Motivation within a team has a significant impact on productivity, and therefore on a company's success. One way to boost motivation is through so-called "corporate benefits." Here's an overview of the different options and their advantages.

What are employee benefits?

Employee benefits are also referred to as corporate benefits, company perks, or employee offerings. These are voluntary additional services provided by an employer to employees, on top of their regular salary. They can take the form of financial payments, subsidies, in-kind benefits, or free-to-use offerings.

Why are corporate benefits important?

The labor market is tight in some industries, with skilled workers in high demand. If you've found good employees, it's worth holding onto them. If you're searching for talent, you need to offer something. Beyond salary, tasks, and the team, additional offerings, so-called corporate benefits, are an important factor.

Depending on someone's personal situation, certain benefits or working conditions can even be a basic requirement for accepting a job. One example is childcare support, flexible working hours, or the option to take a sabbatical.

What makes a good employee offering?

Life circumstances, preferences, and interests vary as much as people themselves. That's why corporate benefits should always be based on what employees actually want. A single offer for everyone is unlikely to meet everyone's needs. A range of different offerings, tailored to individual situations, is therefore more likely to succeed. Think about what would be a meaningful, welcome benefit for each person.

8 ideas for popular corporate benefits

We've already given you a few examples of meaningful employee benefits. Looking for more ideas for offerings your team will thank you for, and that express your appreciation?

Team events

Most companies hold a holiday party, and often a summer party too. What form this takes varies from company to company, from cooking together in the office kitchen and a Secret Santa gift exchange in the meeting room, to a team weekend including an overnight stay and entertainment program. You show appreciation by creating a concept tailored to your team's interests, or by involving employees in the decision. Even small things can make a big difference here, excellent food, for example, is a highlight that can really make an impact.

Team events are also a great idea outside "official occasions," and for several reasons: shared activities help strengthen a sense of togetherness. Teammates get to know each other better, and genuine office friendships can form. On top of that, trust is strengthened, and teams feel seen and appreciated.

By the way, team events also work virtually or as a hybrid solution. If you're looking for ideas on how to bring your in-office team and remote team together, check out our full concepts and packages for virtual events!

Further training

Few people like stagnation over a long period. In a professional context, that means many employees welcome new tasks and more responsibility. As a company, you benefit twice over by offering employees further training opportunities: it's a genuine benefit, especially since many programs come with a considerable price tag. It also means employees with better expertise and up-to-date knowledge move the team and the company forward.

One-on-one conversations, by the way, are a great opportunity to ask whether and in which areas employees would like further training. If budget is tight, it could also be a webinar, or you could organize internal training sessions between employees from different departments.

Meal subsidies and vouchers

Given how much time most people spend at work, whether at home or in the office, lunch breaks during work hours, and maybe even breakfast breaks, play an important role in wellbeing and health. It's well known that healthy food can boost productivity and bring many health benefits. But hardly anyone has the budget or time to always deal with healthy meal prep, order food, or eat out.

Employers can support employees in eating tasty, healthy lunches. This can be done through a mobile canteen or meal vouchers. You can also send delicious ready meals or simple cooking boxes to your remote team's home offices.

Sports and wellness offerings

Especially in desk jobs, balancing mental and physical health is important. It's well known that most people sit too much and move too little. Depending on personal circumstances, it can be a real challenge to fit in sports or wellness activities alongside work.

These offerings should match employees' actual interests. If hardly anyone on the team wants to do yoga, booking a yoga class for the team isn't a real benefit. Massage or gym vouchers aren't right for everyone either. Here too, it's best to ask employees directly about their interests, and what would help them find balance.

Childcare

Parents, especially single parents, face numerous disadvantages and challenges in their working lives. Employers can do a lot to become more family-friendly and offset these, or support parents. Flexible working hours are an important factor, as is a hybrid work model, but so is support with childcare. Large companies sometimes offer an in-house solution (a company daycare center), while for smaller companies, subsidies can be an option.

Option for a sabbatical

Especially among younger employees without family obligations, but also young families with very young children, there's often a desire to travel the world and take a few months to a year off work. It's easier to choose an employer that makes such a break possible. These points can already be discussed in a job interview, with solutions offered as a corporate benefit.

Implementation depends on what's practical and possible, for example, giving up part of your salary before the sabbatical, so you continue to receive a (reduced) salary during your time off instead of going without income entirely.

Ergonomics and technology

No one likes working with slow, outdated technology, and effectiveness suffers too. Providing employees with the devices and equipment they need for their work might not sound like a benefit. In practice, though, technology is often not up to date, with older devices kept in use for cost reasons. Even if the technology is new, a benefit could be a personal branded laptop provided to employees, or a branded smartphone or tablet.

Ergonomics is another important point. It's well known how problematic hours of screen work can be, and how important the right desk height, good chairs, and monitors are. Setting up office workstations optimally should be a basic requirement for safe, healthy work. But what about the home office? Those working remotely long-term often have an appropriately equipped workstation, but for hybrid work models, the situation can be different. Employers can support employees here by providing subsidies or the right technology.

Mobility

How do employees get to the office? By car, or public transportation? Maybe some cycle in, and only a few might be able to walk. Depending on the distance between home and workplace, significant costs can arise, which employers can cover partially or fully for their employees. The classic "company car," a fuel card, a company subscription for public transit, or subsidies toward a good bike can all be corporate benefits that improve mobility or make it more affordable.

More ideas

The eight employee offerings listed above are of course just part of what's possible. Other options could include:

• additional vacation days
• insurance
• company pension plans
• a prepaid credit card with a small amount
• shopping vouchers

Tax advantages through employee benefits

And what advantages do companies gain from offering employees these benefits? Beyond employee retention and increasing their own attractiveness as an employer, especially in competitive industries, there are tax advantages. For 2025, the amount is being raised further due to inflation. The tax-free allowance for non-cash benefits is 50 euros per month. The non-cash benefit value for meals is 333 euros per employee and month.

That said, the guidelines have been tightened, and specific conditions apply to benefits that count as tax-free non-cash benefits. It's best to check with a lawyer which corporate benefits fall under this category.

Healthy food as a benefit with heycater!

At heycater!, we've made it our mission to support companies with healthy food. We bring the best caterers in your city to you, and not just that, we also help make your event unique, whether in person or virtual! Do you already know our Food Program or our Marketplace? You'll find a wide selection of culinary corporate benefits with us, including virtual experiences for teams. Feel free to take a look around!