Nearly one year on from the start of the pandemic, many of us are still working from home.
While at first the lack of commuting, the ability to work in our sweatpants and the freedom to be more flexible with our hours was a novelty – but now lots of us are admitted it is taking its toll. Many workers are now struggling with working from home burnout and in need of a bit of motivation.
Pre-pandemic, a company’s benefits package could be a major influencer in attracting talent and keeping employees happy and motivated. However, as times have changed significantly, many perks have now become redundant, such as the 4pm Friday drinks trolley, the much-loved Christmas party and discounted gym memberships. So, is it time to have a chat with your boss about re-evaluating your company perks and agree some new benefits that align better with our new ways of working? It could be something small, like trading the office tea and coffee for a contribution to your home WiFi, or something much bigger like the opportunity to work in a different country for a few months…
As an expert in dealing with HR teams, co-founder of the global relocation agent Perchpeek, Paul Bennett has shared his top tips on how to ask your company for better perks:
- Prepare your case. Before you speak to your boss consider why you deserve better perks. Have you aced a project over the last few weeks? Taken on extra responsibility? Gone above and beyond your job role? Write down all these things so you can demonstrate the added value you bring to the company.
- Choose your timing. Make sure you have the conversation with your boss at a time that’s good for them. If they are having a really busy day and are distracted you won’t get as much out of the conversation. Equally, it’s good to bring these things up at a time when you’ve enjoyed success in your career recently, so you already have them on side!
- Switch perks you don’t use for more useful ones. Times have changed and so have your benefit requirements. There’s no point if your company is paying for a gym membership that you can’t use. Ask them if they’d consider pausing this and trading it for another, such as an early finish on a Friday.
- Make the perks work for both you and the company. As well as showing how they would improve your working life, show how they would benefit the company. Would more flexible hours mean you could ensure a daily task were completed pre-9am? Or would taking a 15-minute break in the afternoon ensure you were more focused and productive the rest of the day?
- Make your case for remote working post-pandemic. While many of us had previously worked in offices for years, recent times have shown us that we are capable of thriving in our jobs from home or indeed anywhere we have coffee and a good WIFI connection. As we look forward to lockdown easing over the coming months, more and more companies are switching to a remote working model, so ask your employer if they would consider doing the same, even just for one or two days a week.
- Show why you deserve a pay rise. Money is often one of the most difficult conversations to have, but one of the most important. Consider when you last had a pay rise, is another one due? Also do your research and look at what the industry average is to ensure your earnings are in line with this. Finally, gather details of all your successes over the past year so you can show why you are worthy of extra cash. If you can, show how you have brought in additional profits to the company. Good luck!
Perchpeek is a platform and app that’s a one-stop-shop for anyone looking to relocate for work. Once dubbed the ‘tinder-for-property’, it lets users swipe left and right on properties, areas, high streets they like, helps them set up foreign bank accounts and sort taxes and even find schools for their children. It is, on average, up to 70% cheaper than traditional relocation agents which are individuals helping employees to move – meaning lots of big businesses such as Gilead Science, Liberty Global and RedHat are using it as an employee benefit.
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