Amba

Next week we’ll be attending Future Leap Network's Festival of sustainability Exhibition.

It’s an exhibition in Bristol, free for attendees, highlighting the urgency of climate and ecological emergencies. The festival of sustainability is designed to support attendees who are going through their sustainability journey, and how they best tackle this.

If you’re attending, be sure to come to meet us at exhibitor stand 5, we’d love to talk all things sustainable employee benefits.

Event information 👉 https://www.festivalofsustainablebusiness.co.uk/

Fancy winning this selection of sustainable products, worth £109.47? 🌍🙌🎁

Enter here: https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/rSB3Bx
The prize includes:

✅ Aeyla - previously Mela pillow spray

✅ Vegan graze box

✅ Chilly's bottle

✅ Aeyla - previously Mela sleep candle

✅ Life Supplies body wash

✅ Two spoons tea & Gun dog gin from BigBarn CIC

All of these products are available, and discounted on our employee perks platform, Lumina Perks.

Find out more & enter�https://lumina-uk.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Lumina-perks-edit-PDF.pdf

Check out this awesome discount provider on our ethical employee perks platform; Lumina Perks
🌍🙌

Aeyla - previously Mela expertly match you with the right solutions to naturally improve your sleep and stress, from a selection of thoughtfully curated products and content.

Give your employees access to socially and environmentally friendly discounts and savings
👉 https://lnkd.in/egGvMjuK

Attraction and retention is still at the top of the agenda for many businesses.

Employers are struggling to find benefits to help tackle this and suit an array of employee’s needs.

With the retirement age rising and with the younger generation joining the workforce, there is a huge variety of workers.

So, offering a suite of benefits for all life stages is more important than ever.

An employee perks platform is a great way to confront this issue.

What is an employee perks platform?

☑️A self-serve benefit offering discounts from a variety of providers

☑️ A non-salary benefit given to employees to improve their overall lifestyle

☑️ Goes beyond the standard non traditional benefits

Perks platforms can offer something for every life stage:

🛍️ Discounts on everyday shopping (from food shops to children's wear)

🪙 Financial support (inc. getting on the property ladder & long term saving)

🌍 Conscious & sustainable shopping alternatives

💗 Discounts on period products, menopause support and care for elderly relatives.

Our online employee perks shopping platform, Lumina Perks, is for any sized business, with a focus on people and planet.

Along with a strong ESG ethos, it also aligns with your employees, no matter their life stage, with a range of discounts suitable for a diverse workforce.

Find out more 👉 https://lumina-uk.com/lumina-perks-an-ethical-shopping-perks-platform/

We might seem a little biased, but sustainable and ethical employee benefits are a pretty essential first step towards appealing to your employees’ values and priorities. 🌍💕

By implementing a greener benefits scheme, you could appeal not only to existing talent in your business, but to new job seekers looking to align themselves to businesses with ethical values.

71% of young people now actively research a company’s ethics before accepting a job.*

The focus of employees today has shifted significantly, with more employees prioritising their mental health and becoming more conscious of their impact on the environment.

According to YouGov, over 84% of employees say they are concerned about climate change, and this increases to over 88% for under 25s. In fact, the environment is the second most important issue for under 25s only behind health.

So DO sustainable employee benefits really matter? 👉 https://www.amba-uk.com/blogs/do-sustainable-benefits-really-matter/



*You can read more about this in our Generation gap report > https://www.amba-uk.com/resource/the-generation-gap-report/

Do sustainable employee benefits really matter? - Amba People Do employees really care about sustainable employee benefits? Of course they do! And here’s why your business should take note...

Engaging your workforce is something many employers struggle with.

Higher rates of employee engagement can help with the following:

- Reduce employee turnover and increase retention
- Improve workplace productivity and performance
- Generate more innovative ideas
- Reduce burnout

Employee values 🤝 employee benefits = employee engagement.

Employee benefits are a great way to boost engagement by aligning your offering with your employee values.

With nearly three quarters (72%) of employees wanting their employer to be more sustainable, many employers are looking at ways to meet these values.

If you're looking to engage your workforce with the help of an employee perks platform. Find out about Lumina Perks 👉 https://lumina-uk.com/lumina-perks-an-ethical-shopping-perks-platform/

Check out this awesome discount provider on our ethical employee perks platform; Lumina Perks
🌍🙌

MobileAdvantage is good for your wallet & the environment. It prevents e-waste by providing devices a 2nd life & reduces demand for brand-new devices & the mining of precious metals.

