Employers entice staff with meal vouchers in back to office bid

80 per cent of the firms that had sent employees to work from home have started issuing staff with snacks. [Courtesy]

Companies have begun enticing workers to return to full-day work schedules with free and subsidised food programmes, following the lifting of curfew by the government.

Aptivate Africa, the developer of meal benefit solution M-Kula, said 80 per cent of the firms that had sent employees to work from home at the height of the pandemic have started issuing staff with snacks.

This is as they look for the best models that will help workers return to their normal 8am to 5pm work schedules.

“We have seen more offices making snacks and meals available to their staff to make them truly feel at home while at the office,” said Apptivate Africa Chief Executive Neil Ribeiro.

He said more firms are adapting to a new normal of doing things, leveraging on in-person work and integration of a hybrid working model where some employees work from home while others operate from the office.

Adapting to these working models, he says, comes with the challenge of finding a perfect balance to motivate their employees especially, those who operate from offices.

“Most employees had not had to commute or dress up while working from home. They have been in the comfort of their home being able to snack whenever they want," said Ribeiro.

"All this comfort will go away once they return to the office.”

Global technology research firm Technavio estimates that meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions market will grow by $14.64 billion (Sh1.6 trillion) between 2021 and 2025.

Apptivate Africa sees its network of over 100 caterers and over 500 merchants growing to deliver wholesome meals to workplaces for employees.

“We have returned to the office after vaccinating our team. Since then, new ideas have been born and output improved,” said Ribeiro.

“We are ready to help organisations benefit from meal vouchers.”

The meals offered through the firm’s lunch voucher scheme cost from as low as Sh100 depending on menu and volume.