What benefits do employees actually value? The company perks that make the most impact

Today’s workforce wants benefits that genuinely make life easier. The kind that help with rising everyday costs, support their wellbeing, and feel simple to use. In short, employees want good company benefits that deliver real value.

This is especially important in 2026, with living costs putting pressure on households across the UK. Employees are paying much closer attention to the support employers offer outside of their salary - and this creates a challenge for businesses.

Employers today need to come up with company benefit ideas that actually matter and will be used by their workforce. And alongside offering a benefits package that feels competitive, they also need it to be affordable and easy to manage.

At BHN Extras, we know benefits inside out. We work with businesses across the UK to help them deliver benefits employees genuinely want, offering simple savings with trusted brands that provide everyday support and make a real difference. So, in this guide we’ll explore the employee benefits that have the biggest impact and how businesses can build a benefits package employees genuinely value.

Why employee benefits matter more than ever in modern employment packages

Employee expectations around benefits are no longer what they used to be, and a flashy office or occasional free pizza no longer cut it. Employees want support that actually improves day-to-day life rather than meaningless gestures. That means benefits that help them stretch their salary further and reduce financial stress whilst offering mental health support and improving their physical wellbeing.

The numbers back this up. Research from BHN Extras found that:

• 97-99% of employers and 85% of employees believe supporting employees during tough times helps attract and retain talent
  79% of employers and 65% of employees agree benefits are important during times of financial pressure
• 58% of employees would consider changing jobs it it meant receiving a better benefits package
• 53% of employees feel that their employers could do more to support them

This paints a very clear picture that good company benefits are no longer a “nice to have”, but instead a major part of the employee experience that helps retain talent. The right benefits package can reduce turnover and aid with recruitment whilst improving employee engagement and boosting productivity. This is because meaningful benefits show employees that their employer understands the pressures they face - and they return this understanding by working harder and staying with your company for longer.

What employees actually want from a good company benefits package

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is offering benefits that look impressive on paper but rarely get used. Employees don’t want overly complicated schemes hidden behind confusing systems with loads of steps needed to activate them. Instead, they want simple benefits that fit naturally into everyday life. That’s why the most successful company benefit ideas tend to focus on a few key areas. Among these are financial and mental wellbeing, flexibility, and everyday convenience.

Benefits that reduce financial pressure consistently rank among the most valued workplace perks - and at BHN Extras, we’ve seen firsthand how popular practical savings can be. Employees are far more likely to engage with benefits that help them save on food shopping, home essentials, technology, travel, fitness, family life, and their general wellbeing. That’s because good company benefits aren’t necessarily the flashiest, but the ones that employees will actually use and find value in.

Financial company benefit ideas that employees genuinely value

Financial stress affects every area of life, and that includes performance at work. Because of this, financial wellbeing has become one of the most important parts of any modern employee benefits package. Employees want help making their money go further, which in turn relieves stress and helps to improve mental wellbeing too - which is why the best company benefit ideas and plans start with providing support in simple, practical ways.

Everyday savings and cashback

One of the easiest ways to make an immediate impact with good company benefits is through everyday savings. This means benefits that help employees reduce the cost of shopping, household essentials, and day-to-day spending, which are all consistently among the most used and appreciated perks.

Through BHN Extras, employees can access:

• Up to 15% cashback with a range of trusted retailers
• Discounted gift cards for household brands
• Savings on food shopping, fashion, technology, and homeware

These are benefits employees can use immediately without mountains of time-consuming admin. And because BHN Extras partners with brands employees already know and love, including IKEA, Currys, Argos, and Sainsbury’s, the savings are relevant and genuinely useful.

Home and tech schemes

Big purchases can put pressure on household budgets, which is why flexible schemes that spread the cost of larger purchases are becoming increasingly popular. Home & Tech schemes allow employees to save on products they genuinely want while paying over time through salary sacrifice, including:

• New home and office furniture
• Kitchen appliances
• Laptops and smartphones

For employers, it’s one of the company benefit ideas that delivers high perceived value without adding unnecessary admin.

Cycle to work and fitness benefits

As mentioned, employees increasingly value benefits that support both financial and physical wellbeing. Cycle to work schemes remain one of the most popular employee benefits because they combine both, with Cyclescheme in particular being the UK’s leading cycle to work scheme. Employees can save up to 47% on bikes and cycling equipment whilst improving improving their fitness, commuting more sustainably, and reducing travel costs.

Gym discounts also continue to grow in popularity, particularly when employees can choose from a wide range of locations and fitness options. For example, MyGymDiscounts helps employees save up to 25% with gym memberships, leisure centres, health clubs, and a range of other fitness classes and locations.

Travel and commuting savings

Commuting costs remain a major pressure for many employees, and benefits that support travel, cycling, or greener commuting options continue to be highly valued. That includes the cycle to work scheme mentioned above, but it also includes ways for employees to save and be more sustainable without changing how they currently travel.

The Green Car Benefit scheme is a salary sacrifice benefit that helps employees save on an electric car, whether it’s pre-owned or brand new. By choosing an ultra low emission vehicle, employees who drive and participate in the scheme don’t just save money and help the environment, but they do so without any drastic changes to the way they commute.

Why flexibility and simplicity matter in modern benefits packages

No two employees are the same. A graduate employee might prioritise travel savings and affordable technology, while a parent may value grocery savings and flexible support. That’s why flexibility is one of the most important features of modern employee benefits. Employees want choice, which is why businesses that offer a mix of financial, wellbeing, lifestyle, and salary sacrifice benefits are far more likely to create strong engagement across their workforce.

Alongside this, one of the biggest reasons many employee benefit schemes fail is complexity. Many businesses invest in benefits employees barely use because the systems are confusing, difficult to access, poorly communicated, or simply not relevant enough to be worth the hassle. Employees don’t want to spend hours trying to work out how to save money. They want easy access with simple sign-ups, minimal admin, flexible options with brands they can trust, and clear savings that aren’t difficult to figure out.

At BHN Extras, flexibility and accessibility sit at the centre of everything we do. Our platform allows businesses to pick and mix employee benefits that suit their people, while keeping administration straightforward and stress-free. That means something for everyone, whilst ensuring management of benefits is simple with one platform and one login.

Building a benefits package employees actually use

In summary, the most successful benefits strategies keep things simple and varied at the same time. Instead of overwhelming employees with endless schemes, focus on benefits that solve real problems and deliver everyday value for everyone. When reviewing company benefit ideas, ask:

• Will employees genuinely use this, and is it easy to access?
• Does this support financial wellbeing for a wide range of employees?
• Does it reduce pressure or improve quality of life in some way?

The strongest employee benefits packages combine everyday savings with flexible wellbeing support, partnerships with known and trusted brands, salary sacrifice schemes, and easy-to-use functionalities. And most importantly, of course, they should be designed around employees’ actual needs rather than trends.

At BHN Extras, we help businesses offer employee benefits that workers truly value by ticking all of the boxes covered above, and without creating extra admin headaches for HR teams. Everything is designed to help employees save money, reduce stress, and improve wellbeing - and because our platform is built to be simple, businesses can launch and manage benefits quickly and easily.

No complicated systems and no unnecessary jargon. Just good company benefits that work.

If you’re ready to build an employee benefits package your employees will genuinely value, BHN Extras is here for you. Get in touch to learn more about the employee benefits we offer today on +442074198294, via our contact page, or email enquiries@workplaceextras.com.