existing

Most people are saving towards something. In a recent survey 68% of Brits have some money saved up – whether it’s for a new car, moving house, retirement plans or a holiday, people are planning ahead. But a monthly salary can only go so far, and the temptation (or sometimes necessity) to dip into a savings pot can be all too easy. So how can My Staff Shop help your employees start saving smartly, and expand your employee benefits offerings? Look no further than an ISA through My Staff Shop.

An ISA, or Individual Savings Account is pretty much what it says on the tin. It is an account that holds cash and/or investments without to paying tax on any interest, investment income or gains on the money held within the account. With interest rates fluctuating all the time, having a Stocks and Shares ISA like the ones offered by My Staff Shop means not only the money you are putting in is safe from being taxed, but also stocks and shares perform historically much better than cash & the rate of inflation over long periods of time. With all these perks, it’s clear why there has been an uptake in the amount of ISAs opened. In 2020, there was an increase of 310,000 Stocks and Shares ISAs opened, bringing the total to 2.73 million open accounts. So what is special about opening an account through My Staff Shop?

Opening a Cushon Stocks and Shares ISA with your My Staff Shop account means that not only can you add money from your wages or other savings accounts, but also your earnt Reward Beans. Any Reward Beans you have collected through purchasing gift cards or through our cashback links can be added directly into your ISA. So using your My Staff Shop account really is a no brainer if you or your employees are looking for a simple way to start their savings journey. Sometimes starting to put aside money can be a daunting task. But if you are regularly using the My Staff Shop platform to purchase your groceries, fuel, cinema tickets or clothing (to name just a few!) then you can passively start saving with little effort, and without adding more stress at the beginning of the month. You can even transfer as little as £10 a month, making it flexible to your financial situations. 

With an ISA set up through your My Staff Shop account, you can create valuable savings for the long term, just by adjusting your spending habits and shopping through the platform. So next time you pick up a new pair of jeans or grab a latte – you may just be investing in your future!

To learn more about savings and discounts, request a free demo.

Happy Employee Appreciation Day 2024! Of course appreciating employees should be a year-round thing, but sometimes having a reminder to take a step back and look at how you’re showing staff that you acknowledge and are grateful for their contributions is useful. In celebration of Employee Appreciation Day, here are the top ways to make employees feel appreciated.

Verbal feedback

Gestures

In the same vein as verbal feedback, gestures to say thank you can brighten an employee’s day instantly. Whether that’s getting a box of doughnuts for the office, a thank you card to an individual that’s gone above and beyond, or a bonus if you have the means.

Communicate to remote employees

In an age of hybrid and remote working, it has become necessary to get creative and find solutions to any miscommunication or isolation that could come of working from home. Whether it’s scheduling in a regular 15 minute coffee and catch up to discuss both what people are working on and also a more general chat, or organising social events to provide a chance of face to face interaction, there are ways to get everyone involved.

Show trust

Micromanaging and unnecessarily questioning employees is a fast track to making them feel surveilled. While it’s important to keep in the loop with your team, finding the balance to show that you are happy with their output and trust them to manage their time and tasks effectively is key.

Enable growth

An effective way to show appreciation to staff is by proving that you find them a valuable asset and wish to invest in their future. In knowing that there’s an opportunity for growth at the company, employees will feel appreciated.

Personalised benefits

Reward staff with benefits that they want. By offering up a flexible benefits package, such as discounts and savings at a huge variety of shops, they can pick and choose when and where they want to receive their benefit. As a result, everyone feels equally rewarded!

Celebrate milestones

Working at the same place for a long time can represent both security and mundanity, depending on attitudes towards the workplace. By celebrating loyalty and long-standing working relationships, employees will know that their commitment to the company hasn’t gone unnoticed, and this can boost morale in a big way.

Encourage peer to peer recognition

Employee appreciation doesn’t exclusively apply to management; promoting a culture of appreciation can really boost morale and workplace relationships. Perhaps having employees nominate one another monthly for reward tokens (e.g. gift cards/a half-day off), could help them to really think about how hard their peers are working.

Create a pleasant workspace

2024 is starting off with more financial uncertainty. Data shows that the UK has fallen into a recession, and with world politics & economic decline causing more concern, keeping your money exactly where you need it is important to make sure this year can feel more financially secure.

