Most employees consider the meal allowance to be the best benefit. It even allows them to have lunch in the restaurant. And if food prices were doubled, people would choose healthier foods and support restaurants more. This follows from the September Edenred data of the Food barometer survey.
The meal allowance is a benefit that benefits employees, but also employers and restaurants. According to our data, employees consider the meal allowance to be their favorite, which increases their loyalty to the employer and at the same time allows employees to eat in the restaurant.
How do people use the food allowance?
To be specific, out of 2 survey participants, up to 337 percent of respondents choose a restaurant also because it accepts meal cards. 67 percent of people usually use food allowance for lunch in a restaurant either regularly or often. However, a quarter of the respondents rarely do so.
"The amount of the meal allowance certainly plays a role, whether it is only the minimum amount resulting from the law, or whether the employer treats his employees more. As many as 86 percent of respondents from our survey said that if they had twice the amount of food allowance per month compared to the present, they would improve the quality of their meals. This is an interesting fact that deserves the attention of employers." Lívia Bachratá, Director of Public Affairs at Edenred, is convinced.
In addition, 79 percent of respondents said that with a meal card they would be able to have lunch every weekday, and 44 percent said that they would go to a restaurant more often if they had twice as much.
"More than two-thirds of employees said that meal allowance increases their purchasing power and is a practical lunch solution. I would like to point out that good eating during working hours is directly related to work performance and at the same time affects the health of employees," continues L. Bachratá.
However, for up to 62 percent of those interviewed, the meal allowance from the employer is not enough, and at the end of the month they have to pay for lunch entirely themselves.
Indirect aid
103 restaurants also participated in our survey. More than half (58 percent) admit that the meal allowance system (in electronic or paper form) has a positive effect on their activities. Almost half (49,5 percent) of establishments are convinced that the acceptance of meal allowances in the establishment means an increase in their turnover.
Restaurants are satisfied (67 percent) with the meal card system and 59 percent are also satisfied with the digital version of the meal ticket. Up to 68 percent of restaurant owners or operators are convinced that the acceptance of meal cards is an important criterion by which customers choose an establishment.
Other practical benefits
The survey also showed that, in addition to the meal allowance, employees appreciate the benefits that give them more time for rest and regeneration.
"Yes, the second most popular benefit is paid leave beyond the scope of the law. This benefit is considered the most popular and thus the most important by 15,4 percent of respondents. It was even overtaken by a benefit in the form of flexible working hours, which is key for 14,9 percent of respondents," continues the Director of Public Affairs at Edenred.
According to our survey, the fourth most popular benefit is partial work from home (14,6 percent), followed by the possibility of career growth (6,6 percent), health care benefits (6,3 percent), and the possibility of further education (3,9 percent ) and financial support for home office equipment (2,3 percent).
"It is ideal if the employer can set the mix of benefits in such a way that they meet their possibilities and at the same time the highly individual needs of each employee. This is what Edenred specializes in, and we will be happy to help with this setup," concluded L. Bachratá.
