Debby Carreau, CEO and founder of Inspired HR, in a handout image. Carreau says there are a lot of perks that 'employees just don’t seem to know about.'Everyone loves a deal, but many Canadians either forget or don’t realize they can find discounts through their workplace.
There are a few reasons why employees might not be fully informed about workplace discounts – your job offer might not have included a detailed breakdown of all your benefits, large and small. Or your onboarding process was an information overload and you’ve forgotten, said Carreau.
People who work in certain sectors can sometimes enjoy standardized discounts – just ask at the counter. More ordinary add-ons from employers include deals for phone plans and gym memberships, said Jennifer Schmidt, partner and innovation leader for Mercer, a global HR consulting firm. But in some of the larger plans she sees, flexible benefits, which allow for more tailored allocations to different benefit categories, can give more choice back to employees.
When advising employer clients of all sizes, the common wisdom is that such services “enhance their value proposition” for staff, Schmidt said. And it’s not just the biggest companies – Mercer also works to bundle plans for small– to medium-sized employers. So employees at smaller firms should still check their benefits for discounts or services that could be free.