Everyone has a different idea of what things count as a luxury, and what are essentials. Consider what you yourself would save up on, and what you would splash out on: would they line up with all of your colleagues and employee’s ideas of essentials and luxuries? This is why having access to My Staff Shop, a savings platform that’s available 24/7 will mean that they can make a saving at the right time, not just when pay day rolls around. Your employees will be able to access a wide range of retailers across various trades. And the best part: My Staff Shop do all the hard work of saving for you and your employees, compiling discounts, corporate rates & cashback offers all in one place.

A business no-brainer

It can be hard to put the overall savings your employees and your business can make into context. With My Staff Shop, an individual can save around £1000 per year when fully utilising their My Staff Shop account. If a business were to give 200 colleagues a £1,000 pay rise, it would cost the company £200,000 annually. The real issue here is that the employee will only see around £667 of that in their bank account after taxes, which when everyone is feeling the pinch, is a big cut.

Providing the tools your employees need to save on daily expenses will make sure each individual employee can save money on the exact things they need. Whether it’s their weekly shopping, clothes for their children, or treats out with their friends and family.

Making R&R personal

Reward and Recognition is a familiar sounding offer for most HR managers. In a recent survey, 55% of UK employees wanted more Reward and Recognition implemented, and making sure that those hard working employees feel valued and listened to is the foundation of a strong and successful team. So why not make sure these rewards are personal, and tailored to each individual that receives them?

Awarding employees and colleagues My Staff Shop ‘Reward Beans’ will give them full access to whichever retailer they would like to spend their well deserved reward with. In some cases, it may be put towards the latest tech, or home improvements, and in others, a meal out or that week’s food shop taken care of. Giving employees the freedom to make their own decisions on what they want their rewards to go towards will make these rewards much more personal and memorable to the individual. It will also encourage hard work across your company, and inspire more to work hard, and have it pay off.

Using Reward Beans also means that employees can save each given reward in their My Staff Shop account. Combining these RBs with those earnt through cashback or gift card purchases means that by the end of the year, your employees can have a nice savings pot, ready for holiday bookings, Christmases or birthdays.

A little extra step to success!

It isn’t easy to break the habit of a lifetime. Most people prefer to shop in a very specific way: some enjoy heading into their local shopping centre with friends, some love to sit and scroll away online for their shopping, and some mix and match with click and collect at a time that suits them. My Staff Shop focuses on encouraging employees to continue shopping the way they love, but adding My Staff Shop into their shopping plans. Before you click continue to checkout, or head over to the tills; with a few extra clicks, you can save money on the shopping you’d already planned to do! Adding a tool like my staff shop to your belt can help stretch pay in a way that is simple, and straight forward.

Let’s break the savings down in an average week: the food shop at Tesco, a takeaway from Just Eat, a new book or game from Waterstones & a present purchased online from Amazon or Etsy. My Staff Shop can offer discounts on these retailers and many more, showing just how easy it is to find a saving on everything your employees would want.

Interested in discounts for employees? Request a free demo today.

Thinking about wellbeing isn’t something reserved just for Blue Monday. Employee wellbeing is important, and your team appreciates you not only stating that, but making sure you walk the walk when it comes to policy and practice. If you feel like you could be doing more to help employees to manage their wellness, there are things that you can do to support your staff further.

Actions speak louder than words

When it comes to wellbeing, there can be a lot of virtue signalling that ultimately isn’t acted on. Claiming to have a positive work culture and support employee health and wellbeing is all well and good, but actioning these words and prioritising your staff is a big part of it.

By implementing comprehensive wellbeing policies, keeping staff up to date with relevant training surrounding mental health, and ensuring that their wellbeing is taken seriously, you can ensure that employees feel cared for and able to care for themselves properly. Offering up mental health days or simply not being too stringent on sickness days can allow your team to rest up and feel better.

Removing the stigma

Mental health can be a difficult topic to broach for a lot of people, owing to years of social shame and stigma. While things are much better than they used to be, we still have a long way to go. The shifting in attitudes over time has helped to address how we can improve mental health and wellbeing.

