Corporate Benefits - What kind of employee offers exist?

More and more companies are opting for corporate benefits, i.e. offers for their employees. While a few years ago only large companies such as Daimler, Lufthansa and Bosch offered benefit programs for their employees, today there are more and more SMEs (small and medium-sized companies) doing the same. The selection of corporate benefits is now extremely diverse. In addition to meal vouchers and fuel cards, various bonuses are also available. For example, a company can grant its employees discounts in the area of ​​public transport or use of the local fitness club. In addition, corporate benefits can also be realized in terms of mobility. For example, in the form of a so-called mobility budget. Car sharing offers or the use of company-owned e-bikes or e-scooters is also an option. But which offers are suitable for which companies? We have put together an overview of the various employee offers for you.

What are Corporate Benefits?

The term corporate benefits encompasses a large number of special conditions that companies can grant their employees in the form of special employee offers. Employees can receive these in addition to their contractually regulated salary in the form of vouchers, a special budget, a company cell phone or a company car. Such employee offers are possible both on a small and large scale. This gives companies of all sizes the opportunity to offer their employees a non-monetary benefit in addition to their salary. In this way, companies strengthen the relationship between boss and employee. On the other hand, corporate benefits increase the so-called employer branding of a company, in this case its level of public awareness and its image as an employer.

Which benefit programs suit your employees?

Classic corporate benefits are, for example, fuel cards or discounts for local fitness courses, centers or the use of public transport. Discounts on the company’s products and services as well as meal vouchers or discounted meals are also well-known options for employee offers. However, the number of benefit programs involving sustainability, environmental protection and electromobility are increasing in 2020. It is no longer just corporations such as Bosch, Siemens, Deutsche Bahn and BMW that offer their employees extra bonuses. More and more medium-sized or even small companies have started to adapt. Depending on the budget it may include the provision of a conventional bike, a company-owned electric bike or an electric scooter. In addition, companies advertise with offers such as the provision of pedelecs, company cars or a personal budget. In the form of an education budget, employees have the option to attend further training, courses and other educational opportunities within their budget. There is also such a budget for getting to and from work, namely the mobility budget.

How do educational or mobility budgets benefit employees and companies?

A personal, fixed budget, which is used for further education or personal mobility, opens up a variety of individual options for the relevant employee. This means that he or she can freely choose and decide for which further training or what type of mobility he / she would like to use the budget. The personal development thus strengthens and in turn increases the so-called work-life balance, i.e. the balance between work and private life. This gives the employee the weight of appreciation and individual promotion of his / her skills, wishes and needs.

What do environmental protection and employee offers have in common?

Quite simply: they can be wonderfully combined. For example, if a company buys e-bikes, e-scooters or e-cars that employees can use free of charge, they enjoy a form of employee offer. On the other hand, the company offers its employees an environmentally friendly option to get around. Nevertheless discounts for local public transport also support the reduction of CO2 emissions a lot. In recent years, the number of workers who prefer to take the bus and train to work instead of their own cars has increased.

Thanks to miles of traffic jams, lack of parking space and sometimes high parking fees, it is now worthwhile for many to leave their private car at home and travel to work using public transport. Deutsche Bahn, which was the first to provide a mobility budget for its employees a few years ago, is a pioneer for this type of corporate benefit. The pilot project was so well received that not only Deutsche Bahn, but now well-known companies such as MAN, Allianz, Telekom, Siemens, Commerzbank or Lufthansa also offer such employee offers.

How to find the best employee offers for your employees

Would you like to strengthen your employer branding and give your employees special conditions in the future? As there is a large selection of corporate benefits, choosing the right offers can be difficult. We at ePilot have therefore made it our task to provide companies with extensive advice on employee offers in order to show you what options you have for your employees. Whether fuel vouchers or employee discounts, a company cell phone or company car - no matter how small or large your company is, we are at your side as a competent contact person when it comes to employee benefits. We don’t only tell you the respective advantages and disadvantages of the individual employee offers, but also clarify them in detail about the resulting tax benefits.