Staff benefits: Extra holiday can be a great long-term incentive

Another favoured perk, extra holiday is an effective way of rewarding long service or loyalty. It’s highly-valued by all workers, which makes it an excellent incentive for boosting morale and employee engagement.

Extra annual leave offered as reward doesn’t cost the employer extra money – as long as you don’t need to call in a temp or otherwise make good any shortfall in work. Still, be aware that it’s very difficult to remove this perk once it’s in place, and you need to ensure that staff consult carefully before taking time off – so you’re not left in the lurch with staff away at the same time.

Some companies, especially in creative fields, have instigated occasional ‘out of office’ days or afternoons, whereby staff are told to spend the day doing something interesting or stimulating – shows, tours, galleries.

Typically staff come back motivated, stimulated and productive. Again, this perk has to be used carefully, so that it does not become an expectation.