting for long periods of time can affect the body and mind, often without us realising, and according to Banner, the average office worker will sit at their desk for over 1,300 hours per year, and can increase the risk of both mental and physical ill health. If your staff are not taking regular screen breaks at work their efficiency could plateau – lost in the stresses of projects & deadlines and straining their eyes at computers. Encourage your staff to get up and move around regularly to help reset and rest their minds and eyes. Sometimes it’s an important part of a process to step away from a task, take a deep breath and start again with a renewed plan of action.

It’s also beneficial to suggest desk yoga. Back and joint pain can be common amongst people who are sitting at their desk all day, and making sure your team is taking time to move their bodies and stretch can help combat any aches and pains, whilst also offering a short but well earned break from their work.

Offering a strong employee assistance programme (EAP) can provide help at the point it is most needed. Employees access help and advice from mental health professionals, legal expertise and financial aid, and minimise the pressures and distress of maintaining their work-life balance. 

When home and personal life stresses start to feed into work stress, this can be the catalyst for burnout and breaking points for employees. Encouraging your team to take advantage of EAPs and external assistance can offer an opportunity for impartial advice that may be more appealing than speaking to colleagues about sensitive and private matters. In other cases, a friendly face might be just what is needed. It is worth considering an “open door” policy or setting aside a few hours for employees to speak about their worries, expectations and concerns. They say a problem shared is a problem halved, and a new perspective might be just the thing to solve your employees problems. 

Implementing Reward and Recognition schemes can also help reduce employees losing momentum and motivation with their work. Who doesn’t like being congratulated on a job well done! Incentivising your staff with monetary rewards or offering peer to peer recognition will encourage staff to sing each other’s praises, and strive to work harder for the acknowledgement they will deserve. Along with recognition, make sure they are able to offer feedback to the wider  management team. If employees feel listened to and their thoughts and ideas are acknowledged and implemented, the more pride they will have in their work; knowing that a part of the systems have been influenced by their input. Open and honest communication will create a healthy and productive environment for all members of the team, no matter where they fit within the business.  

For more information on how to grow your employee’s satisfaction, request a free demo today.