The outstanding value of staff benefits is that they recognise your team as people rather than workers. Many of our benefits are meant to give employees added support around particular times of life, such as parenthood, or specific events like experiences of poor health.
Something that most long-standing staff members will go through at least once and possibly two or even three times during their employment is moving home.
Most people move house a total of eight times in their lifetime. It’s the most stressful life event, according to a poll by Legal & General, coming out ahead of having a child and going through divorce. In fact, it’s so stressful that more than 1 in 4 (27%) of people aged 18-24 said they would not consider moving again – the highest of any age group.
So what can you as an employer do to help reduce some of the stress around moving house for the people who work for you? Let’s take a closer look.
Time off to move house
UK law does not provide employees with a statutory right to time off because they are moving house, getting married or going on honeymoon. Requests like these are granted at the employer’s discretion.
Saying that, some UK employers have entitlement to a day off for moving house (sometimes called ‘removal leave’) written into their terms, and it’s a nice perk to extend to people. Friday is the most popular day to move house and acknowledging the importance of moving day with an extra day’s leave can mean a great deal to your employees – emotionally as well as practically.
Helping with finances
Needing more space is the most frequently cited reason for moving and it’s the motivating factor for 42% of respondents in the Legal & General survey.
This means that people are likely to extend themselves financially as they move up the property ladder, and there are employee benefits that can help.
The first one is the holiday exchange scheme. While staff might need time for moving and DIY, at the same time they may welcome the chance to exchange holidays for more money in their pay packet.
Our holiday exchange scheme lets people buy or sell a set number of days of holiday each year, and either option could prove extremely helpful for movers.
Find out more about the Holiday Exchange benefit.
Discounts for home furnishings
Moving home can be expensive, not only because of costs like solicitor’s fees, removal services and perhaps bigger mortgages but also because new homes usually need furniture, fittings and fixtures. The Discount Club benefit offers savings with retailers that can help with this.
Your staff can save up to 35% on purchases online and 30% in-store, with popular home furnishing brands like John Lewis. The year-round savings on leading brands and seasonal savings can add up to £100s or even £1,000s across the year.
Rewards
Employee Rewards gift cards can be a timely helper after moving day. Employee Rewards are a way of recognising staff performance via gift cards that can be spent on leading brands, from Argos and B&Q to M&S and more.
In businesses where recognition rewards are given out regularly, it can act as an incentive for staff members with important life events around the corner too.
Find out more about the Employee Rewards scheme and how to sign up. It’s an effective perk that creates a reward culture in a simple and meaningful way,
Help with commuting costs
Moving house can mean a complete reassessment of the commute to the office. Some staff move nearer the office or closer to cycle routes, and so they can cycle to work for the first time.
Others may move further away, and if there is no reliable public transport they may need to start driving to work more than they did before.
The Cycle to Work scheme is one of the most popular employee benefits. It offers up to 42% off the cost of a new bike, and this includes electric bicycles. There are other positives to this employee benefit too: it can boost fitness and health and lower an individual’s carbon footprint.
According to Cycling UK, even the smallest journeys can have an environmental impact.
Researchers found that shifting just one trip from car to cycle per day saves the average person 3.2kg of carbon. This is “equivalent to the emissions from driving a car for 10km, eating a serving of lamb or chocolate, or sending 800 emails,” says Dr Christian Brand from the University of Oxford.
For those who need to drive, the car lease scheme helps employees make great savings compared to personal lease deals. The biggest savings are on the lowest C02 emission vehicles, so there are environmental gains to be made here too.
Find out more about the Car Lease benefit.
Gym membership
Settling into a new area is ultimately all about establishing a new routine. Gym membership benefits can be very useful after a house move, as it offers discounts on family packages and often waives the joining fee.
If participating gyms and clubs are in the vicinity of an employee’s new home, they may be tempted to take up a gym membership for the first time or switch from their old fitness centre.
Joining a gym can even be a good way of meeting new people and keeping busy. If someone had an established fitness routine before they moved house, they may find it helpful to join a gym near work while they find their feet in their new neighbourhood.
Staying fit and healthy can keep up a feeling of continuity when so much else is changing, and it’s good for mental health too.
Find out more about our Gym Membership scheme.
Will writing benefit
Moving house can be the ideal time to tidy up one’s affairs, and also ensure that if anything happens to you it’s clear what happens next with the house you’ve recently purchased.
While 61% of adults aged 65 and over have made a will, only 16% of those aged between 35 and 44 have one. Becoming a homeowner for the first time is a significant milestone, and it’s also a good time to make out a will if you do not already have one.
The Will Writing Benefit enables staff to make out a will with a specialist provider and spread the cost of the service across 12 months through salary sacrifice. It also offers a discounted rate for the service, as well as invaluable peace of mind.
Find out more about the Will Writing benefit here.
Managing stress
Another useful benefit at this time of life is our acclaimed Wellness programme. When people are moving house, they can find themselves worried about finances, worn out because of the actual move – or they may need help with anxiety or sleep while coping with change.
Our wellness programme of videos on topics like finance, sleep and anxiety can keep things on an even keel, helping staff to weather the changes they’re experiencing in a positive way.
Summary
Moving house can be very stressful, but it’s also a significant and ultimately rewarding step in life’s journey. Employers can help reduce some of the financial stress for their staff through employee benefits like holiday exchange, Discount Club, staff rewards and the will writing scheme.
A new location can make some employee benefits more relevant than before, like the cycle-to-work scheme, car leasing, and even gym membership. And our Wellness Programme can be an extra helping hand if it all feels too much.
Moving house is just one of the many life events that employees go through, and supporting staff during important transitions is part of what leads to loyalty, productivity and high performance. We’re proud of the useful role that Employee Benefits can play at times like these.
About Us
At Enjoy Benefits, we have 20 years of experience in helping companies of all sizes adapt and introduce benefits that are suitable for their workplace.
Benefits are easy to set up and ongoing administration is then run through a hub, allowing employees to manage their own benefits while the employer can see which benefits are proving popular and what level of take-up each has had.
If you would like an obligation-free chat to discuss which benefits might work for your business and your employees, please contact us by calling 0800 088 7315 or using our Contact Form.
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