Types of Benefits and Bonuses

One of the best ways for a company to get employees on side is to offer a series of benefits and bonuses related to performance – simply paying staff more money never seems to do the trick. Combining benefits and bonuses is a great way to keep employees happy, and if you are an employee you should try and take full advantage of the benefits on offer.

When negotiating a salary, benefits and bonuses are often forgotten about, and while they are not the most important thing that meeting decides they are also a great way to find perks within a job.

There are many different types of benefits and bonuses available and it depends on who you are working for and what you can agree with your employer as to which you will receive.

Profit Sharing and Share Options

This is a way of linking the company and the employee directly – the employee will be rewarded with bonuses or shares based on the overall company profit and achievement. This system is great for those who want to have a stake in the company they work for.

Commission

Commission is one of the most direct ways of incentivising sales-people – a direct cut of the sales price can be given to an employee. The employee will feel motivated to make the biggest sale possible making both the company and the individual the most profit possible.

Paid Holiday and Paid Sick Leave

The bare minimum of holidays and sick leave should be accounted for, but any extra holiday days you can negotiate for are worth their weight in gold! Equally fully paid sick pay is something to be treasured.

Education

Some employers will pay for or reimburse any extra education you take on while working for the company. Having a desire to broaden your knowledge is likely to be appealing to companies – they may offer you a day off to join a university or college.

Travel

A company car can be quite standard for those working in sales and managerial positions but it is equally likely subsidised travel may be available to all employees. Subsidised travel can mean paying for a corporate rail card or a petrol allowance. With rising prices of fuel this can be a valuable asset.

Flexible or Home Workings

Some businesses will offer flexible hours so you may fill in your work around other important parts of your life such as children or education. Some businesses will sldo allow employees to work from home (assuming they can create the right environment for it).

Childcare

Some companies have in-house day- care centres of busy parents. If not it can be negotiated for the company to subsidise or pay outright for childcare costs.

Leisure Centre Membership

Many companies have a corporate structure which features sport heavily and so gym membership is often given out free or subsidised by a company. As being healthy and being happy are repeatedly linked many businesses have made being fit part of company culture.

Finally, some companies try to encourage a friendlier atmosphere by allowing a “smart-casual” dress-code. While not a saving it could be considered a benefit – you may save some time on ironing!