Analysis : The extra-salary benefits offered to the employees dropped by 95% in 2020

The types of extra-salary benefits offered to employees, as well as massage and office lunches dropped by 95% in 2020 against 2019, while this year, until the present moment, they were not offered at all, shows an analysis published on Monday by Mazars, a consultancy company. ‘If we refer to the evolution of benefits packages over the last year, we see (…) the disappearance of some types of benefits offered to the employees before the pandemics, as well as massage and office lunch. This fact is due, mainly, to the implementation of the working programme in remote work style or home work. Thus, in 2020, the drop was of 95% as compared to 2019. In the period January 2021 – present these benefits were not offered at all. The diminution of certain packages of bonuses, such as gym subscriptions and Christmas parties. We can say that the Covid-19 pandemics and the closing down of gyms during certain periods had an impact on the sporting and recreational activities as well. 2021 recorded a drop by another 40% against the values registered in 2020’ mention the Mazars consultants.Other elements which affected the income of the employees are connected to the diminution of certain benefits (lunch vouchers and supplementary pensions) and the increase of certain salary benefits packages (health insurance, life insurance).    ‘If at the beginning of 2019, life insurance was the most rarely met benefits in companies, at the end of 2020 there was an increase by 50% against 2019. As regards dates registered in 2021, the value of health insurances increased by 17% against the values registered in 2020, while the sums for life insurance doubled against the values registered in 2020’ the specialty analysis says.At the same time, an accelerated growth was registered in the case of actions offered by the companies to their own employees. Thus, in 2020, there were offered higher sums by 23% against the previous year, and in 2021 by 70% more shares than in 2020.'Although it is still a topic debated in the public space, the way in which we are going to work in the future will be completely different from the one we were used to before the pandemics. As 75% of the employees interviewed by Gartner stated they expected a flexible working time, most companies incorporated this flexibility in the list of benefits. Employers who will insist on office work only, will have to manage resignations of 40% of the employees, who expressed their intention to leave the employers who will not integrate the remote working time or hybrid system. Including employees who work in retail expressed their desire to choose their working time in shifts, instead of being imposed, which will place a lot of pressure on the big players in the sector. Similarly, the pressure of adapting the working time to the necessities of the employees is felt in the sector of constructions, as well as in the telecom sector’ the Mazars consultants say. A Salesforce study shows the fact that 59% of the interviewees consider the hybrid working method as an advantage for the welfare of the employees as a result this is a benefit which is wanted by the employers.Mazars is an international partnership which offers integrated services of audit and accountancy, financial, judicial and fiscal consultancy, with operations in over 90 countries and territories.In Romania, Mazars has an experience of over 25 years in audit, fiscal, financial, accountancy services, and HR and salary payment.