By opening the conversation, creating a non-judgemental atmosphere, and showing that feelings are valid, the stigma behind mental health issues can be minimised. While you may not personally be the go to person for employees to discuss issues, creating wellbeing contacts within the workplace gives your people someone to go to. Whether that’s someone who regularly checks in on the team or your employees know they can go to them if they need to discuss more personal issues; ensuring that this person is adequately trained is important.

Promote regular breaks

Sometimes people need to be told to take a break. Maybe they’re just hard-workers that get too fixated on tasks or perhaps they are worried about getting into trouble for not working hard enough. Well, as breaks can boost mood and reduce stress (in addition to improving productivity), taking them over the course of the workday is hugely beneficial.

If the job entails sitting at a desk all day, promoting screen breaks and movement can give employees a fresh focus upon return. If work is more physically demanding, allowing rest breaks will help your team to recuperate their energy. It may not be practical to have constant long breaks, but a few ten minute breaks throughout the day is an idea.

Bring on the benefits

There are offerings that you can provide to your employees to enable them to prioritise wellness. For example, having an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) gives employees resources and services to help with any personal problems they may encounter. From legal aid and financial advice to counselling services, having an EAP available to your team gives them a place to go when they need help.

Another way to help employees on their wellbeing journey is by offering discounts for any products or services that could help them. From savings on mindfulness services to gym discounts, you can help employees to feel their best by making health and wellness easier and more affordable.

Check please!

Checking in on your staff is a good way to see how they are doing. Regular one-to-ones are a great way to ensure that your team is happy with the workload, the culture, the working processes and any other day-to-day operations. Getting swept away with work and forgetting to check in can happen, and that’s why scheduling in regular catch-ups gives you a chance to survey staff satisfaction and hear individual experiences.

Listen up!

One of the most effective ways to understand what employees need is to listen. Asking for feedback will give you answers, and by creating anonymous questionnaires and surveys you can receive honest responses about the wellbeing of your employees.

Include questions about what they like and what they’d like to see more of, and something might pop up that you didn’t even think about. The best way to know about your employees’ wellbeing is to hear straight from the horse’s mouth!

Interested in wellbeing benefits for employees? Request a free demo today.

Struggling to attract the talent your company needs? Finding difficulty in replacing a diamond of an employee that is moving on? Trawling through tons of applications that don’t fit the bill? Recruitment can be a tricky task, but there are some steps you can take to engage a thriving candidate pool and improve your chances of finding the right fit. 

Communicate

This one is key to ensuring that you end up with candidates that fit the requirements. This is a win-win, as candidates don’t want to waste time applying for jobs that they won’t even be considered for, and for those recruiting, the fewer ill-fitting applications, the less time-consuming the process! Communicate clearly what is required, expected, and provided to make sure you don’t end up with an interview list full of candidates that aren’t suitable.

Transparency 

On that note, no one wants to spend hours on an application just to learn that the salary won’t cover their living costs. People may pass up the opportunity to apply for a role if the salary, hours, holiday, and benefits aren’t openly disclosed in the job ad. Being transparent about the timeline of the hiring process is also a must: 83% of candidates prefer to have a clear timeline. Be sure to be upfront and honest in your ad to avoid missing out on top talent! 

Valuing unteachable skills 

While there is undoubtedly a checklist of skills and experience when it comes to the hiring process, sometimes there is a balance between existing skills and the right person. For example, you may find someone that comes along with the right values, work ethic, and attitude who is a quick learner; they may not have the exact skillset or full desired experience, but if you have the time and resources to teach them, over time they may become a huge asset to the company. 

Platforms

It’s not just about what you post, where you post the ad matters too. Of course all of the usual job posting sites are a must, but don’t underestimate the power of socials. LinkedIn is great for networking and connecting, as well as job posting. If your company has Facebook and Instagram accounts, be sure to post on there too! You never know if you may miss out on the perfect candidate otherwise.

Reputation 

Branding and reputation can go a long way when it comes to recruitment; nobody wants a string of negative reviews attached to their business! One way you can work on this from the inside is by focusing on your Employee Value Proposition, so potential employees know what they will get in return for their hard work. By clearly communicating employee benefits and ensuring that they are desirable perks, you can ensure that you’re attracting skilled candidates.

