7 Great Employee Benefits Beyond the Usual

Employers claim that their employees are their most valuable asset, but does that reflect how you are treated as a worker?

In the age of hybrid work, employees have begun to prioritise work-life balance, looking for more than just a high salary, pay raise, or promotion. For instance, 65% of respondents in Singapore are willing to forego all of those for better work-life balance, overall well-being, and happiness

This fact highlights the importance of offering better employee benefits in Singapore—perks that workers find great and practical based on their lifestyle. 

Fun Employee Perks That Exist

Each employee has different needs, but if the following benefits appeal to you, consider these during your next job search or recommend them to your current employer.

1. No set working hours

Some companies let employees work however long- or short—to complete their projects or tasks. Thanks to mobile technology, most workers are within reach any time of the day, so the typical 9-5 setup may now be outdated. Organisations that are output-based have become more open to being lenient with work hours depending on how efficiently an employee completes their tasks. This means you can also clock out earlier if you’re done faster.

2. Asynchronous work and flexible hours

These two sound the same but have notable disparities. Asynchronous work means allowing different team members to start work at different times. Companies with employees based in various locations can benefit from this perk, as well as customer support teams. 

Flexible hours are almost the same, but there's only a window when you can start work. This is primarily for the employee's benefit as they can work when they're most productive or adjust when they have important personal matters to attend to. For instance, you can take a break to pick up your child from school then just catch up later. 

This scheme also makes the company more optimised since people will be more motivated to be productive. Credit Suisse Singapore already practises this setup to help balance employees' personal and work lives.

3. Improved paid time offs (PTOs)

The number of leaves a company offer may never be enough for employees who value their work-life balance. But to meet them in the middle, some employers have implemented the following PTO perks.

Unlimited PTO

It sounds preposterous, but some companies offer this perk. Not surprisingly, this is popular among employees, with 50 per cent of surveyed workers saying they'd take a job with less pay if it meant having no cap on their vacation or sickness time-offs.

In 2014, Virgin founder Richard Branson explained that the company would start allowing its salaried staff to use unlimited holiday leaves, provided that they are up-to-date with projects and their extended absence won't hurt the business. 

Sabbaticals

If you've been with an employer for a long time, you may be entitled to a Sabbatical or leaves you can take to focus on your interests, health, or travels. Sabbaticals can last for a month or half a year.

Volunteer day offs

Workers who actively serve their communities may enjoy PTOs counted separately from their vacation leaves to do volunteer work. For example, Salesforce gives its staff an extra seven days “off” annually to volunteer for their chosen charity. This initiative was designed especially notable for younger employees who favour companies that invest in social good. 

4. Benefits for parents and guardians

If you are a parent or taking care of a child, you may want to be familiar with the perks that can take care not just of yourself but also of your family.

Extended maternity and paternity leave

For new parents, 12–16 weeks of leave is not enough to adjust to their new lives. Moreover, the mother may require a longer time to recuperate from childbirth. 

Reimbursement or bonuses

Welcoming a baby or child is not only stressful but also expensive. Thus, some employers provide stipends to assist with their workers' child-related costs and responsibilities. This usually covers lactation support services, consultations, maternity wardrobe funds, and more.

Social media giant Facebook (Meta) provides "baby cash" of up to $4,000 to help employees pay off expenses for their newborns.

Nursing or childcare assistance

Aside from financial aid, childcare support can help parents care for their children while continuing their careers. On-site daycare keeps them close to their children and work. Some countries mandate workplaces have a designated area for nursing or pumping milk.

Cherie Hearts, a preschool in Singapore that handles several childcare centres, has primarily female employees with children. They can enjoy free childcare services provided they enrol their children in the same centre they work in.

"Pawternity" leave

Modern organisations should consider pets part of employees' families and offer perks for "fur-rents." Of course, a pet-friendly office is great. But if you don't always work on-site, you can look into other pet-related perks like insurance or leaves to take care of your pets.

5. Employee assistance programme (EAP)

Take advantage of your company's employee assistance programme to address your mental and emotional needs. EAPs usually include access to counselling, mental health assessments, and referrals to outside services if necessary. Some companies also offer mental health workshops in coordination with their EAP partner to give employees more tools to care for their well-being.

ByteDance, the tech company behind TikTok, provides mental health training to its employees through its mental wellness partner, Headspace.

6. Learning and Development (L&D)

Much has been said about the need to grow and upskill or reskill to stay competitive, but it would greatly help if you could get a boost from your employer. Fortunately, some companies already allocate learning and development budgets as a reward or investment.

Organisations have policies that allow high performers to further their capabilities by paying for additional vocational training, tertiary education, or other courses that could help them perform better. This paid education could be a bonus for your superb performance or loyalty or could come with a bond period if the company wants an ROI on your training.

In Singapore, Mitsui Chemicals is one company that offers L&D assistance as an employee benefit.

7. Unique products and experiences

Employers usually offer free or discounted products or experiences as a unique selling proposition to attract candidates. But these may also be available to entice employees to return on-site or improve their holistic health.

Travel leaves and packages

Some companies go above and beyond to help their employees relax. Travel or vacations are not only relaxing, but they can also improve mental health and work productivity. Take advantage of travel stipends, if available, to pay for expenses like flights and lodging. One company that, unsurprisingly, offers these perks is Airbnb.

Nap rooms and standing desks

Modern work calls for employees to spend their days seated. For office workers, companies may provide standing desks to allow them to move from time to time. 

When midday hits, a nap room where they can comfortably have at least 20 minutes of shuteye can help them power through their remaining hours. Google was one of many companies that installed nap pods for its employees.

Entertainment rooms

Another way you can recharge or socialise is through game or theatre rooms. A simple tabletop game or a projector for movie nights will suffice if the office isn't spacious enough for those.

Chef-prepared meals

This is a unique way to persuade the workforce to come to the office from time to time. It also benefits you since you can save the money usually spent on meals, and if the options are healthy, you can ensure that you're taking in food that's good for you. 

Promos and discounts

Employee discounts are definitely a huge perk, especially if you love money-saving hacks. If you work in retail, you can enjoy specific discounts on items sold by the company you're working for or even freebies. Singapore Airlines grants its employees and their eligible dependents up to 90 per cent discount on plane tickets. 

Other companies may also get retail partners to offer employees products or services at lower prices. For example, Klook and Smartmall offer exclusive freebies and discounts to partner corporations. 

You Deserve Better

Gone are the days when you have to tolerate poor or inadequate benefits from employers just to work and earn. Organisations have come to realise that a high salary is not enough to entice top talents because employees want to feel valued and taken care of in more ways than one.

Find companies with the best employee benefits in Singapore and #SEEKBetter here at JobStreet. Read more tips on how to land your dream career at our Career Resources. For more information from JobStreet, download our app on Google Play and the App Store.