Give your employees access to socially and environmentally friendly discounts and savings
👉 https://lnkd.in/egGvMjuK

The truth is, when it comes to benefits, it’s not a one shoe fits all kind of thing. We need to ensure our benefits align with all employees no matter their age or life stage 🤗

It’s time to evolve your Employer value proposition (EVP) to serve your talent no matter their life stage, as benefits are no longer just a ‘nice to have’.

For more insight on this, check out our latest blog 👉 https://lumina-uk.com/blogs/benefits-are-only-beneficial-if-theyre-wanted/

Employee Benefits meet employees values - Lumina It’s time to align your benefits with employee values, showing your people you care about their wants and needs.

Some of the most significant challenges faced by employers are:

⭕ Managing hybrid working teams
⭕ Meeting company wide CSR or ESG goals
⭕ The ongoing, growing admin
⭕ Reduced budgets, due to economic climate

So, what's the solution?

🖥️ Taking benefits online
Reduce your admin by moving your benefits online, where employees can self-serve and access anytime, anywhere.

🌱 Ethical employee discounts
Implement an employee perks shopping platform, with discounts to support users through all life stages, and support any climate conscious values.

🔗 Plug and play options
Even if you can’t quite offer highly competitive salaries or Silicon Valley style benefits, you can still offer perks that speak to the passions of your people.

How does Lumina Perks stand out from the rest?

Our employee platform…

☑️ Is a low admin benefits platform that's quick and easy to implement

☑️ Has a range of discounts to support users with the current cost of living crisis

☑️ Has a climate conscious marketplace to help support company ESG and CSR targets

☑️ Is MFA secure

Find out more about Lumina Perks and how it can support you & your employees👉 https://lumina-uk.com/lumina-perks-an-ethical-shopping-perks-platform/

Not everyone is able to afford or manage an electric vehicle, but this shouldn’t be a barrier to your sustainable and environmental goals.

We’ve teamed up, with + | Certified B Corporation™ to exclusively launch a brand new carbon neutral fuel card into the employee benefits market.

Allowing your employees to save big on discounted fuel, whilst carbon offsetting at the same time!

This new scheme will also allow you, as a business, to reduce your overall company fuel costs, whilst also supporting internal environmental, social and governance goals with tangible data to show how Coco+ makes your fleet carbon negative!

Find out more in our press release 👉 https://lumina-uk.com/blogs/lumina-team-up-with-coco-to-exclusively-launch-fuel-card-employee-benefit/

Lumina team up with COCO+ to exclusively launch fuel card employee benefit. Not everyone is able to afford an electric vehicle, that’s why we have added a carbon neutral fuel card to our employee benefits platform.

“71% of young people now actively research a company’s ethics before accepting a job”

We conducted research amongst thousands of full-time workers, of all ages in the UK.

The results showed the most important factors when it comes to judging a potential employer are:

🙌 A business’s values (61%)

🙊 What other employees say about the company (59%)

📦 The quality of its products (40%)

🕸️Its website (21%)

Find out more 👉 https://www.amba-uk.com/blogs/how-the-priorities-of-gen-z-employees-differ-from-their-older-colleagues/

UK Employers need to align with their employees' values or risk losing younger talent Report on UK employees reveals two-thirds of staff whose employers ignore their values could quit within a year.

"Attracting and retaining the next generation of talent can be an arduous task as Gen Z employees bring a diverse array of priorities to the world of work. Employee engagement expert Tobin Murphy-Coles, CEO of HR consultancy Amba, offers his insights into how employers can master this challenge." 👏

Read the full Employer News article here:

Employer News :From Gen Z to Employee: How to attract and retain new talent News From Gen Z to Employee: How to attract and retain new talent

Every day costs are spiralling. According to the Office for National Statistics, the annual inflation rate rose from 8.8% to 9.2% between January and February 2023.

Discount platforms are a powerful, low-cost way to support employees' everyday costs. They are a distinct pillar of holistic, employee financial wellbeing.

Discounts can look moderate, but with the average family food shop at £91 a week, a 2% discounted, reloadable shopping card can generate a weeks' worth of shopping for free each year.

Many high street retailers and well-known supermarkets are a part of national discount schemes. Employee membership is a low cost, but highly effective way to increase engagement for those who might need to make their money go that little bit further.

