Personalising Benefits Across Life Stages

You don't need a big budget to make employees feel valued. Here are low-cost perks and non-monetary benefits that make a real difference.

What makes people feel valued?

Free lunches, onsite yoga and unlimited holidays get plenty of attention. For most Irish businesses, they're not realistic.

The good news is that they're not what makes people feel valued either. Small, thoughtful and regular gestures often do more for morale than one big annual gesture, because they remind people all year round that their work matters.

Here are some ways to do that without a big budget.

Everyday gestures.

• Coffee vouchers for a local café, which also get people away from their desks
• Snack drops, such as fresh fruit or a Friday treat
• Birthday recognition, with a personal message or a small treat
• Wellness app subscriptions for mindfulness or fitness
• Colleague nominations, so people can thank each other for great work

Non-monetary benefits.

Some of the most valued benefits don't involve spending money at all.

Flexibility. Hybrid working, flexible hours and compressed weeks give people more control over their time.

Learning. Access to training, workshops and mentoring supports people's careers and builds your team's skills.

Recognition. A public thank-you or peer-to-peer recognition can have a real effect on motivation and loyalty.

Options for different stages of life. Job sharing, sabbaticals and phased retirement show you understand that people's needs change.

Benefits that save employees money.

Cycle to Work. Employees can spread the cost of a new bike and safety equipment through salary sacrifice, saving income tax, USC and PRSI. The limits are €1,250 for a standard bike, €1,500 for an e-bike and €3,000 for a cargo bike.

TaxSaver commuter tickets. Employers buy monthly or annual public transport tickets, and employees pay through salary sacrifice, saving income tax, USC and PRSI. Employers save on employer PRSI too.

Corporate gym rates. A corporate rate helps people stay active, and employees usually pay for it themselves.

Employee discounts. Savings on groceries, retail, travel and tech make a difference when the cost of living is high. The most useful discounts depend on your team, so ask what they'd actually use.

Tax-free vouchers. The Small Benefit Exemption allows up to five non-cash benefits a year, worth up to €1,500 in total, subject to Revenue's conditions.

Make your perks count.

Even a great perk has little value if people don't know about it. Three simple habits help:

1. Keep everything in one place, so employees can always find what's on offer.
2. Let people choose. A perk that excites one person can mean nothing to another.
3. Track what's working. See which perks get used, and refine your offer over time.

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Small steps, big difference!

Small perks add up. Together, they can shape how people feel about coming to work.

Hubex makes low-cost benefits simple to run, from discounts and recognition to commuter schemes, all on one platform. Talk to our team to get started.