Are you opening your business and discovering the impact of social charges on your profitability? While it is true that social taxes in France are among the highest in Europe, remember that these costs largely fund the public bodies that are responsible for providing a public health system which is available to all. And what if employee benefits were to become an essential pillar of your employer brand?
So what is an employer brand?
The employer brand is everything you do to promote and maintain your company’s image. This is achieved through the quality of your communications and the implementation of practical actions to promote employee well-being. Having a positive employer brand therefore makes it easier to attract new employees and also increases loyalty among those already working in your company.
To have an attractive employer brand, you should think about:
– Your image: communicate regularly on your website and social media by sharing the experiences of your employees (events, interviews, etc.). Take a stand at HR exhibitions, school forums, etc. Offer work experience in your company.
– Your values and their implementation: be consistent by displaying strong values that genuinely correspond to what you believe. For example, if you’re committed to protecting the environment, sign up to ecolabels and offer your employees the opportunity to take part in actions to promote ecology.
– Your HR practices: be respectful at all stages of the recruitment process and implement solutions to promote employee well-being (teleworking, break room, organization of sporting activities, etc.). Also, include benefits such as health insurance, supplementary pension, death & disability coverage, etc. in your remuneration packages.
Promote loyalty among your employees with health insurance!
While it is true that providing a supplementary health insurance plan is part of your obligations as an employer in France, it is possible to make it a real pillar of your employer brand. Your state-approved supplementary health insurance plan will reimburse your employees’ medical expenses in addition to French Social Security benefits. However, depending on the level of coverage you choose, there will be a certain amount of out-of-pocket expenses remaining. By choosing a package with a generous level of coverage, you make it possible for your employees to consult doctors who charge excess fees (useful in the most expensive French towns and cities!) and to obtain the reimbursement of alternative medicine (osteopaths, chiropractors, smoking cession specialists, etc.).
What’s more, although you’re obliged to pay at least 50% of the healthcare premium, you can also opt to fund a larger portion. Promoting a quality supplementary health insurance plan to your future employees, one that is free of charge and paid in full by your company, is bound to make a difference to your chances of recruitment and retention!
Your benefits as an employer
Paying 80% or 100% of the premiums will increase your employees’ take-home pay without being too much of a financial burden on you. Why is this? The employer doesn’t pay any charges on healthcare premiums! Paying €100/month in healthcare premiums would only have provided around €50 net to your employee if you had included this €100 in their gross pay.
Therefore, to optimize the benefits you provide to your employees, it’s best to opt for 100% coverage of healthcare premiums.