Pharma companies face challenges traditional corporate offices don’t have to think about. The industry has a very limited talent pool, with biotech firms and research institutions all competing for the same highly qualified talent.
That’s why it’s so important for employers to make active efforts to stand out to potential candidates. While competitive salaries and routine pharmaceutical company benefits are important, they’re expected offerings that aren’t likely to draw attention. Adding additional, unique perks to your pharma company benefits package can help attract candidates and improve retention rates.
In this guide, we’ll go over what’s typically included in pharmaceutical company benefits plans, the perks employers often overlook, and how workplace food addresses pain points for pharma employees across all areas of the business. Then, we’ll help you find the best food benefit provider for your company.
Most employers are expected to provide benefits packages. Adding additional perks that go beyond standard benefits and improve the daily workplace experience can help distinguish you from other employers. A survey conducted by Selerix found that 73% of employees believe benefits are at least as important as salary. With multiple major corporations cutting benefits as they plan for the new year, offering competitive benefits can be an important draw. Below are some must-haves in any comprehensive pharma company benefits package:
Health insurance is one of the most standard benefits for employees, regardless of the industry. It’s important to offer high-quality coverage, especially for health-literate pharmaceutical employees.
Retirement plans are also standard offerings, especially for full-time employees. Matching 401(k) contributions is the norm. It signals that you care about your employees’ futures, regardless of their position.
Parental leave proves that you’re considering your employees’ personal lives and taking their needs into account. It shows that you understand they have priorities outside of work. To truly be impactful, it’s best practice to offer broad parental leave, not just state-mandated maternity leave.
In high-pressure industries such as pharmaceuticals, generous PTO and leave policies are essential. Without them, employees are likely to burn out, feel underappreciated, and look for new opportunities elsewhere.
For companies to distinguish themselves, offering additional perks that improve the daily experience can make a huge difference, especially in an industry with tight deadlines and demanding hours.
Common On-Site Perks Include:
While all of these perks are beneficial to both employees and employers, food perks are the most immediately visible perk that every employee can use. Additionally, food benefits can help address certain unique challenges that pharma companies face across all areas of their business.
Long, non-traditional hours, security procedures, and limited nearby food options can add friction to pharma employees’ workdays, making it more difficult for them to find lunch outside their workplaces. This forces them to choose between bringing food from home, losing significant time going off-site, or skipping meals altogether. For all pharma teams, implementing a workplace food program can simplify this process and ensure employees always have convenient access to fresh, affordable meals. Take a look at how food benefits affect all pharma teams.
While workplace food is a valuable benefit for all pharma employees, diverse team needs mean you have to be careful when selecting a provider. If your program doesn’t work for everyone, some employees may end up feeling neglected and unappreciated, which can hurt morale and retention rather than increase it. Here’s a rundown of what you should consider when evaluating a workplace food provider for your pharma benefit program.
Because pharmaceutical companies operate out of multiple sites, including large campuses, satellite locations, and manufacturing facilities, potential food benefit providers need to be able to adjust operational hours, flex for different headcounts, and appeal to unique preferences across each area of the business. What works for the main campus won’t work for a 24-hour facility, making it essential to adjust operations by location.
As convenient as on-site food may be, employees don’t want to pay for something they won’t enjoy. Generic, poor-quality food or repetitive menu options will lead to a steady decline in participation, even if the program is initially successful. Without substantial participation rates your workplace food benefit program will become a footnote rather than a valuable part of your pharma company benefits package. To prevent this, work with a provider that offers food from real local restaurants and diverse, rotating options.
In today’s tech-enabled world, employees expect smooth ordering and checkout experiences. If an app is difficult to navigate, a POS system is slow or unreliable, or orders get lost in the system, employees will be frustrated and participation may fade quickly. Ideally, the program should be tech-enabled and easy to use, with online ordering and modern payment methods.
Labor is an often overlooked part of a workplace food program’s total cost. If your admin team has to dedicate extra time to managing day-to-day operations, they’ll lose time on other projects, driving down productivity. Your team shouldn’t be responsible for handling restaurant relationships, managing menu rotations, or coordinating delivery and dropoff logistics. To avoid this, find a provider that offers operational support, allowing your team to focus on other responsibilities.
To justify costs, you need to be able to demonstrate ROI. This makes tracking key performance metrics, such as participation rates, crucial. Find a provider that offers access to important tracking data, allowing you to easily monitor performance and make improvements as needed.
The last thing you want is to find out that you’ve surpassed your allocated budget due to hidden fees, inaccurate cost projections, or ineffective management. All potential expenses should be communicated upfront, allowing you to accurately plan your budget. Whether your program is fully employer-paid, partially subsidized, or fully employee-paid, a good pharma food benefit provider will be willing to work within your price point and help you stick to it.
Fooda offers flexible, customized workplace food solutions designed to meet the needs of every workplace, regardless of size or operational model. Our programs are built around rotating local restaurant models, meaning you’ll be able to provide consistent variety that appeals to every employee and keeps participation high.
Our programs are also all fully managed, meaning your team won’t have to split their attention to make sure the lunch hour runs smoothly every day. But just because the day-to-day logistics are taken care of doesn’t mean you’ll be left in the dark. Our online portal gives employers access to key metrics and budget tracking, and our flexibility allows you to make changes as needed.
Here’s a breakdown of our products and what each has to offer.
If you’re ready to add Fooda to your list of pharma company benefits, contact one of our sales representatives today.
How much do food benefits cost for a pharma company?
The total cost of a workplace food benefit program for a pharma company depends on a number of factors, mainly headcount and subsidy amounts. The higher the subsidy, the more you’ll spend, but higher subsidies typically see higher participation, and therefore higher ROI. Additionally, because pharma companies manage so many teams across multiple sites, the overall spend will depend on which employees you decide to offer workplace food perks to.
Can food benefits work for multiple sites with different headcounts?
Yes. Flexible workplace food providers are able to adjust operations to fit the needs of multiple different worksites, including those with varying hours and headcounts.
How do you handle dietary restrictions and allergens in pharma workplace food programs?
To handle dietary restrictions, look for providers that offer consistent variety in their food offerings, including gluten-sensitive, vegan, vegetarian, halal, and kosher options. This will allow you to make sure all of your employees can find something to eat.
How long does it take for a pharma company to launch a food benefit program?
Launch times depend on your workplace food provider and the type of food program you’re offering. With the right provider, a delivery program could be up within a few weeks, while programs that require the installation of new infrastructure will take longer. Keep in mind that customizing programs to fit multiple worksites will take longer than establishing a program for a single site.
