Rob Boland, Interim-COO, pirkx

The world has moved on – employee benefits need to move on too

The world of work has fundamentally changed over the past decade. People have more choice in who they work for, how they work and where they work. Most critically, people want to work for a business that looks after them as individuals and shows them they are cared for beyond simply being a ‘cog in the machine’. They want to know that there is support for them as they try to make the best of their lives, in and out of the workplace. When it comes to employee benefit packages, workers want to have a range of benefits that are personal to them and their needs. Everyone is different and unique, and they want a benefits package that reflects this.

Having spent many years in senior leadership positions at the employee benefits giant, Reward Gateway, I’ve seen firsthand the impact employee benefits and employee wellness can have on a team and the overall performance of the business. I’ve also seen how technology could be used to make them more readily accessible and available to all team members.

The lack of provision for SMEs is a travesty

The lack of benefits provisions for SMES, micro businesses and the gig economy (freelancers and contractors) is nothing short of a travesty.

A combination of technical and operational restraints has meant that the current major, more established employee benefits platforms can only cater to large companies with huge workforces. The consequence is that despite the demand, it is simply too expensive for small businesses to purchase comprehensive benefits packages for themselves and their teams.

I’ve always felt this is an injustice that needs correcting. And this sentiment has only grown as trading and economic conditions continue to get tougher for everyone. SMEs form the backbone of our global economy, employing millions of workers, and it’s the right thing to do to provide them all with access to the same affordable benefits and wellbeing support that employees of large businesses can access.

It’s about time we addressed this

In all my years in the industry, pirkx is the first company I’ve seen that has built a platform and offering that genuinely solves this problem and puts the wellness needs of workers first. It’s exceptionally comprehensive (no gimmicks or offers which have no real value for workers), affordable at just £4.50 per person per month, and critically, the technology is world-class.

pirkx does not insist on long-term contracts like all other providers in the industry but rather relies on having the best technology, offering and experience to keep workers engaged and using the platform.

It’s a huge challenge to provide best-in-class wellness and benefits solutions to every worker, irrespective of the size of the business they are working for, but it’s no longer a nice-to-have; it’s essential.