When the Perks Don’t Work #ThursdayThunk

Starting back to the new half term, with an INSET Day, I enjoyed the usual free cup of tea and biscuit at break followed by a lunch of jacket potato and chicken curry and then had my first ever flu jab.  All of these are provided as additional perks for staff.

Photo Credit: Gian Luigi Perrella via Flickr cc

The full list of additional perks provided for staff across the Trust is below:

• Salary sacrifice schemes for childcare vouchers, cycle to work schemes, computers and mobile phones (saving anyone who opts for it savings on tax and National Insurance)
• Free tea, coffees and biscuits plus fruit once a week
• Free on site flu vaccinations
• Discounted on site car washing
• Gift vouchers for attendance
• Small Christmas gifts for support staff
• Annual subsidised staff ball
• Free access to the gym at St Mary’s
• And for the future, possibly – on site Pilates classes and a collection/drop off washing and ironing service

My question is whether any of them help recruit or retain staff?

Please take a moment to vote in the poll below (up to three votes allowed).  I’ll be interested in your votes or feel free to add an alternative response at the end:

Even if the perks have no impact whatsoever on recruitment and retention; there is an argument that we should just keep providing them anyway.  Having a happier more humane culture is a good thing in itself.  A payback isn’t always required.

Thanks to everyone who took part in the poll.  The results are below:

#ThursdayThunk is based on something I’ve been thinking about, discussing, working on or has been topical that week.  The thunk is designed to be bite sized and will deliberately be kept short.  It will take one small issue or an aspect of something much bigger.  The intention is for it to be read in two/three minutes as you’re busy running around at the end of the week or relaxing on your day off.