Our employee shopping platform, Lumina Perks, not only provides discounts for employees on everyday items like food, clothing and, house hold products. It also only hosts ESG vetted providers, that are focused on doing good for people and the planet.

Find out more about Lumina Perks and how it can support your employees👉 https://lumina-uk.com/lumina-perks-an-ethical-shopping-perks-platform/

Read more from Dan’s Employee benefits trend report here:https://www.amba-uk.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Employee-Benefits-and-Engagement-Trends-2023-report.pdf

Are the employee benefits you’re offering undervalued and not used?

They probably don’t suit your people’s values or needs 🕵️

The workforce is changing and its been reported that 38% of the global workforce is made up of approximately Gen Z and Millennials, this percentage will rise to about 58% by 2030. This is an insight into the changing needs of our employees, meaning traditional benefits will no longer suffice in a lot of cases.

We’ve dug into this a little further in our blog post, highlighting some key factors to take on board when updating/choosing a new selection of benefits👉

Employee Benefits meet employees values - Lumina It’s time to align your benefits with employee values, showing your people you care about their wants and needs.

With warmer whether on its way, we are all starting to think about Spring cleaning.

But, what if we gave the Earth a bit of a clean, as well as our cupboards? 🧼🌍

Our employee shopping platform, Lumina Perks, has discounts on environmental cleaning products, as well as plenty of other vetted ethical providers, to help your employees' pay go that bit further.

Find out more about Lumina Perks and how it can support your employees👉 https://lumina-uk.com/lumina-perks-an-ethical-shopping-perks-platform/

42% of employees don’t feel their current employer shares their values 😰

And 45% claim their employer doesn’t meet their expectations of what it means to be an ethical business.

We conducted research amongst thousands of full-time workers, of all ages in the UK, and published a report revealing how the priorities and values of Gen Z employees differ from their older colleagues.

Take a look at a summary of the results 👉 https://www.amba-uk.com/blogs/how-the-priorities-of-gen-z-employees-differ-from-their-older-colleagues/

UK Employers need to align with their employees' values or risk losing younger talent Report on UK employees reveals two-thirds of staff whose employers ignore their values could quit within a year.

What’s your take on Green Pensions? 🌍🐖

It’s common to have a big question mark over moving to a greener/sustainable pension, with most being a fairly new concept, differing from more traditional pension schemes.

However, if you’re looking to reach company ESG goals and do better for your people and planet, look no further than a green pension. Research shows that making a pension ‘green’ is 21 times more effective at cutting an individual’s carbon footprint.

Here are 5 common reasons companies think they shouldn’t move to a green pension, with one compelling reason as to why you should👉https://www.amba-uk.com/blogs/is-the-future-of-pensions-green/

Is the future of pensions green? Switch to a green Pension to align with your company's sustainability goals, attract staff and enhance employee engagement.

How does CSR link to ESG?

Simple…

The principles of your company’s (corporate social responsibility) are a framework to drive your operations and activities in a socially sustainable way.

Broadly speaking, CSR and ESG (environmental, social, governance) standards overlap.

In fact, you could say that CSR is the S of ESG.

So how can you walk the CSR walk in your business, rather than just talking the talk?

That’s what we’ve dug into in our latest article, ‘The CSR in HR: building a culture of positive impact’. Have a read and let us know what you think.

https://lumina-uk.com/blogs/the-csr-in-hr-building-a-culture-of-positive-impact/

The CSR in HR: building a culture of positive impact - Lumina In a world where talent is looking for ethical, sustainable companies, CSR isn’t a side issue: it’s a vital core business component.

How can you give your employees more financial security if you can’t increase their salaries?

How about clever benefits that help them save money where it counts?

In recent YouGov research, 73% of respondents said that the ability to save money is the most important quality in an employee benefit.

Lunch discounts with local businesses. Salary sacrifice schemes. What were once just perks can now make a huge difference in helping people cover their bases.

Find out more about offering smart employee benefits in our blog post👉https://lumina-uk.com/blogs/4-ways-hr-can-help-employees-in-the-cost-of-living-crisis/

4 ways HR can help employees in the cost of living crisis - Lumina If you’re in HR, you haven’t had it easy the last few years – Is there such a thing as a ‘cost of living solution’? Here are 4 strategies...

Has the cost of living crisis changed how you look for talent?

No? Well maybe it should.

