Top candidates will often make their decision based on the work perks on offer and how they accommodate their lifestyles while giving them the opportunities to enjoy new things. In the same vein, employees are more concerned than ever with the eco-status of the business they work for.
A business that is looking to build the best team possible and present itself in a positive light needs to combine these two elements. So, what are the best eco-friendly work perks that will impress your staff and give your business a greener feel?
Remote working
Flexible working hours are becoming a more and more common perk for businesses to offer their staff. They’re a brilliant way to show employees you’re forward-thinking and what they do fits into their personal lifestyle and responsibilities.
Coincidently, it’s also a brilliant way to build the green credentials of your business. If members of your team don’t need to be in every day, you’re rapidly cutting down your emission total by not making them drive or use public transport twice a day.
This is a brilliant eco-friendly work perk that actually ends up saving your staff money in the end too. Benefits all round.
Travel coverage
For businesses big and small, it can be hard to lower your carbon emissions on travel to an acceptable level. Your clients and business partners are based all over the world. Sometimes it’s not enough to check in over video chat, you need to meet them in person to provide an update or present a new project.
There are ways you can cut down how much you emit attending these essential meetings though. As a work perk, cover the cost of travel insurance for key members of your team. Rather than having them travel back and forth throughout the year, send them out for the full period you’re covered by the insurance to meet all of the people vital for your business in one round trip. This massively cuts down on the damage you do to the environment as a business through travel, as your team aren’t constantly heading back and forth.
Anyone who has travelled for an extended period, whether for business or pleasure, knows travel insurance can be handy. Annual travel insurance from major providers will regularly cover you for just over a month of travel. Take advantage of your investment by using up that full amount of time. You can even combine it with attending networking events and conferences, giving your team a chance to meet fascinating people and see the world.
Cycle to work schemes
Taking travel a bit closer to home. There’s no reason in this day and age for all of your team to drive-in individually. While some will have to due to the length of their commute, they shouldn’t all be making the drive just because they’re not within walking distance.
Bikes are the obvious green solution to this problem. Not everyone can afford to invest in a good quality bike if they’re only going to use it to get into work though. That’s where cycle to work schemes work so well as a work perk. They involve employers contributing to the cost of a new bike to encourage their employees to buy one and cycle into work. A number of industries have seen this scheme successfully get more people who wouldn’t usually cycle into work hopping on their bike every morning.
The green-minded members of your team will jump at this idea, while the cost element will convert some of your more sceptical staff.
Weekly lunches
Food wastage is one of the biggest environmental issues of our time. To combat this, more and more people are starting to plan their meals in advance, taking leftovers into work in an effort to cut down the amount of food they waste week to week.
To appeal to this and build a community feel within your office, offer the perk of a paid company lunch every month cooked by a member of your team. The responsibility can be shared throughout the office limiting the amount of waste used by the individual at home and stopping them from buying plastic-wrapped sandwiches. It means only one person’s food is getting used and only one house is using the energy required to cook lunch.
A brilliant work perk that everyone in the office will look forward to, that feel like a tangible impact everyone can make.
Eco-training
Your team may be becoming more aware of eco-issues every day, but that doesn’t mean they know how to make changes in their lives to solve them. One of the best perks you can offer to make your business greener is lessons in how to bring sustainability and environmentally-friendly action into your staff’s everyday lives. The onus is on you, as an aware business, to make sure everyone is as informed as possible.
This perk is a brilliant one because it sparks conversation in the office and spreads from the employee to their family and friends, encouraging them to be more green-minded. Try things like sustainability training, eco-friendly cooking sessions and education on the impact of their current carbon footprint.
Some of the best work perks are learning-related. Why not give your team a break from their everyday tasks and help them become more Earth-conscious people.
Trying to balance a successful business with being more eco-friendly can often be counter-productive, but it’s a vital thing to do. These work perks are a great place to start because they appeal to the needs of your team while giving them little ways to be greener in their everyday lives.