How to orientate in the Employee Welfare’s world?
It’s true: everybody talks about Employee Welfare because it claims to solve the firm’ productivity issues and cover the social needs of their workers.
On the other hand, and in spite of the ongoing slogans, Employee Welfare is not so easy to achieve: it must be understood, adapted and customized for each firm, carefully followed and measured day by day thus shaped according to the employees’ responses and the market development.
Hence, it would be very useful to have a “gym” where to test, analyze and debate Employee Welfare related issues with the other companies involved in the sector thus have access to shared resources and services.
This gym exists, and it’s called IEP.
Years ago, when Employee Welfare was considered a privilege of big enterprises, I was surprised when the Employee Welfare manager of a multinational that invested some million euros in welfare plans for its employees, said:
“In the future, none of us will be able to handle Employee Welfare alone, we must join forces.”
This statement was made during one of the first Network IEP meetings, a network of firms created by Eudaimon in 2009 to deploy inter-firm welfare.
The acronym IEP stands for Imprese e Persone (Firms and People) and aims to channel the firms’ energies into the achievement of a shared and jointly participated welfare systems. It’s a gym where to study, test and deliver models and services that a growing number of firms can adopt.
In 2011 Network IEP presented its first platform where to exchange products and services, and it was an enormous success.
According to the Financial Times, this “platform” represents an extraordinary example of innovation made in Italy.
Ever since, Employee Welfare changed approach and Network IEP had to face an increasing number of current topics.
How does IEP work?
Every year, a series of common interest topics are picked out, analyzed together in the “LAB” with the help of every attendee’s experience in order to develop and deliver useful solutions available for the use of all the associates.
The topics covered in 2018, for instance, are the following:
· social welfare services (from speech therapist to caregiver), defined as priorities according to the outcomes of the first report by Eudaimon-Censis;
· innovation and procedures regarding the alleged Flexible Benefits and the conversion of performance bonuses;
· communication proposals and Total Reward Statement;
· employees training and support regarding Employee Welfare.
The LAB’s outcome is presented and debated during the network’s plenary meetings held in March, June and October.
Thus, the associates are able to learn about the in-depth analysis carried out hence apply it on their business, for free.
Moreover, IEP offers access to the database of the works done during the IEP meetings (from 2009 till now) as well as phone assistance for support or clarification.
The attendees, among the latest contents delivered by IEP, particularly appreciated the Employee Welfare’s best practices comparison, both collective and one-to-one, as well as advocacy activities with the study and elaboration facilities (government, universities, associations, trade unions, …).
Since 2018, IEP relies on the scientific support provided by Censis and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
In a time of confusion and chaos, when many people claim to be Employee Welfare experts, Network IEP – Imprese e Persone (Firms and People) aims to promote and become a HUB able to share with companies the culture and tools they need to keep doing inter-firm welfare.