If you’re a single parent struggling to feed your family, your priority isn’t taking time out to study for a degree.

Or if you’re a young renter, you can’t afford to wait out a long recruitment process that might not lead to a job in the end.

In a crisis like this, the people we should be trying hardest to include in the job market end up getting left out in the cold. For more on how to make sure that doesn’t happen, take a look at our latest blog 👉 https://lumina-uk.com/blogs/the-cost-of-living-crisis-is-now-an-esg-issue/

The cost of living crisis is now an ESG issue - Lumina Cost of living and ESG commitments - as a business, where does sustainability sit now that budgets are shrinking left, right and centre?

If you want to call yourself a responsible business, you need to set yourself some high targets.

Stepping up the office recycling and arranging a community engagement day isn’t going to cut it. The stakes are too high and the scrutiny today is more intense than ever.

That’s why, last year, we set out to become a B Corp. It’s the highest bar you can aim for if you want to be a force for good, and one you won’t reach without taking a hard look at everything (literally everything) your business does.

But now we’ve got there, it’s time for the real hard work – living up to those standards day in and day out, and continuing to improve wherever we need to.

If you’re trying to make your business a force for good, read our blog on our new life as a B Corp
https://www.amba-uk.com/blogs/weve-finally-made-it-to-b-corp-now-what/

We’ve finally made it to B Corp: now what? - Amba People We started our own B Corp journey last year and finally got accredited in December. But now that we’re across the line...

What’s your take on CSR? Here’s ours…

As businesses, we have an effect that goes way beyond our product or service's value proposition.

Everything we do can have a positive impact or the opposite – affecting the wellbeing of our workforce, our local communities or society as a whole.

That’s why corporate social responsibility (CSR) won’t be going away anytime soon.

But…

❔ How do we make sure that we go from talking to doing?
❔ How do we create genuine social value?
❔ And how do we measure the impact we’re having?

We’ve tackled all of these questions and more in our latest blog post, which includes links to a few of the frameworks you can use to quantify what you’re doing 👉

The CSR in HR: building a culture of positive impact - Lumina In a world where talent is looking for ethical, sustainable companies, CSR isn’t a side issue: it’s a vital core business component.

What stage of financial life are you in?

🍼 Gaga
🍺 Lager
🏠 Aga
👴 Saga

Your answer will determine a lot about your financial wellbeing - the sense of security that comes with knowing that you are in control of your financial future and have enough money to survive and live well enough in the present.

But what if you’re an employer? If you have responsibility for people at work, you’ll need to consider the varying needs of every individual in your care.

With finances being one of the four pillars of wellbeing, this isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ - 7 in 10 UK employers say staff performance is negatively affected by financial pressure.

If you want your employees to arrive at a ‘saga’ life stage in good financial health, you need to provide a good financial health plan.

To find out more, check out our article: https://www.amba-uk.com/blogs/how-to-address-financial-wellbeing-in-a-cost-of-living-crisis/

How to address financial wellbeing in a cost of living crisis Low employee financial wellbeing, inevitably, adversely affects performance. How can you ensure your workforce feels financially secure?

If the Spring Budget taught us anything, it’s that there are many existing and emerging groups within the modern-day workforce. So how can your benefits reach an audience that is ever-evolving and has conflicting and overlapping priorities and needs? You’ve got to segment your audience!

🎯𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲
You’ve sourced the best benefits for your employees, but engagement is low and slow… Want to attract and inspire your employees? Make it about them! By focusing on high-level or mixed messaging you alienate those at different life stages, instead of recognising that one size does not fit all when it comes to benefits.

📢𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲
Regular communication builds trust and meaningful connection. If employees know how, why, and when you’re implementing new benefits, they are far more likely to be engaged when you launch those programs. Communicating what they need to do, where they can find information, and who they can go to for support builds strong self-service habits and helps employees prepare for key events in their own lives.

💕𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁
Ensure that your benefits can be amended during key life events where possible. If enrollment into benefit plans is just an annual activity, there are 11 months of the year that your benefits platform is stagnant and habitual interaction is significantly reduced. Celebrate the birth of dependents, support and embrace marriage and divorce. Make your benefit plans accessible to those who need them most, when they need it most.

