Slovakia
Employees who receive a meal allowance from their employer on their meal card or in the form of meal tickets find this solution practical and life-simplifying. This emerged from a recent survey conducted for Edenred by the agency Stem/Mark.
A practical solution for lunch, this is how 35,6 percent of the interviewed employees answered the question in which they see an advantage for themselves in using a meal card or meal tickets. Another almost 32% of survey participants confirmed that they have less stress and this solution also brings them a feeling of joy that they are getting something extra from their employer.
"In total, it is almost 67 percent of the interviewed employees who are satisfied with such a solution to the meal allowance from the employer. If we add to them 22 percent of employees, according to whom it increases their purchasing power, we find that the meal allowance, which is not paid in the form of cash, is considered by the vast majority of employees to be a great advantage and a benefit they receive from the employer." said Lívia Bachratá, Director of Public Affairs at Edenred. As another advantage, employees consider that they eat better because they (more often) have a hot lunch from the restaurant.
Employers' view
The Stem/Mark survey also focused on employers. Most of them (76,6 percent) provided vouchers in paper form even before the option of choosing between a cash contribution and a contribution in the form of meal vouchers. Most employers are considering switching to an electronic solution, i.e. a contribution credited to their employees' meal card.
"As long as the employees consider the form of meal allowance that they have set at work to be convenient and satisfactory, there is no reason to change it. Employers would otherwise risk to a certain extent the loss of trust or loyalty on the part of employees, and it could also affect their satisfaction." pointed out L. Bachratá. 15,5 percent of interviewed employers are considering a complete transition to a cash contribution, while almost 70% of employers are not considering paying a contribution to the employees' account at all.
Beneficial for both parties
As already mentioned, employees consider meal cards or meal tickets to be a practical solution, thanks to which they have less stress, they treat themselves to a full hot lunch from the restaurant more often and appreciate the employer for taking care of them in this way.
Other factors also motivate employers to apply this solution. For example, 43,5 percent of respondents consider cashback, discounts in shops and restaurants, or the possibility to refuel at discounted prices as additional benefits for their employees.
39% of the interviewed employers consider the smaller administrative burden of ordering meal tickets or recharging food credit to be a big advantage for themselves.
"We try to sensitively adjust all our benefit solutions so that they are advantageous and beneficial for both parties, i.e. for employees and employers. Regular surveys give us real feedback on how our benefits are used. Based on the results, we then create other options to improve them and even better adapt them to the needs of those who use them." concluded L. Bachratá.
