Forget Commuter Benefits: Employees Are Demanding This $21-a

Forget Commuter Benefits: Employees Are Demanding This $21-a-Day Perk Instead

Forget train passes and parking stipends—a growing number of companies are spending up to $500 a month to feed their hybrid workforce.

After the upheaval of Covid-19 and the wave of volatility caused by AI, workplace morale has taken a significant hit. The percentage of employees in the U.S. and Canada who describe themselves as “thriving” versus “struggling” has fallen ten points lower than pre-Covid levels one small but meaningful way to increase employee happiness might be to provide the most classic of workplace benefits: a free lunch

Prior surveys from DoorDash demonstrated that receiving meal benefits can lead to higher satisfaction and lower stress for workers. In a new report, DoorDash surveyed employers to learn how companies are building out their meal programs. The report surveyed over a thousand decision makers at firms that offered meal benefits, primarily in white-collar fields like tech, finance, pharmaceuticals, and professional services. 

As companies increasingly use free food

As companies increasingly use free food as a lever for employee satisfaction, the bar for these offerings is raised over time. According to DoorDash, 54 percent of survey respondents said that expectations for their company’s meal program have increased in recent years. Since most employees prefer restaurant food to that of their workplace cafeteria, companies are incentivized to look outside of the office for free or subsidized food offerings in order to impress employees. 

DoorDash highlights in their report that meal programs are a growing component of the workplace benefits package. In their report, they state, “Nearly half of respondents (46 percent) say their companies compare meal benefits with other workplace offerings, such as commuter benefits, phone stipends, and wellness perks.” Interestingly, Business Insider reported that while other perks have been pulled back in the post-Covid era, meal programs are actually becoming more popular. 

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The report also indicates that providing meals could help with the broad push to bring workers into the office. Hybrid work remains significantly above pre-COVID levels, and in polling from Gallup, the vast majority of eligible employees would prefer to remain either hybrid or fully remote. In the DoorDash report, 93 percent of companies trying to encourage hybrid employee attendance use meal benefits as a way to bring workers into the office. 

In this effort, some companies are willing

In this effort, some companies are willing to put significant reey, the average monthly spend ranges from $385 to $425 per eligible employee depending on the industry. For the professional services industry, which has a workplace culture of frequent client meals, the average cost per employee was around $500 per month

The increase in meal benefits for employees can be seen  both as an altruistic effort to raise workplace morale, and as a business-savvy investment into worker retention and productivity. In an interview with Business Insider, consulting CEO Scott Steinberg explained why companies offer free food with the following quip: “It’s still cheaper than giving bonuses, stock options, and ownership.”

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Source: www.inc.com