“What I think we’re going to see is more pressure and more agreement for people to work from home one or two days a week.”
Patrick CulhaneProtecting your health and boosting financial security are benefits many would expect their employer to provide in today’s workplace. But a new study shows Canadians are starting to demand new benefits that support self-improvement and may be waving goodbye to outdated ones.
The study, performed by the Canadian Payroll Association, placed taxable benefits in order of the percentage of Canadian companies that offer them. President and CEO of the CPA Patrick Culhane said the study is the most extensive one of its kind, considering almost 40 common benefits shared by Canadians.
Culhane said the item that surprised him most on the list was the high percentage of organizations that offer counselling services. “I didn’t expect there was that level of support.” The study found counselling is offered by 21 per cent of organizations.
However, Culhane said the perk extends beyond health care and includes non-smoking, weight management and income tax preparation programs.
The emergence of counselling demonstrates employees’ desires for new perks offered by work. But according to Culhane, Canadian workers need to be offered a variety of perks to accommodate the generational workplace divide.
“The benefits that appeal to a baby boomer — someone who’s headed into retirement — are different than the Generation Y and Generation X,” he said. While Culhane said transit to and from work is a benefit that would appeal to young workers, the same demographic is not likely to be interested in benefits more attractive to older employees. “Extended medical might appeal to (a young worker). Life insurance likely wouldn’t.”
Still, life insurance topped the list, with 61 per cent of organizations reportedly offering the employer-paid premiums. Car allowance, tuition fees, disability benefits and membership dues rounded out the top five benefits on the list.
One perk Culhane said he believes will increase in the future involves not even being at work. “What I think we’re going to see is more pressure and more agreement for people to work from home one or two days a week.”
Telecommuting is just one of several perks Culhane said he thinks will rise as workplaces become more flexible toward economic and societal changes. He adds unpaid vacation extensions and more inclusive transit passes as changes necessary for organizations to remain pliable.
“I anticipate we’re going to see more flexibility in the type of benefits. It’s the variability of the benefits related to the lifestyles of the workers and the generational expectations that are different in the workforce.”
