Revealed: The hottest work perks to get Aussies back in the office
29 October 2020 / New Zealand
Sydney, Australia, 29 October 2020 — Aussies are a nation of foodies, and it’s no surprise that as restrictions ease back and offices open up again, that one of the biggest work perks employers are dangling to entice us back in is… free food!
New research by Uber Australia reveals that over 1 in 2 Aussies prefer free food over a flexible workplace policy, and almost 60% of employees wish their office offered free meals or food vouchers. And as the generation that launched #foodselfies, the findings show that millennials (57.7%) are the most food obsessed professionals in the country, making up the largest percentage of Aussies who would prefer free food over any other work perk.
Head of Enterprise for Uber for Business, Tim Rossanis, has seen first hand how Australian businesses have used food to support its employees throughout lockdown. In fact, the number of Australian companies using Eats for Business has almost doubled from pre-COVID times.
“Food is the way to many people’s hearts and it comes as no surprise that in a year like 2020, where many of us have been stuck at home for months on end, that employers are looking for ways to keep employees motivated and engaged,” he said.
“While our Melbourne colleagues are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, at the height of the lockdown, large enterprises were offering Uber Eats for Business and digital gift cards to its Melbourne based staff to help keep spirits up.
“But free food is not just a work perk being offered by big business. Over a third of orders we have seen through Eats for Business this year were made by SMBs.”
Help with transport and the commute to work follows closely (41%) as another work perk that Aussies are calling for post-COVID. The research reveals that:
- 29.1% of respondents said the amount of money saved from not having to commute into work this year is discouraging them from returning to the office.
- Over half (55%) of Aussies aged between 25-44 years would be more likely to return to the office if their workplace offered free/subsidised commutes.
- A further 53% of Aussies aged between 25-44 years would like their employers to provide a carpool option.
- Almost a quarter (23.6%) of respondents say their daily commute does not allow enough space for social distancing
“Not everyone is comfortable with taking public transport yet, and the economic impact of commuting, like road tolls, is deterring many people from returning to the office even when it is safe to do so,” said Rossanis.
“Some employers will have to help with the daily commute if they want Aussies back in the office. Or provide alternative options that do not lead to more cars on our roads as people opt to drive rather than get a bus or train in post-COVID.”
Additional research findings:
- Millennials make up the largest age bracket of those who say free / discounted commutes is one of their top ideal work perks
- Sydneysiders were more likely to choose free food / meal vouchers as their ideal work perk at 27%
- Millennials also make up the largest percentage of those who say free food / meal vouchers would be their ideal work perk at 28%
- Sydneysiders are more likely to score a free meal while WFH (31%), followed closely by Melburnians (25%)
For more Uber for Business return to the office resources, contact us.
Posted by Athena Katsogiannis
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