Employee Perks in Ireland

employee perks in IrelandEmployee perks in Ireland help employers attract and retain staff, particularly in sectors such as IT where competition for talent is fierce and the workforce tends to be highly mobile.

The cornerstones of any benefit plan in Irelands remain the same — medical, retirement, and paid leave are the key benefits that still matter most to workers nowadays. Beyond this, however, employers are turning to an ever-expanding range of lifestyle-related employee perks to help motivate and engage their staff. These include:

  • Subsidized Food — Although this benefit is designed to satisfy the basic physiological need for food, it can encompass everything from vending machine consumables to juice and smoothie bars, pizza ovens, to multiple onsite restaurants.
  • Additional Paid-Leave — The ability to trade other benefits in exchange for additional days paid-leave and other flexible working arrangements continues to be ever popular.
  • Tax-Saver Travel Passes — The employer pre-purchases a monthly or annual bus/tram/rail ticket, and the employee repays the cost from their pre-tax salary, saving up to 52% on the normal cost. The scheme can be operated in-house through payroll, or through a third-party benefits vendor.
  • Subsidized Gym Membership — Although some large employers may have gym facilities onsite, most partner with a local gym or offer discounted gym membership through a third-party benefits vendor.
  • Bike-To-Work Scheme — The employer pre-purchases bikes and/or equipment, and the employee repays the cost from their pre-tax salary, saving up to 52% of the normal cost. The scheme can be operated in-house through payroll, or through a third-party benefits vendor.
  • Educational Support — Financial assistance provided towards the cost of job-related qualifications as well as additional paid study-leave days.
  • Discount Dining Cards and Shopping Discounts — A wide range of dining, lifestyle and shopping discounts generally offered by means of an employer-paid discount card sourced through a third-party benefits vendor.
  • Onsite Wellness Initiatives — Massages, mindfulness classes, fitness, and cooking demonstrations.
  • Financial Wellness — Onsite financial education for employees, particularly around the importance of adequate retirement planning.
  • Others — Increasingly weird and wonderful perks include bringing your dog to work, Happy Friday, climbing walls, and computer gaming.

 

This information about employee perks in Ireland is provided by Glennon, Asinta’s employee benefits consulting Partner in Ireland.