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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.

What is Reward and Recognition (R&R), and why is it critical in enhancing employee satisfaction, motivation, and retention? 

Staff rewards – whereby a manager rewards employees with a monetary or non monetary gift for a job well done, achieving a particular goal, or hitting a career milestone – play a significant role in attracting and retaining top talent. Recognition, on the other hand, helps build a culture of appreciation, where peers and managers show their colleagues that they are valued by giving praise or thanks in a personal or public way. This could be via a message board, text, verbally or in an email. There are several ways in which implementing a well-structured employee benefits scheme can help when it comes to an effective R&R strategy.

Rewards are a motivator

Recognition makes employees feel valued, which increases their motivation to perform well. A Gallup study in 2023 found that employees who feel adequately recognised are 63% more likely to stay with their current employer for the next three to six months. Similarly, engaged employees are more productive and committed to their work. Companies with high employee engagement report 21% higher profitability.

Boost retention rates

Reducing turnover is one huge benefit of implementing and R&R strategy as part of a wider employee benefits scheme – in fact, most companies report lower employee turnover rates after putting R&R in place. Being recognised for your contribution really does help people feel valued and that their hard work is being acknowledged – and rewarded. What’s more, companies known for their strong R&R culture attract better talent. A Glassdoor survey in 2023 highlighted that 76% of job seekers consider a company’s culture and values important when applying for a job.

Cost Savings

It costs to hire and replace staff, so having a tool to help keep on top of the numbers is essential. Retaining employees reduces the costs associated with hiring and training new staff. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) reported in 2023 that the average cost of replacing an employee in the UK is £12,000!

Gives productivity a prod!

According to a 2023 study by the Institute of Leadership & Management, companies with R&R programmes in place saw a 14% increase in productivity. This is because when employees know their efforts will be acknowledged, they are more likely to produce higher quality work. The same study reported that 85% of employees felt that recognition initiatives positively impacted the quality of their work. These employees are more engaged, happier, more secure in their roles and satisfaction is reported to be higher – a survey by PwC in 2023 backs this up with 70% of UK employees stating that workplace recognition contributed significantly to their job satisfaction.

Implementing Reward and Recognition within your workplace is not just about making employees feel good; it’s a strategic move that can drive substantial business outcomes. UK companies that invest in effective Rewards schemes see significant benefits in terms of employee engagement, retention, attraction, productivity, and overall workplace environment.

To find out more about our R&R programmes, give our friendly team a call

Learning within the workplace is something that may slow down the more comfortable an employee gets in their role. While it’s great when staff are competent in their jobs, growth and development are a large part of both the career journey, and personal improvement. In fact, 4 in 5 people in the UK say learning adds purpose to their work, demonstrating a clear need for sufficient learning opportunities in the workplace.

So we’ve established that learning at work is important, but how to go about implementing more education and skills-building for your team

Training Across Departments

Having a broader understanding of the work across departments may be useful in terms of employees understanding how they and their colleagues fit together amongst the organisation, as well as creating a more diversely skilled workforce who may be able to aid and support during departmental shortages. And if that isn’t reason enough, 7 in 10 of people in the UK say that learning improves their sense of connection to an organisation, so investing in learning is investing in loyal employees and a positive Employee Value Proposition. 

Discounted Courses

Having access to courses that are desirable but perhaps out of their price range can help to remove a barrier to learning an exciting new skill. Offering discounted courses could enable your staff to pick up on valuable skills, from learning a new language, to getting a drivers licence. These skills could come in handy or be relevant for the job role, or they could just contribute to a greater sense of fulfilment in the employee.

Soft and Hard Skills 

There are perks to having a set of both soft skills and hard skills. While hard skills may be regarded as highly valuable in a professional setting or a requirement for the job even, this doesn’t mean that we should dismiss soft skills! For example, employees could be brushing up on their communication skills with the goal of ultimately ending up in management positions. My Staff Shop even offers discounted leadership training, so staff can learn how to work their way up to more senior roles.

Offering Up Beneficial Training

Learning opportunities can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and why not invest in transferable skills that could come in handy at any point? For example, it may be worth offering up First Aid courses or Mental Health Awareness training to your workforce. 

Artificial Intelligence 

As much as many people may fear Artificial Intelligence, or debate its ethical implications, it’s undeniable that AI is entering (or in most cases, has already entered) most aspects of daily life. The best way to prepare employees for the increase of AI in the workplace, and enable them to use the tools to their advantage, is to educate them.

Taking the time to teach your staff about AI, can help to reduce misinformation, understand what it looks like and even show staff how AI tools can be helpful. The best way to be prepared is to be informed!

Interested in how My Staff Shop can offer your employees Learning Opportunities? Contact our friendly team today.

 

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK, and it presents HR with a means of opening up the conversation, providing advice and signposting people towards relevant resources and helps break the stigma of mental health at work.

