Forget free meals: Electric vehicles are the new perk employees really want

By Kirstie McDermott 

Perks have waxed and waned since the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. Previously, tech companies in particular went all out with full catering, bottomless coffees, at-the-office gyms, and even petcare. 

Now though, with 29% of Americans reporting they prefer hybrid work, the nice-to-haves that workers used to take for granted have changed. 

You likely don't care so much about meals in the office, if most of your week is spent at home, and that dry cleaning perk many workers once enjoyed has fallen out of favor too. These days, many employees do their jobs from home while wearing comfy sweats.

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What employees do want are benefits that are of advantage to them. Those include comprehensive health and dental plans, 401k matches, or commuting subsidies for example. 
In a time of rising costs and inflation surges, what boosts Americans' pockets is what they like best. Beyond great healthcare and retirement perks, there are other ways employers can boost the bottom line too. 

A survey by Plug In America found 52% of employees believed their employers should be doing more for the environment––and one of those things is by providing free EV charging stations at the office. 

Offering this works especially well for those who don't have access to a charger at home––aka "garage orphans". According to a 2023 survey by the Boston Consulting Group, 13% of EV owners had access to charging at work, but not at home. 

Plug In America research has also identified that when workplace charging is offered, EV drivers will make frequent use of it. And for employers, it can be a great carrot to attract talent back into the office, especially considering the recent price of electricity. 

Some companies are now going one step further, offering ways for their staff to buy or lease an EV. The UK is leading the charge in this regard, and companies can offer staff the option to lease an EV through salary sacrifice schemes. 

For workers, it offers a reduced tax implication, and as EVs are significantly more expensive upfront than gas-fuelled vehicles, it's a great way to make a switch. 

In the U.S., qualified individuals can apply for a credit up to $7,500 under Internal Revenue Code Section 30D if they buy a new, qualified plug-in EV or fuel cell electric vehicle (FCV). 

Across many U.S. states, Tesla offers the option to lease an EV, making going green more accessible and affordable. While corporate plans are not yet available, the company says that for "applications supported by a small business, the credit report of the individual applicant will be used to assess the application".

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As a benefit that delivers dividends to employees and employers, it seems clear that there is more to come from corporations in this space. Demand exists, according to Pew Research Center data, which found that if you build it, they will come. 

With 61,000 public changing stations available across the country, Over 95% of the American public now lives in a county that has at least one public EV charging station. 

As a result, people are now more likely to already own an electric or hybrid vehicle, or consider buying one the next time they are in the market for a new car. Having employer-led schemes in place can only boost this adoption. 

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