study carried out by Coverflex, and with the support of APG, collected responses from 814 participants over three weeks. The hybrid setup is the most common work logic among respondents across the country and 60% of workers would like to try the four-day workweek logic.
The attribution of flexible benefits in Portugal varies in direct relation to general flexibility at work and even with gender, point out the results of the first “The state of compensation 2021-22 - a study on the future of work and the work of the future”.
The attribution of flexible benefits in Portugal varies in direct relation to general flexibility at work and even with gender, point out the results of the first “The state of compensation 2021-22 - a study on the future of work and the work of the future”.
According to the survey results, six out of 10 participants have flexible benefits, of which 48% work in person, 25% work remotely and 18.9% work in a hybrid setup. Considering factors such as gender diversity, women reveal they have less access to flexible benefits (32.2% of women do not have access to flexible benefits vs 22.6% of men), and receive, on average, lower monthly amounts in flexible compensation than male participants (women earn an average of €185.95 vs €259.69 for men).
Most study participants work on a hybrid (428) or remote (186) setup. Younger workers (18-24 years old and 25-34 years old) are the ones who are in a remote work setup the most. While this is a trend, eight out of 10 study participants do not have access to a remote work budget.
"The study, open to the entire business and human resources community, has as its fundamental objectives to survey and map issues related to flexibility (of both time and workspace), compensation and flexible benefits, and diversity and inclusion policies in Portuguese companies or companies who operate in Portuguese territory, as well as meeting the challenges, understanding trends and helping to demystify new dynamics of work and interaction between teams”, says Miguel Santo Amaro, CEO and co-founder of Coverflex.
"The study, open to the entire business and human resources community, has as its fundamental objectives to survey and map issues related to flexibility (of both time and workspace), compensation and flexible benefits, and diversity and inclusion policies in Portuguese companies or companies who operate in Portuguese territory, as well as meeting the challenges, understanding trends and helping to demystify new dynamics of work and interaction between teams”, says Miguel Santo Amaro, CEO and co-founder of Coverflex.
4 day workweek
Almost six out of 10 respondents (59.3%) would like to try working 40 hours a week spread over only four days. In contrast, 30% of study participants would like to test a 32-hour-week work logic, that is, a working week reduced in time, even if that meant a pay cut. According to respondents, only 11% of workers prefer the classic solution of 40 hours of work spread over five working days.
Diversity and inclusion
Only 8% of participants believe that organisations "rarely" or "never" respect different ways of being or thinking, but even in this aspect, gender differences are striking: four out of 10 men (38.4%) feel their differences are always respected, while only two out of 10 women feel the same (23.5%). The perceived level of constant respect for diversity is much higher in remote workers (40%) compared to the hybrid setup (33%) and, especially, the face-to-face setup (15%).
Benefit trends
“Education and professional training expenses”, “health and well-being expenses” and “technology expenses” are the flexible benefits most used by the participants in this study. The most desired benefits by respondents are, on the other hand, “subscriptions (Netflix, Spotify, etc.) (35.3%), “retirement and investment” products (35%) and “health and well-being expenses ” (30.7%).
“Education and professional training expenses”, “health and well-being expenses” and “technology expenses” are the flexible benefits most used by the participants in this study. The most desired benefits by respondents are, on the other hand, “subscriptions (Netflix, Spotify, etc.) (35.3%), “retirement and investment” products (35%) and “health and well-being expenses ” (30.7%).
If they were able to choose between a gross salary of €25,000 a year or a gross salary of €21,000 a year plus €5,000 in flexible benefits (amounts that represent the same approximate cost to the company in terms of employee expenses), 55.7% of the participants would opt for the salary and benefits modality. Only 10% of participants admit not seeing advantages associated with a flexible benefits policy.
The full study is available for download here.