It might seem that we are always talking about this subject, but the reality is, it IS a problem. In fact, 1 in 6 people experience mental health problems in the workplace and women in full-time employment are nearly twice as likely to have a common mental health problem as full-time employed men. In fact, poor mental health accounts for more than half of all work-related illnesses. But why is mental health so hard to manage especially while we so diligently attend to our physical health?

A recent report from Personnel Today found that almost half of UK workers are ‘running on empty,’ with burnout, mental ill health, and work-related stress now costing the economy £28 billion annually. The Mental Health Foundation Association has also found that a third of managers feel out of their depth supporting their team with mental health concerns, which begs the question; so if there is no education, how can employees expect to open up to their bosses?

There are lots of ways that HR can help cultivate a supportive environment for everyone.

1. Facts speak for themselves
Did you know that approximately 1 in 5 adults in the UK experiences mental illness in a given year? It is not a niche issue; it’s something many of us grapple with daily and the workplace is no exception. Research suggests that work-related stress contributes to 120,000 deaths annually and accounts for up to £190 billion in healthcare costs.

2. Breaking the stigma, one conversation at a time
Remember the days when discussing mental health at work was a rarity? Times have thankfully changed. We are starting to normalise conversations around mental health but more encouragement is needed. Open dialogue helps reduce the stigma and fosters a culture of support and understanding. After all, we spend a significant chunk of our lives at work, so why not make it a safe space to talk about our mental wellbeing?

3. Putting words into action: Practical steps for a healthier workplace
So, how do we walk the talk? Start by implementing mental health initiatives like flexible work arrangements to alleviate some of the pressure for workers with family or care commitments, employee assistance programmes (EAPs) to get practical support from trained professionals provided by your employer, mindfulness workshops where employees can learn . Foster a culture of empathy and understanding where team members feel comfortable seeking support when needed. And let’s not forget about self-care! Encourage breaks, promote work-life balance, and lead by example. Remember, a happy and mentally healthy workforce is a productive one.

This Mental Health Awareness Week, why don’t you pledge to do more to raise awareness, break down barriers, and take proactive steps towards making your workplace more inclusive for those who suffer with mental health issues.

If you would like to find out more about health and wellbeing benefits, and our EAP, then fill in the form and we will be in touch.

The UK workplace has undergone something of an evolution in the past five years. We have several new working practices that are becoming the norm, and as such, maintaining productivity can be a challenge for even the most experienced HR teams. Various socio-economic factors have played a part; from lack of investment in UK businesses, staff cuts, and the never ending cost of living crisis, to ongoing wars in Palestine and Ukraine.

In addition, we are now seeing up to five generations working together, all of which means that the world of employment has never been so diverse. While this can have great benefits for skills and knowledge sharing, it does, however, come with its challenges. There are things that HR can do to mitigate low morale, work-related stress and encourage greater productivity in its people.

Provide an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support workers

External stressors can take a toll on employee wellbeing and productivity but an EAP can offer vital support for managing stress and mental health issues. By offering confidential counselling services and resources, employees can address personal challenges, leading to improved focus and productivity at work.

Optimising workspaces

With hybrid becoming more commonplace, and remote working a viable option for many, having the correct set up for productive output is crucial. HR should be able to provide the right environment and tools for people to do their jobs effectively, so they can focus, collaborate and feel part of the team. This extends to having the appropriate amenities and ergonomic furniture.

For remote workers, creating a designated workspace free from distractions is essential for maintaining productivity levels. HR should be adhering to WFH policies, which include Health and Safety training for staff. This will help them to feel that their needs are being met as well as their safety and wellbeing.

Incentives and benefits to motivate

Motivated employees are more likely to perform at their best so offering incentives and employee benefits can boost morale and productivity. From flexible working arrangements and wellness programmes to performance bonuses and professional development opportunities, the investment is certainly worth it, and what’s more, it helps to foster a culture of engagement and high performance.

Encouraging feedback and providing recognition

A recognition solution and effective feedback systems are not just a nice-to-haves but can really help improve productivity. They can assist in identifying and addressing productivity barriers and encourage employees to provide feedback on processes, systems, and workloads. Are there inefficiencies that could be streamlined? Are workloads realistic and manageable? By actively seeking input from staff, employers can implement positive changes that enhance productivity and job satisfaction.

Similarly, showing appreciation and providing a means for employees to share their wins, mark their milestones and remind each other of a simple job well done, can boost productivity and unite employees in a culture of recognition, where they feel a sense of belonging to the organisation.

Productivity wins should always be celebrated, encouraged and communicated so having a solution in place to facilitate this offers a means of helping employers provide a better EVP – and, most importantly, improve employee output.

Explore how My Staff Shop can help you build a productivity strategy with our tailored benefits to support employees in the workplace and out. Just fill in the form and we will be in touch.