An account director has revealed how she enjoys the perks of free Botox on her lunchbreak as part of a staff incentive offered by her employer to retain staff.
Lizzie McManus, 35, from Bournemouth, works for a communications agency which gives its staff an extra £100 worth of vouchers a month to spend on activities or treatments of their choice.
The perk is part of a growing trend which has seen businesses offer their staff unusual benefits in an effort to stand out from competitors.
Tech giants Facebook, Google and Apple all offer egg freezing for female staff, while Virgin, Netflix and LinkedIn reportedly offer an unlimited holiday package to the employees on their books – as long as their work is completed.
According to Glassdoor’s Employment Confidence Survey, 80 per cent of the working nation would favour benefits or perks over a pay rise.
Pictured: The Bournemouth Communications agency which offers its staff monthly £100 vouchers for treatments and experiences (Lizzie McManus, centre, takes advantage of free Botox)
Lizzie McManus, 35, from Bournemouth, has revealed how she enjoys the perks of free Botox as part of a staff incentive offered by her employer to retain staff. She is seen left, before, and right, after her lunchtime Botox treatment
Sunny Bird, founder of the Bournemouth based communications agency offering Botox as part of its staff incentive, revealed how the business saved £20,000 by using an online business community tool to pay for items such as marketing materials, HR and training.
Sunny said: ‘It’s been an eye opener for my business and the way we operate, it’s allowed me to purchase items for both my business and my team that I otherwise wouldn’t have had the cash for.’
Revealing why she decided to jump on-board the trend for offering staff incentives, she explained: ‘As a small business, having a productive and happy team is an absolute must.
‘Finding good staff is a challenge in itself so I work hard to try and retain them.
‘There is so much research out there that demonstrates an incentivised and rewarded team is generally a happier one.
‘It doesn’t just have to come down to bonuses or pay rises, it can be the little and often ‘thank yous’ that make a big difference to team morale too.’
A new trend of quirky staff perks: Tech giants Facebook, Google and Apple all offer egg freezing for female staff, while Virgin, Netflix and LinkedIn reportedly offer an unlimited holiday package to the employees on their books – as long as their work is completed
Sunny Bird offers her business services through the platform BBX, which allows businesses to exchange services in exchange for their currency.
She explained: ‘Each month I give each member of the team £100 worth of BBX pounds on top of their salary for them to spend as they please, whether it’s getting their hair done, spending the weekend away or even getting Botox.
‘We also set aims for the team to meet and if they reach them, they are rewarded with things such as hotel stays away, spa days or even a holiday abroad.’.
Speaking about getting Botox, Lizzie – who has been with the company for three years – said: ‘I would never have spent my own money on something such as Botox, but as the opportunity came up on I thought why not!
‘The treatment was great, now I’m wrinkle free and love it. As a team we have had so much fun with this, everything from team lunches, getting our hair done before events, massages and pampering and we’re even going on a team jet ski safari day’.
Companies like Pets at Home, Mars Petcare and BrewDog offer their staff a few extra days off a year to settle their pets in, calling it ‘paw-ternity leave’
The most unusual staff quirks
1. Egg freezing for female staff
Egg freezing is becoming an increasingly popular trend among working women who are keen to secure the idea of later motherhood.
By offering egg freezing as a benefit for workers, companies argue that they are giving working women an incentive to focus on furthering their career.
Large companies offering this benefit to their staff say they have been able to attract and retain more female employees.
Facebook was the first to offer this for its employees quickly followed by tech giants Google and Apple. In 2019, it’s now estimated that as many as 5 per cent of all companies in the UK now offer this perk – including Uber, eBay, Yahoo, Spotify and Snapchat.
2. Botox
A communications agency based in Bournemouth offers their staff incentives through an online business trading tool called BBX, which enables the employees to purchase things such as hair appointments, weekends away, holidays and even Botox.
A communications agency based in Bournemouth offers their staff incentives through an online business trading tool called BBX, which enables the employees to purchase things such as hair appointments, weekends away, holidays and even Botox
3. Unlimited Holiday
Virgin, Netflix and LinkedIn reportedly offer an unlimited holiday package to the employees on their books. The policy states that staff may take as much or as little holiday as they like provided the job/ work is completed.
This incentive appears to be commonly implemented in the USA, too. In fact, it’s estimated that approximately 9 per cent of companies around the world offer this enticing deal to staff members.
4. Paw-ternity
Anyone who has experienced getting a puppy knows it can be hard work.
Puppies need time to settle into their new home and bond with their owners, which is why companies like Pets at Home, Mars Petcare and BrewDog to name a few, offer their staff a few extra days off a year to allow for just that.
5. A True Christmas Miracle
Swinton Insurance offer their staff extra time to enjoy the festive season by giving them an extra day off a year for Christmas shopping, which can be taken any time during December.