INGLES IV – sábados 13 a 17 hs 1er cuatri 2018 – Prof.

Camila Perez

BENEFITS AND PERKS

Good afternoon everyone. First of all, let me thank you all for coming here today. Let me introduce myself. I’m
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. I’m Director of the company “xxxxxxxxxxx”. Today’s topic is benefits vs perks. The
topic is very important for us because it provides us with techniques to benefit and motivate our employees to have a
productive and successful company. By the end of this talk, you will be familiar with concepts such as benefits, perks
and their differences and some ideas to improve the working environment. I’ve divided my presentation into three
parts. I’ll start off by defining the concepts of benefits and perks. Then, I’ll move on to explaining the difference
between these concepts. Finally, I’ll give you some advice to achieve well-being in the workplace. My talk should
take about 10 minutes and then we will have time for some questions.
WHAT ARE BENEFITS?
Benefits are non-wage compensation that supplements salary. Health insurance, pre-tax transit assistance and stock
options are some of the benefits you can consider for your team. Benefits are far more reliable than perks, and cover
more basic needs.
“There are some types of employee benefits that are mandated by law: minimum wage, overtime, unemployment, and
workers compensation and disability”.1
WHAT ARE PERKS?
A perk typically consists of something that could help the employee perform a job better. More traditional perks at
work may include a company car, discount travel fares, and exclusive access to premium hotel suites, while the newer
breed of perks could include Summer Fridays, gym memberships, standing desks, and off-site team building activities.
WHAT'S THE REAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT & PERK?
Benefits are a part of an employee salary, while perks are auxiliary, for example: rewards for exemplary work on a
particular project. Many great work perks, like having fresh fruit and snacks available to employees, lounge areas or
nap rooms, make the environment more inviting for employees. However, perks do little to compensate an employee
who is injured on the job, which is why benefits are more substantive.
If you imagine a car, perks are like the large rims and powerful stereo system of an automobile. Benefits are more like
the seatbelts, airbags and suspension. In short, benefits are things which people need, while perks are things that
people want.
HERE ARE SOME WORK PERKS YOUR EMPLOYEES WANT OVER A RAISE
Multiple studies reveal the various factors that impact employee happiness. Take, for example, that 28% of employees
would rather have a better boss than a $5,000 raise. And a whopping one in three employees would give up $5,000 a
year in salary to feel happier at work. But there are some employee perks that will help.
1. A Functional and Stocked Kitchen
Make sure that employees don’t have to leave the office if they want to have a cup of coffee or something to eat. Here
are some of the things you should have: coffee, granola bars, candy, chips, fruit, and tea. And its cost is made up by
making your employees more productive, since they don't have to leave the office to satisfy a quick need.
2. Education Subsidies
As a society, we’re in an unfortunate scenario where there are trillions of dollars in student debt. And sometimes, to
advance one’s career, it’s necessary to go on to graduate school. As an employer, you can get tax deductions by
helping cover the costs of an employee's education if it's related to their job. This is also a great goodwill perk.
3. Non-Profit Opportunities
One of the qualities that the Millennial Generation has is a strong passion for doing social good. Fortunately, it’s not
that hard to give your employees a chance to do non-profit without it having a significant impact on your work.
Through a service like givemeahand.org, you can offer to give 1% of your equity, 1% of your product, and 1% of your
time to non-profits around the world. And the group has plenty of opportunities to ensure that employees can give
their time to non-profits that matter.

1
Doyle, A. (2018) “Types of employee benefits and perks”: https://www.thebalancecareers.com
 INGLES IV – sábados 13 a 17 hs 1er cuatri 2018 – Prof. Camila Perez

Also, you can still give your employees an opportunity to leave work early and do non-profit work one day a month or
quarter.
4. Mental Health at Work
As an employer, you have the ability to help ease some of the stigma around mental health in the workplace. By
providing your employees access to mental health benefits, you can begin to create a culture of understanding and
compassion at your company. And having employees who feel cared for and happy isn’t just good, it’s good business.

HERE ARE 10 EXCELLENT WORKPLACE WELLNESS IDEAS

“You can start by offering low-cost employee benefits. Some benefits are even free to offer, including flex time and
casual dress”2
1. Have Walking Meetings This policy is easy to implement and way more enjoyable than sitting in an office all day.
2. Reduce Noise Pollution Studies have shown that excessive noise pollution — that is, exposure to the sounds like
modern appliances, car traffic, and airplanes — can increase high blood pressure, heart attacks, and even strokes.
3. Have a Dog-Friendly Office Dogs also give a great excuse to take a break and walk around — boosting those
endorphins and resulting in more productivity and collaboration in the office.
4. Sample Essential Oils Employees enjoyed slowing down to use their sense of smell as an alternative way to relax
during the work day.
5. Go Forest Bathing Any type of experience in nature will do, whether that’s the woods or the beach.
6. Make a Plant Refuge If you can’t bring all your employees to the forest, bring the forest to your employees. Offer
a space in your office laden with plants that features big, open windows for a breath of fresh air.
7. Subsidize Gym Memberships This is a way to show that you care about their health and wellbeing as an employer.
8. Provide Healthy Snacks Offer snacks that will boost employee productivity, like apples, cheese, granola, or
veggies with hummus.
9. Give Out Smart Water Bottles Smart water bottles help keep your employees hydrated and alert.
10. Bring the Yoga Studio to You Bring yoga to the workplace to improve concentration, decrease stress, and create
happy and energetic employees.
To sum up, then, I’d like to run through my main points again. Today I’ve defined the concept of benefits, which are
non-wage compensation that supplements salary and I’ve defined the concept of perks, which are consists of
something that could help the employee perform a job better. Then, I’ve explained the difference between these
concepts, Benefits are a part of an employee salary, while perks are auxiliary. Finally, I’ve given you some advice to
achieve well-being in the workplace. I recommend that you put into practice these tips that will provide you with
techniques to benefit and motivate our employees to have a productive and successful company
Thank you very much for your attention. Now I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

2
De Witt, K. (2017) “Why are employee benefits important”: https://www.patriotsoftware.com