ITShifing.com has analyzed websites of 180 tech companies in the United Kingdom and found out what perks and benefits they offer to their employees.
Health care and retirement benefits are in the lead
Health care and retirement plans are the most common benefits: they are mentioned by 71% and 62% of the companies analyzed, respectively.
This is the share of tech businesses that consider these benefits worth mentioning on their websites — the real percentage might reach 100% as health care insurance and pension plans are among the must-have services that should be offered to all permanent employees.
Other popular (50% or more companies) perks and benefits in the UK include annual leave, learning and development opportunities, snacks and drinks, and flexible hours.
Out of 127 companies that mention health care benefits on their websites, some also offer:
- Dental coverage — 40%
- Vision coverage, eye test vouchers or paid eye tests — 37%
- Monthly free or subsidized massages, or weekly massages onsite — 8%
- Mental health support/coaching, mental leave or access to an external counselor — 8%
- Yoga sessions/classes in the office or yoga membership — 5%
- Meditation sessions — 2% of companies
Out of 112 companies that mention annual leaves and holidays, some also offer:
- 25 days of annual leave — 24%
- Flexible vacation — 13%
- Unlimited vacation — 11%
- Paid sick leave — 10%
- Possibility to buy additional days — 9%
- Annual leave increasing with years of service to 27–30 days — 7%
- Sabbaticals for long service — 4% of companies
Out of 109 companies that mention learning and development opportunities, some also offer:
- Training budget — 16% (3 companies specify the annual personal budget: £1,000)
- Attending conferences — 16%
- Access to the office library and professional books — 13%
- Tuition reimbursement — 11%
- Certification support — 8%
- Language courses — 2% of companies
Out of 103 companies that mention snacks and drinks as their perks, some also mention:
- Kitchen, canteen or café in the office — 34%
- Coffee — 29%
- Fruit — 26%
- Beer — 14%
- Tea — 14%
- Catered lunches — 13% of companies
Out of 93 companies that mention flexible hours, 22% also mention work from home or remote work opportunities.
Out of 60 companies that mention sports, 39% mention corporate gym membership of gym reimbursement, 13% mention ping pong, and 7% table tennis. Surprisingly, football is favored by only two companies.
Discounts, on-site showers, dog-friendly offices, and other less common perks
Less common perks include Cycle to Work scheme, stock options, commuter benefits, volunteer days off, and more.
The Cycle to Work scheme is offered by 20% of companies. It’s a benefit that allows employees to save on a bike and accessories. Depending on the company, it’s possible to spread the cost over a year and save on any tax, buy a bike tax-free from partner organizations via salary installments or save up to 39% off the cost of a new bike.
About 16% of companies offer volunteer days off. It means that employees can take one or more paid days off to do volunteering work with a charitable organization. The volunteering time can vary between 20 hours to four days per year, depending on the employer.
Approximately 14% of companies offer various discounts, from corporate rates and loyalty cards from partners to cinema tickets, flights, and hotels. Perkbox is a popular choice among employers. This online platform allows employees to get access to more than 250 perks including various tickets and discounts.
A referral bonus is offered by 7% of companies. It’s an incentive that motivates employees to recruit candidates from within their networks. The sum of a referral bonus can vary between £300 and £1,000, but most employers prefer not to disclose the sum at all.
In addition to 25–30 days of annual leave and bank holidays, employees in the United Kingdom are offered to take a paid birthday leave by 7% of companies analyzed.
Finally, 4% of companies have dog-friendly offices, and less than 2% have on-site showers.
Unusual perks
Some corporate websites mention perks that are clearly outside the standard perks and benefits set. Here are several examples:
- Everyone has a plant that they own and take care of in the office
- Bring Your Child to Work Day
- Slack channel devoted to cat photos
- Slack channel dedicated to kids
- Welcome pack with a personalized Funko Pop and a cartoonized photo
- Free Kindle and downloads
- Breakout area with PS4, Xbox or another games console (offered by 5 companies out of 180)
Feel free to copy this report with an active link to ITShifting.com. Send any questions you have to info@itshifting.com.
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