Making employees feel motivated, comfortable and engaged is one of the biggest challenges for any company. When people enjoy their work and perceive that the company cares about their well-being, the results are reflected in productivity and talent loyalty.
One of the most effective ways of achieving this is through the social benefits for employees, This is a practice that more and more companies in Spain are incorporating into their human resources strategy.
The social benefits re bens or services that companies offer to their employees as a supplement to their salary. They are not part of the payroll but aim to improving workers' quality of life and well-being, helping them to balance their personal and professional lives.
The following are considered non-monetary benefits, that is to say, they are not cumulative or exchangeable for money, and they are non-remunerative in nature. Therefore, they do not generate additional deductions or contributions.
Some examples of social benefits include subsidised meals, public transport, health insurance, and continuous training. Their purpose is clear: increase team satisfaction and motivation, The company's commitment and image will be strengthened at the same time.
Although the two concepts are often confused, there are important differences between the two. social benefits and the Flexible remuneration.
La Flexible remuneration allows the employee to decide which part of their annual gross salary they wish to receive in cash and which part in goods or services – such as food, transport, or childcare. This option allows them to optimise your take-home pay without incurring any additional cost to the company, as certain services are exempt from personal income tax up to the legally permissible limit.
In Spain, tax legislation stipulates that the part of the salary that may be received in kind may not exceed 30 % of the gross annual salary. This limit applies solely to flexible remuneration, as it forms part of the worker's salary.
On the other hand, the social benefits are additional benefits that the company offers over and above salary. They are not deducted from the employee's payroll and, therefore, are not subject to the 30% limit %. They represent an additional cost for the company, but they are 100 % deductible for corporate income tax purposes and contribute directly to the team's well-being and motivation.
Furthermore, whereas flexible remuneration is individual and optional, social benefits are usually applied collectively, to the entire workforce or to specific groups or departments.
Despite the Differences between employee benefits and flexible remuneration, the services offered can be the same in both packages. Benefits, rights or services relating to childcare, restaurants or transport, which serve as an economic supplement for the worker and help their finances.
Let's take a closer look at some examples of social benefits.
Employee benefits can take various forms depending on the team's needs and the company's strategy. In Spain, among the social benefits most valued by employees we found:
Ticket Restaurant yes, for years, one of the most valued social benefits by workers and among the most common, as it represents a significant economic advantage, both for companies and for employees.
Para las empresas, este beneficio social es 100% deducible del Impuesto de Sociedades. Para los trabajadores, queda exento de IRPF hasta 11 € por día laborable La cantidad que ahorras al año depende de tu salario. Calcula tu ahorro en nuestra calculator.
The Transport Ticket encourages the use of public transport With the aim of subsidising travel between home and work. It is prepaid and can be used to purchase public transport tickets, including bus, tram, train and metro.
For businesses, this service is 100%% deductible from Corporation Tax. For employees, it is exempt from Personal Income Tax (IRPF) up to a maximum amount of €1,500 per worker per year.
The Nursery Ticket consists of the company paying for nursery care, a social benefit that Promotes the reconciliation of work and family life.
It can be offered by companies to working parents with children in the first cycle of early childhood education, i.e. from 0 to 3 years old. This allows those workers to save up to three months' salary per year on their childcare costs.
For companies, this service is 100%% deductible from Corporation Tax. For employees, Edenred Guardería is entirely exempt from Income Tax.
La Edenred Gift Card It is a flexible and personalised solution for one-off campaigns, incentives, or employee recognition.
It is nominative, rechargeable and can be adapted to different budgets, offering a modern and motivating way of rewarding performance.
A benefit that is increasingly valued, especially in environments where employee wellbeing is a priority.
It allows access to a Faster and more personalised healthcare. For companies, paying for health insurance is tax-deductible and reinforces the perception of care towards the employee.
An increasing number of companies are investing in improve the qualifications of their workers through subsidised courses linked to the workplace. This leads to an immediate increase in productivity and competitiveness.
It is an excellent incentive for the professional growth and motivation of workers, and also for companies, as they attract talent. In our dedicated article, you will find all the Most valued employee benefits.
The social benefits in the company provide a wide range of advantages, not only for the workers, but also for the company itself.
The introduction of social benefits plays a crucial role, as they are an addition to the employee's salary which leads them to perceive a greater reward for the work carried out. Let's look at the following Some of the most important advantages for the company:
Social benefits also bring numerous individual advantages:
Designing an effective employee benefits policy requires planning and team insight. Here are the key steps:
The needs of each employee are different, for this reason, often the social benefits that motivate them are too.
It can happen, for example, that an employee who has just become a father is very excited about and finds Edenred Guardería (formerly Ticket Guardería) very useful, while another who doesn't own a car and has no children finds Edenred Mobility (formerly Ticket Transporte) essential.
For this reason, before establishing any kind of social benefits, it is very important to know the expectations and needs of the workers.
To obtain this information Meetings, questionnaires, and even talking to employees who have been with the company the longest can be carried out.
These practices can provide very valuable information on which needs are most common among employees. All of this will allow us to design more personalised and tailored experiences for each group of workers.
Before deciding on one supplier or another, it is important to assessing the quality and variety of benefits offered, ensuring they are tailored to the needs of employees.
Furthermore, the provider's reputation, responsiveness, industry experience, and management tools offered should be considered. Analysing other companies' reviews and undertaking a cost comparison are also essential.
A good supplier will not only improve employee satisfaction and motivation but will also contribute to the company's success and competitiveness.
According to the employees' needs, social benefits will be selected. Afterwards, it is advisable to start gradually by launching social benefits and testing them to check cOhThe Committee is pleased to note how well it has been received by workers. In this way we can select the social benefit(s) that work best.
We will need to select the tools that best help us to carry out a detailed analysis of each action and its final impact on the employee and the company.
To do this, we can rely on software that automates all these tasks and makes it easier for us to measure the effects of employee recognition.
Various studies confirm the direct relationship between workplace well-being and productivity.
A report by the Wall Street Journal and Opener Institute for People indicates that the happy employees are 36 % more motivated and 31 % more efficient.
On the same note, the study Productivity and healthy business of IESE Business School concludes that investing in social benefits reduces the average cost per employee by 26 % thanks to reduced absenteeism and improved engagement.
Therefore, the Social benefits are not an expense, but a strategic investment.. With a moderate investment, companies can increase team satisfaction, reinforce corporate culture, and improve their competitiveness.
The social benefits for employees have become an essential element for any company that wants to attract and retain talent.
They improve motivation, productivity, and brand reputation, while offering tax advantages and strengthening the bond between company and employee.
If you're unsure about which benefits to implement, contact EdenredWe help you design a bespoke plan that adapts to your employees' needs and your company's objectives.