Benefits

Speaking of communicating benefits, it’s important to make sure that they’re something worth shouting about! If you offer highly valued perks that provide advantages in everyday life, people will be more inclined to apply. Not only this, you can also improve retention rates and keep long service employees around.

Benefits that build goodwill these days tend to be hybrid working, health and wellbeing resources and financial perks. To learn more about what benefits employees really want, you can read our full blog.

Interested in learning more about how benefits can make you stand out from other employers? Get a free demo of our platform.

So you’ve just started with My Staff Shop and you’re excited to show your colleagues and employees their brand new benefits platform. But where do you start? Well, the easiest and most effective way to start saving is finding all the best deals with our discounted gift cards and cashback offers, and here’s what you need to know.

Learn to shop smart! 

The cost of living crisis has affected almost every sector in the UK. Around 62% of Adults in Great Britain said that they were spending less on non-essentials because of the increase in the cost of living. But using My Staff Shop’s discounted gift cards for your employees can help stretch their budgets further. MSS is the perfect tool for first time budgeters, or those who are already savvy savers.

Buying one of our discounted reloadable gift cards means you can top your cards up on pay day with what you need for the month, making sure you know exactly what you have left to spend in other areas of life. Or if you prefer a digital wallet, you can purchase digital gift cards instantly, so no matter where you are, or what you need, you and your employees know they can grab a discount right at the checkout. Don’t forget to check the daily offers to supercharge your discounts. 

Shopping using cashback links is also a great way to save money, with minimal effort. My Staff Shop offers an extensive list of great cashback offers to earn Reward Beans with; Big brand favourites, sustainable retailers and small businesses can be found on the platform, with the brilliant potential of earning Reward Beans, just from buying what you already had your mind set on! Each time you use a cashback link, you then can save up your Reward Beans. Then use them to make purchases on your account, grabbing bargains with just a few clicks! 

Reward what matters most 

Another way to help your colleagues and employees through this is through Reward & Recognition. Offering them the opportunity to then spend their My Staff Shop Reward Beans earnt through rewards will give them the freedom to put the money to what matters to them. For some, it will be getting a free week of food shopping done. For others, it can take some of the weight off a hefty high price purchase, or the reward can be used for a well deserved treat. The benefit to offering R&R is knowing their reward for a job well done will be exactly what they need, rather than an empty gesture. 

It’s all about adjusting your shopping habits to make room for your My Staff Shop account. Next time you are at the till, or scrolling for hours online shopping, log into your My Staff Shop account first, and make sure you and your employees’ pounds go further, and let My Staff Shop do all the work! 

Check out our X (Twitter) feed for the latest deals and offers and to learn more about what My Staff Shop can do for your employees, book a free demo with our friendly advisors.

Keeping employees happy is more important than ever, with job hopping being on the rise, and people less willing to stick around in a job where they aren’t content. Retaining talent and maintaining working relationships can be difficult with so many employers promising the world. But could you be offering more?

Reward Gateway found that a whopping 55% of UK employees surveyed want their employer to increase reward and recognition investment. Salary is important, but benefits can also be the difference in people choosing a job or staying in a role. Not convinced? Stick around to learn why Reward and Recognition schemes are one of the best benefits you can offer to staff.

What exactly is Reward and Recognition?

A reward and recognition scheme works as a tool for employers to motivate and engage employees. Staff know that they are valued and their hard work is noticed when this is acknowledged with praise and perks, and they don’t feel like they’re slogging away for no reason! Proven benefits from well-ordered reward schemes include: increased productivity, boosted morale, enhanced team spirit, a strong employer brand, and can attract potential candidates too. 

An example of a meaningful employee reward scheme could include discounts and savings on everyday spending, learning and development opportunities, and salary sacrifice schemes. Basically, people respond well to praise, and even better when this is reinforced with perks that they want. 

Why is R&R so important?

A thankless job is one that won’t be given a second thought if a better opportunity arises. Happy employees are more likely to stay at a company for longer – and be more productive while they’re there. 

