Employees want more benefits to improve work-life balance

While competitive pay, health care and retirement benefits are considered table stakes for most workers, they also want perks to help them better achieve work-life balance, according to Randstad’s report, “Benefits and perks in the workplace.”

Highly rated perks that workers want their employer to offer are early Friday releases (33 percent); flexibility and remote working (26 percent); onsite lifestyle amenities, like gyms and dry cleaning (23 percent); unlimited vacation time (22 percent); in-office meal options, like communal snacks or food courts (18 percent); and onsite childcare (15 percent).

“With the rise of the agile workforce and flexible work arrangements, the lines between ‘home’ and ‘work’ are increasingly blurred,” says Jim Link, chief human resources officer at Randstad North America. “But what’s telling is that, although employees clearly express a desire for more freedom over where and how they work, when they are in the office, they take that time very seriously. That’s why onsite amenities that make the workplace as comfortable and convenient as possible are still so attractive.”

Related: 3 areas where employee benefits are out of whack

In fact, many employees say not providing such things can be a deal-breaker. A majority (66 percent) of workers say that a strong benefits and perks package is the largest determining factor when considering job offers, and 61 percent would be willing to accept a lower salary if a company offered a great benefits package. Forty-two percent of employees say they are considering leaving their current jobs because their benefits packages are inadequate, and 55 percent have left jobs in the past because they found better benefits or perks elsewhere.

Age, income level and gender all play a role in the benefits that employees prioritize, according to the survey. Millennials and Gen Zers prize student loan repayment benefits, while baby boomers value health insurance the most. For those who earn more than $150,000 annually, bonuses are one of the most important perks when considering new employment.

Women value better parental leave policies and onsite childcare more than men, while more men than women would like to see their employers offer life insurance.

A great way for leaders to find out what would be appreciated within their own organization is by asking current employees, Link says. To be successful, the employer must be prepared to follow through on — or at least address — all of the feedback.