24 January 2024

Flexible Compensation: How it works, examples and benefits for employees and companies

variable compensation examples

Would you like to pay your workers more? Do your employees deserve a raise and do you want to motivate your staff effectively? There is only one answer to all these questions: flexible compensation.

Flexible compensation has emerged as a key strategy in talent management and workplace wellbeing. This model offers employees the opportunity to personalise their compensation, tailoring it to their individual needs and lifestyle. We will explore some examples of this innovative approach and the advantages it offers for both employees and employers.

Discover our complete guide to Flexible Compensation!

Table of contents

What is flexible remuneration?

La Flexible remuneration a remuneration system that allows employees to opt for allocate up to 30% of your gross annual salary to different benefits. These benefits can include meal vouchers, transport, childcare, medical insurance, among others. By paying for these services from part of your gross salary, they are exempt from personal income tax, This translates into a higher take-home pay, without increasing wage costs for the company.

How does flexible remuneration work?

The company Set up a flexible benefits plan. with the services it wishes to provide to its employees. Once the plan has been defined, employees have the freedom to voluntarily customise it to their needs. They can choose which services they want and what percentage of their salary they wish to allocate to each one, taking into account that the personal income tax (IRPF) exemption applies up to 30 % of their gross annual salary.

 

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What are the benefits of flexible remuneration for employees?

Flexible remuneration is a way to increase the value of the salary your workers receive each month. With the same expenditure in euros, you give them a valuable source of profit, because:

Your money goes further. Each month they have fixed expenses, such as transport, childcare or meals bought out. But you can ensure they don't have to pay income tax, which will increase their purchasing power.

• You do not change its contribution base. They come out winning and, at the end of the month, they have more money available. But that doesn't affect their Social Security contribution base, which remains unchanged, unlike what would happen with a salary increase, for example.

• You adapt the benefits to your actual needs at any given time. When children are young, nursery fees represent one of the main household expenses. Later, others take priority, such as transport costs, for example.

With all these advantages of flexible remuneration, the company will soon see a rebound in productivity, the result of increased employee motivation.

In the medium term, flexible remuneration constitutes an effective talent retention strategy. which, furthermore, adds points to the popularity of your employer brand.

Here's what to consider when implementing a flexible benefits plan: * **Employee Needs and Preferences:** Survey your employees to understand what benefits they value most and would find most beneficial in a flexible package. * **Company Culture and Values:** Ensure the flexible benefits plan aligns with your company's overall culture and values. * **Legal and Tax Implications:** Understand the legal and tax regulations related to different benefit options in your jurisdiction. * **Budget and Cost Management:** Determine the overall budget for the benefits plan and how different flexible options will impact costs. * **Administration and Technology:** Choose a platform or system that can effectively administer the flexible benefits plan and is easy for employees to use. * **Communication and Education:** Clearly communicate the details of the flexible benefits plan to employees, including how to make choices and the benefits of each option. Provide educational resources to help them make informed decisions. * **Flexibility and Customisation:** While offering flexibility, ensure there are some core benefits that are mandatory or available to everyone. * **Review and Evaluation:** Regularly review the effectiveness of the flexible benefits plan, gather feedback, and make adjustments as needed to ensure it continues to meet the needs of employees and the company. * **Provider Management:** If you are working with third-party providers for certain benefits, ensure they are reliable and offer competitive services. * **Onboarding Process:** Integrate the flexible benefits selection process into your new employee onboarding to ensure they are aware of their options from the start.

Implementing a flexible benefits strategy does not incur any additional costs, as it does not involve an increase in salary expenses. However, it is crucial to select the appropriate execution method. To do this, it is advisable to consider the following points:

• Inform the staff about what flexible remuneration is and what it entails. To make ourselves available to resolve any queries that may arise and to support your understanding of this new compensation model with tools such as a flexible remuneration savings calculator. .

• Fully personalise flexible remuneration in each case. To achieve this, the different options and examples of variable remuneration that exist must be presented, allowing employees to choose the benefits they prefer. Flexibility is important, to allow this policy to be adjusted to the new needs of employees as they arise. That is to say, those who live far from the company will benefit from an advantage to reduce the cost of eating out or a solution that involves savings on transport passes. However, a father with twins of preschool age will undoubtedly prefer a discount on nursery expenses.

• Choose a trusted solution. With options like Ticket Transport, Ticket Restaurant, or Ticket Childcare, Edenred provides flexibility, tax benefits, trustworthiness, and customisation, thus becoming a key ally in boosting wellbeing, productivity, and professional success.

More and more companies in our country are choosing to offer flexible remuneration options to their employees. Would you like to know how to implement a flexible benefits scheme in your business? It's also essential to understand Flexible remuneration and employee benefits

Examples of flexible remuneration

  • Ticket Restaurant: Employees receive vouchers or cards that allow them to pay for meals at restaurants and food establishments, benefiting from tax exemptions.
  • Edenred Guardería: The Childcare Voucher provides employees with financial assistance to cover expenses related to the education and care of their children in nurseries or educational centres.
  • Edenred Mobility: The Transport Ticket allows employees to allocate part of their salary to transport expenses, with tax benefits when paying for public transport.

Advantages of flexible remuneration

Flexible remuneration stands out as an effective tool for providing employee benefits, being considered by 80% of workers as the ideal complement to their salary. These advantages include:

  1. Increased purchasing power without impacting additional costs: With flexible remuneration solutions, employees can spend more with the same salary, as the portion allocated to social benefits is exempt from income tax, benefiting both the company and the employee.
  2. Increase in motivation and productivity The customisation of benefits and the increase in purchasing power directly impact staff motivation and productivity, with a committed employee being essential for achieving objectives.
  3. Improvement of prestige and corporate image: By caring for its employees, the company positions itself as a family-friendly and socially responsible environment, attracting talent and strengthening its brand image.
  4. Talent retention and reducing turnover: Flexible remuneration, along with the aforementioned benefits, is key to retaining top employees, fostering their loyalty and making them partners in the company's achievements.

These advantages not only benefit employees but also the company. A motivated employee is an invaluable investment.

Flexible remuneration stands out as a valuable tool for optimising employee compensation and well-being. It offers employee benefits, increases motivation and purchasing power, all without increasing salary costs for the company. Discover how to implement flexible pay with Edenred to improve your business!

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