Building an engaging, habit-forming collection of benefits programs can be a long-term, but an incredibly rewarding investment. For strategic guidance on how to maximise your investment, book a call with Dan, our Benefits and Engagement Expert. Or read his latest article on the Spring budget 👉https://www.amba-uk.com/blogs/how-the-spring-budget-will-affect-an-emerging-workforce/

Following the Spring Budget update, Pensions are a hot topic right now 🐖🔥

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀

✅Good recruitment tool – you can offer more than the statutory minimum to help recruit and retain staff.

✅ Tax deductible as an allowable business expense. With corporation tax rising to 25% from April 2023 this is an excellent tax planning tool for businesses.

✅ You are helping employees towards their future financial security and income in retirement needs.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀

✅ Employee gets pension contribution “boost” by way of employer contributions and tax back.

✅ Additional income available on top of the state pension.

✅ Choice of investment funds - to suit your workforce values

If you would like more information or would like to arrange some financial wellbeing and pension refresher sessions for your staff please do get in touch as we have access to a pet Financial Adviser who can help and advise you and your staff 👉 https://www.amba-uk.com/contact/

Stigma doesn’t help anyone when it comes to financial wellbeing.

We know no one likes talking about money, especially if they’re struggling. But if you’re going to help employees through the cost of living crisis, they need to feel able to talk openly about their concerns.

Few people have no money worries right now but there’s rarely one solution for everyone. Life stage, family, past debt – it all changes the picture.

The more people can talk about their own financial wellbeing, the more individualised support you can offer.

We’ve dug into this in our blog post, as well as other ways HR can help people navigate their financial challenges👉 https://lumina-uk.com/blogs/4-ways-hr-can-help-employees-in-the-cost-of-living-crisis/

4 ways HR can help employees in the cost of living crisis - Lumina If you’re in HR, you haven’t had it easy the last few years – Is there such a thing as a ‘cost of living solution’? Here are 4 strategies...

We started our own B Corp journey last year and finally got accredited in December. But now that we’re across the line, we’re asking what’s next.

How do we enshrine our B Corp commitments so that they continue driving our purpose? And more importantly, how do we make sure we don’t lose sight of them now that we’ve got the certification?

https://www.amba-uk.com/blogs/weve-finally-made-it-to-b-corp-now-what/

We’ve finally made it to B Corp: now what? - Amba People We started our own B Corp journey last year and finally got accredited in December. But now that we’re across the line...

Every business depends on a thriving environment. And Amba is no exception.

As a we acknowledge that the planet is one of our key stakeholders. That's why we consider the environmental impact of all our business decisions.

For example, we have moved our employees to a more ethically conscious pension. A green pension can cut carbon 21x more than giving up flying, going vegetarian and switching energy provider. This new pension aims to take advantage of Environmental, Social and Governance factors by investing more in companies which score well in these areas.

This is also something we offer to our clients, as well as other sustainably focused services that sit on our employee benefits platform. Such as, affordable electric car schemes, green/renewable energy tariffs and an ethical marketplace with access to socially and environmentally friendly everyday alternatives & discounts.

We are committed to putting sustainability at the centre of employee engagement, and open doors for employers to offer benefits and services that are ethical, accessible, and valuable. That's why .

ceritfaction

What does the cost of living crisis mean for sustainability?

Look, we get it. Everyone’s budgets are shrinking right now, and some things just have to go on the back burner until we’re through this.

But environmental targets aren’t one of them.

The power of businesses is crucial in the fight against the climate crisis. But if we let our progress and momentum slip back now, we might not have time to build it back up.

We’ve tackled this and more of the wider effects of the cost of living crisis in our latest blog 👉

The cost of living crisis is now an ESG issue - Lumina Cost of living and ESG commitments - as a business, where does sustainability sit now that budgets are shrinking left, right and centre?

What do you do when an employee is off sick? 🤒

That depends on why they’re off. If all they have is a nasty cold, you wish them well and the team pulls together to cover their work.

But what if there’s something seriously wrong and they’re off for weeks – or even months?

Well, then you’ve got a problem. The longer your team isn’t at full capacity, the less your business can operate at its best.

And if everyone else gets burnt out just keeping the machine running? That’s what you call a vicious cycle.

With employee wellbeing, it pays to intervene early before they need urgent leave. For more on protecting your business by protecting your people, read our blog 👉 https://lumina-uk.com/preventative-healthcare-the-financial-benefits-of-protecting-your-people-first/

Preventative healthcare: the benefits of protecting your people Healthcare benefits: If you can help your people early on, there’s less chance of them needing sudden leave that hurts your business.