Employee engagement is a top priority for companies given their role in changing the fortunes of their business. A whopping 88% of employers claim that employee happiness is essential to company success, as per Deloitte’s survey. Companies are in fact prioritizing the physical and mental wellness of their workforce.
Although the companies are fully aware of the significance of employee engagement, the employee side of view is slightly different. Less than half (44%) of the employees believe that their purpose aligns with company objectives, as per a McKinsey report. This should come as a wake-up call for employers.
The gap between the two can effectively be closed by offering value-adding programs like food cards. Employee meal card benefits can really promote employers’ commitment to employee well-being.
Meal Cards – Resonating with Employee Needs
Every employee wants to excel at their work and earn accolades. But the distractions and worldly interruptions hold them from working to their full potential. One major intrusion is illness. Typically, most employees are forced to rush to offices instead of preparing healthy meals for them. They end up consuming affordable and often unhealthy food options during lunch. It doesn’t just affect their physical wellness, but also leaves them unsatisfied and unmotivated. Employee meal card benefits can address these issues.
The purpose behind offering employee meal card benefits is to offer meal allowances for employees so that they can access quality food. It eliminates the need for employees to cook meals or settle for unhealthy alternatives. Instead, they can use the allowance card to buy food.
Employee Meal Card Benefits in Crafting Company Culture
Your employees form the essence of your company culture. If they are happy and motivated your workplace will reflect the same positivity. That is why employers are focusing on improving employee experience. Using a food card is a great way to do that. Let’s explore employee meal card benefits that lead to a happy employee thereby influencing your company culture.
Cost-effectiveness and convenient payment option
Meal cards form a convenient and flexible solution for employees to use their meal allowance to purchase food to their employees. Employees don’t have to carry cash to get their meals, instead, they can use their card for instant payments. Such a streamlined process can save employees time while eliminating the hassle of cash handling and reimbursement.
Using a robust solution like Zaggle SAVE can really amplify employee meal card benefits. You can use it to purchase meals at a range of outlets both online and offline. Additionally, Zaggle SAVE comes with a wide network of affiliated restaurants and cafes that come with exclusive discounts.
Tax advantages and personal savings
Employee meal card benefits also include tax advantages under the regulations of the Income Tax Act in India. As per the rule, Indian employees are eligible for food allowance, which is tax-free. Employers can reduce the tax liability of their workforce by offering this allowance as a part of the employee benefits program. This can result in significant savings for employees while still enjoying the funds to get meals.
Improved budgeting and financial management
With meal cards, employees get a dedicated food allowance for the month, which can’t be used for any other purchase. Having a fixed allowance will teach employees the importance of financial discipline. To effectively use this allowance, employees will have to plan an efficient budget and ensure that they don’t overspend.
With Zaggle SAVE, you can get access to expense transaction reports. They can use this to study and understand spending habits. These insights can be used to improve finances and make a better meal benefit program.
Variety of food options
When employees cook their own lunches or get something to eat from outside, they usually pick the quick fixes to save time. However one of the employee meal card benefits is that individuals will have a wide range of food options across affiliated restaurants. It allows employees to maintain their dietary preferences or satisfy their cravings. Getting food of their choice puts employees in a blissful state, enhancing their mood. This will directly reflect in their performance and productivity at work.
Enhance Workplace Positivity with Zaggle SAVE
Zaggle SAVE is one of the few employee benefits solutions that are designed to improve the experience of both employers and employees. For employers, it reduces administrative tasks and operational costs, while for employees it gives an intuitive and flexible option to use their meal allowance. Leveraging employee meal card benefits with Zaggle SAVE is pretty straightforward. It offers features like
- Universal acceptance at any VISA or Rupay category merchant
- Mobile access to track expenses, check balance, and plan budget
- Option to utilize meal allowance both online and offline
- Access to a wide partner network to increase food options