Workplace culture is a biggie, and keeping morale high requires satisfied employees. A workplace full of unhappy staff often ends in a revolving door of new employees, and it’s hard to have a thriving work culture when people are constantly leaving. A buzzing, content environment is not only pleasant to work in, but works wonders for companies too. 

Reward & Recognition is key to making staff feel valued and boosting motivation. Not sure how happy your team is? Try anonymous surveys for genuine feedback on staff satisfaction. When you have a clear understanding of how staff want to be rewarded, you can meet their needs.

How do I do it?

The most important thing when it comes to Reward & Recognition benefits is making sure they’re useful. Investing in an employee benefits scheme that your staff don’t use or gain from is a waste. So think about obstacles that employees could have and how you can help to overcome them.

For example, inflation and the cost of living crisis has been challenging for most. The best perk that you can offer to help staff to combat this and afford their lifestyle/create savings is offering financial perks like discounts on everyday spending. 

Finding a flexible employee benefits platform that you can customise to your employees’ needs is the best way to ensure you are providing staff rewards that feel rewarding. And a bonus: your admin is reduced! 

Learn more about Reward & Recognition for employees, book a free demo with our friendly advisors.

It’s no secret that the working world has been on a rollercoaster for the last 5 years. During lockdown the majority of the population moved to remote working, and faced upheavals and changes most businesses had not prepared for, but quickly adapted to. So when the British workforce began to return to normality, many people decided to continue working from home. But it’s not always easy to manage employees you can’t interact with face-to-face. Problems will arise, but it’s important to look for solutions to keep your team, wherever they may be, happy and passionate about their job.

Check in from a far

If your employees aren’t in the office, they lose the camaraderie and social aspects of working face-to-face with their colleagues, which can isolate certain members of your staff, and cause stress or low mood. Invest in your employee’s benefits portfolio to make sure they can see first hand that they are a valued member of your team, even when out of the office. Offering an EAP or wellness package can encourage mental health check ins, so that WFH can be seen as a benefit for those who may not always enjoy that environment. Make sure to also adopt an “open door policy”. Ensure that Management and Co-ordinators can be reached via emails, work chats or zoom during certain work hours – as remote staff can’t just pop your head around the door. This style of managing can help remove the fear of staff asking quick questions or reaching out for help on tasks, and improve productivity.

Sing digital praises!

Another way to maintain and encourage your team’s relationships is through team building exercises. But move away from the more traditional and somewhat ‘boring’ exercises that have become a stereotype of the modern workplace. In a recent YouGov poll, 60% of people said that their most recent workplace team building experience was embarrassing, and this will only lead to your remote workforce more likely not to show up, and feel more disconnected from your team. An alternative is encouraging peer-to-peer recognition, which is a quick way for your team to show gratitude between departments and workplaces. Sending fan mail to colleagues will show genuine support, and a company wide ‘pin board’ means management can keep track of those whose praises are being sung. It can be easy to overlook positivity, especially when those doing the work are unseen and unheard, but this encourages WFH staff to be looped in with the goings on in the office, and offer credit where it’s due.

Set personal boundaries

It’s important to remember that remote working just is not the right fit for employees. 30% of people asked in a recent survey have found it difficult separating their home lives from their work lives, which not only can cause unnecessary stress on their work and motivation, but also on their relationships at home. It is important when managing remote employees to encourage separate working and living areas where possible. Make sure that their ‘office’ space is not somewhere they typically relax in, as bringing their work into an environment usually reserved for winding down after their computers have been turned off can disrupt their well needed relaxation, and can turn the space into somewhere that makes them feel anxious or too alert. If this is not possible, it may be time to recall them back to the office. Just like encouraging office staff to go for a walk at lunch time, hybrid work can relieve the pressure of working from home. as it brings your employees into a different environment to reset and refresh.

To improve the working lives of your remote employees it is paramount to be a good listener. Make time to listen to your employees, and unpack how they work in an environment that is different from your own. Take into account those who work full time in the office, too: they may have an insight into changes in their peers you may not see on a day-to-day basis. But also make sure that there is time for social, albeit virtual, interactions. Start zoom calls off with a conversation, and take the time to communicate better. After all, clear communication is what makes or breaks a team; regardless of the distance between them.

To find out more about our employee benefits platform, book a free demo with one of our friendly advisors.