Benefits for all: Employee Perks and Gaining Green Credentials

Businesses have always had the opportunity to present themselves as being “green”. For a while, it was nice, but not always a financially wise way to build a company up. But today, with consistent new rulings and regulations, this “green-thinking” is an absolute necessity for modern, growing businesses.

Businesses becoming increasingly wary in terms of measuring outgoing CO2, whether that be from the company fleet or elsewhere. Thus, business owners and managers are preparing for a more sustainable future in their sectors. Hopefully, in time, this will save them money as well as boost their credentials.

Green Business Tips 1: Plan and Prepare

There are many ways that employers can now create a more environmentally-friendly ethos. Some are more traditional, whilst others involve a little bit more of an open-minded approach. Especially to how small changes can make a huge difference and can keep a company ahead of the curve.

The first step that many people make is to dive right in and start changing things. Sadly, this approach can often lead to short-lived changes, which can cost more than they need to. Creating a long-term plan that involves specific goals will help to move towards a more significant improvement in the business.

A simple strategy to ensure that there are company-wide changes:

Include passionate individuals from different teams in the planning and execution stages of the project to move forward. You will often find that with this approach, more employees feel invested in the journey that the business is making. And, it will encourage those around them to do the same. This makes the move to a “green” company feel more like a project than a chore. As we will discuss, there are many opportunities for employees to benefit from this change as well as employers.

Green Business Tips 2: A Plausible Paperless Office?

A simple but effective first step is to reduce paper usage in the office and offsite. This could include emailing digital copies of meeting agendas and using whiteboards around the office for notes and planning. Not only will this reduce day-to-day waste, but it will also ensure that data kept by the company is secure. It will also be GDPR compliant, with the availability of encryption for digitally stored files. This method of moving to digital could even be used for offsite workers; using tablets and electronic forms rather than a pen and paper each time. This method is great for keeping track of your data whilst reducing costs on stationery and reducing office waste.

Obviously for a lot of businesses, going 100% paperless is not always possible. In this case, consider setting up paper (and general) recycling points around the office. Employees will also actively consider what they’re throwing away and whether they’re recyclable.

Green Business Tips 3: ‘R’ for ‘Reuse’?

Many offices are regularly looking for ways to make employees more efficient and productive. Recent trends suggest offices frequently put in coffee and refreshment machines to appeal to employees. However, this is not ideal for a sustainable office. Every time an employee gets a coffee, for example, there is wastage. Waste from the paper cup, the packaging within the machine, and the power used to keep these machines running constantly. Consider replacing machines that give plastic or cardboard cups with reusable mugs, glasses and actual cutlery rather than throw-away utensils. These machines are expensive and often inconvenient. A kettle that will make multiple cups at once will work just as well and reduce waste there too.

What other areas have the potential for reusable resources? A big one is printers. There are companies out there that supply refillable ink cartridges that are becoming a lot more common in offices. You send away your empty cartridges and they’re refilled and sent back. It’s easy. You’re also saving on metal and plastic wastage.

Green Business Tips 4: See Green, Be Green

Placing plants around the office is estimated to reduce CO2 by up to a quarter. This doesn’t mean turning the office into a jungle, but putting just a few plants around can definitely help with air quality. Not only does it make the office look nicer but being around and seeing greenery will boost creativity and help employees feel more relaxed at work. You’ll find a raised level of productivity if you package this affordable idea in with some bigger benefits.

Green Business Tips 5: You’ve got the Power

It’s estimated that around 30% of a company’s utility spend goes on lighting and with new technology. It’s no longer necessary. A short-term investment into a new lighting structure can save a company money over a longer period of time.

In an office environment, a lot of screens can create artificial light, that is not only bad for employees’ eyesight but poor for productivity, long term. Making an investment in the environment is beneficial. Where possible try to use sources of natural light. It’s proven to aid alertness and general productivity. If this is not possible, utilise LED lighting. They last longer and contain fewer harmful materials.

Install sensors that will automatically turn lights on and off as rooms are used. This will stop the lights in scarce areas costing big money. Think conference rooms, toilets, and even kitchens, as well as the main office areas.

GBT6: A Casual Office Saving?

A recent study suggested that there are measures that will reduce CO2 linked with the company through external channels. A given example was allowing employees to wear ‘smart casual’ clothing in the office. The study suggested it would result in employees wearing fewer outfits because they wouldn’t change when outside of work hours. Consequently, less washing machines and dry-cleaning services would be used, resulting in a ‘greener lifestyle’ for employees.

GBT7: Being Green has its Benefits

Leveraging the company benefits package in other ways will make the green-credential-boosting process feel like a reward than a chore.

Many employers offer a cycle to work scheme, which is often a good option for staff who live close to the office. But what about those who live further afield? Is there a practical way to give them benefits? That not only help the business with increased productivity but are also green?

There are options to use employee car schemes in a very green and simple way.

Low CO2 cars offer great savings. Sometimes up to 45% compared to retail, even with Benefit in Kind Tax imposed on Salary Sacrifice. They offer employees a ‘just add fuel’ solution that can help them get into new, affordable cars. Stats released earlier in the year suggested that you could travel over 32,000 miles in a fully electric car for just over £345 of electric charge. You’re not just reducing the amount of CO2 you are producing. Whether driving personally or for business, you’re saving money and the environment.

A common worry with this (often) cost-free benefit is the infrastructure required for charging electric cars. Companies can offer free electric charging points where suitable with orders of electric cars. This is to help jump-start this transition to fully electric or hybrid models. Choosing a company with a low emission focus is crucial when trying to successfully implement this benefit company-wide.

These schemes can also be a good option for employees who do fewer business miles but still need personal insurance. Companies can offer an excellent benefit with affordable cars that also cover employees for business journeys. They are proven to help with recruitment and reduce employee stress. They’re a win-win.

GBT8: Green Fleets go Further

The options for taking steps to become green aren’t exclusive to hassle-free employee car schemes. There is potential to implement this ‘green-motoring’ mentality into vans or specially adapted vehicles too. Whether this is driving in a more environmentally friendly fashion or switching to lower CO2 vehicles. It can be massively beneficial to the company. There the opportunity to save on fuel. As well, your “green badge” will allow you to drive into cities implementing congestion zone charges. Which, if done regularly, could save a considerable amount of money. We always recommend using a specialist green fleet advisory service for this. Implementing the changes in-house can be overwhelming, particularly if you don’t have a specialist fleet manager working on site.

GBT9: Stay in the Loop

Stay on track to achieve company goals by staying up to date with the latest news. Local green networking events and following online campaigns such as Go Ultra Low will provide insight into issues and solutions. They’ll also offer opportunities to help other local businesses looking to move to green alternatives. They could open avenues for partnerships with like-minded businesses.

want to find some more employee benefits you should be offering? Check out this article by DoorDash!

Learn more about how salary sacrifice car schemes work and how you can leverage these no cost schemes to aid employee efforts to lower CO2. Download the guide below or register for a free webinar here.