The dating app Bumble recently announced that its 700 employees can take unlimited paid leave providing their manager approves it and they still manage to complete their work[i].

The company has also said it will close its offices twice a year to combat workplace stress after successfully trialling this in June this year. They are also offering staff additional types of paid leave including 20 days for employees who are victims of domestic violence and other violent crimes and a minimum of 15 days bereavement leave for miscarriages.

Bumble has introduced these innovative policies as it said the COVID-19 pandemic had made it “reflect on” the ways staff worked and they wanted to find ways to best support teams in their work and life.

This radical approach demonstrates the steps that some employers are taking to support employee wellbeing and create cultural change within their workplace. This is also signalling to employees they are listened to and valued.

The pandemic has shone a light on employee wellbeing, and this is now driving the benefits agenda. Bumble’s focus on unlimited leave, as well as ways to combat stress by closing the office highlights their commitment to health and wellbeing with preventative measures to encourage people to take down time from work.

This is something being felt across the wider working community too. The Future Workplace 2021 HR Sentiment survey highlighted that 68% of senior HR leaders rated employee wellbeing and mental health as a top priority[ii]. And according to a straw poll in the UK by Employee Benefits’ magazine[iii], 42% of respondents said their staff’s health and wellbeing are paramount in 2021.

The pandemic has impacted employees in many ways over the past 18 months. Some may have been hit financially, with lower incomes whilst on furlough or if a partner has lost their job, while others may have struggled with the isolation of remote working.

People could have health issues, especially since many NHS services were closed during the lockdowns, and Long Covid is something of growing concern. Priorities for many have changed too with more people wanting a better work/life balance and different ways of working than the traditional nine to five.

Considering these challenges and changing priorities for employees, now is a good time for companies to review their benefits strategy and ensure it’s still fit for purpose.

This doesn’t necessarily mean taking such a progressive approach as Bumble or completely ripping up the benefits rule book, it’s more about listening to employees, considering how your organisation has changed since the pandemic and finding out what benefits they would value most in the future.

Understanding the workforce is fundamental to the success of any benefits programme and a review could begin with something as simple as an employee survey to understand what employees like and don’t like about the current benefits, and what would appeal to them now and in the future as their lives and careers change.

Once an organisation has a clear idea of where they are at, they can start to align benefits to the business culture and workforce needs. Benefits should address core areas of financial, physical, social and mental wellbeing and drive better outcomes for their employees, as well as make them an employer of choice for new recruits.

As the world emerges from the pandemic and organisations get back to some normality, it’s the perfect time to evaluate existing benefits and ensure they meet the needs of both the employer and the employee.

Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing can help businesses conduct a benefits review and design a successful benefits strategy to inspire a healthy business culture.

www.howdengroup.com

[i] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57997445

[ii] https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2021/08/04/the-future-of-work-is-worker-well-being/?sh=22eef0394aed

[iii] https://employeebenefits.co.uk/poll-health-wellbeing-top-focus-employers-2021/