IRS survey of benefits and allowances

BENEFITS

IRS survey of benefits and allowances

The top five benefits and allowances offerings in 2009 are revealed in new survey by Industrial Relations Services. According to IRS, the most popular benefit offered by respondent organisations is childcare vouchers, available in three-quarters of companies.

%ADVERT%

The full top five list is as follows:

  • Childcare vouchers: 74% of organisations

  • Mileage allowance: 71%

  • Private medical insurance: 68%

  • Counselling service or employee assistance programme: 63%

  • Long-service awards: 63%.

Want to know more?

The research is based on a survey of 288 organisations and is published in four parts.

Part 1: Benefits and allowances 2009: Survey overview
IRS Employment Review 923, 12 June 2009

Overview of the findings:

  • Childcare vouchers

  • Flexible benefits

  • Voluntary benefits

  • Salary-sacrifice benefits

  • Changes to benefits

  • Survey details

  • Table 1: Benefits and allowances offered by 288 organisations

  • Table 2: Most common benefits in a flexible benefits scheme.

Part 2: Health benefits and allowances
IRS Employment Review 924, 26 June 2009

Focuses on health-related benefits such as private medical insurance and employee assistance programmes:

  • Private medical insurance

  • Counselling and employee assistance programmes

  • Permanent health insurance

  • Optical benefits

  • Healthcare cash plans

  • Health screening

  • Dental insurance

  • Subsidised gym membership

  • Attendance allowance/bonus

  • Other health-related benefits

  • Table 1: Health-related benefits offered by employers.

Part 3: Travel and subsistence benefits
IRS Employment Review 925, 10 July 2009

Examines travel and subsistence benefits:

  • Company cars

  • Car allowances

  • Mileage allowances: Company car mileage rates; Personal car mileage rates; Bicycle mileage rates

  • Car parking benefits

  • Loans for travel

  • Subsistence benefits: Breakfast allowances; Lunch allowances; Tea allowances; Dinner allowances; Overnight stays

  • Other subsistence benefits

  • Chart 1: Travel and subsistence benefits.

Part 4: Childcare, pensions and other benefits
IRS Employment Review 926, 24 July 2009

Looks at childcare benefits, long-service awards, pension provision, staff discounts and other ad hoc benefits:

  • Childcare benefits

  • Long-service awards: Monetary awards for long service; Gifts for long service

  • Pension provision: Final-salary pensions; Money-purchase pensions; Stakeholder pensions

  • Staff discounts

  • Other benefits and allowances

  • Chart 1: Childcare, long-service and other benefits and pensions.

Availability: The journal is available as part of a subscription to XpertHR. Go to www.xperthr.co.uk to subscribe.

XpertHR is a “unique online service providing indispensable information and support for HR professionals.”