Talk about a business perk! Many companies give their employees smartphones to use, and it’s not “just” for business; in fact, employees can use these phones for just about anything as long as it’s legal. Of course, it’s also a means for a company to make sure everyone has similar technology that’s up to date, which is crucial in a landscape where virtual offices are becoming the norm. It’s also a great perk and might just make a fantastic candidate choose you over the competition.
There are plenty of excuses why you shouldn’t offer this perk: It’s expensive, there’s a relatively high turnover rate when it comes to new phones, and what if some employees are particularly hard on phones or lose them? Those are valid points, but don’t forget about the upsides. Here’s why your employees just might deserve a phone of their own:
It stops tech-induced excuses
If you have employees who work from home, travel a lot or otherwise aren’t physically in the office, you need to make sure communications is constant and high quality. This goes for face time with the boss, uploading documents into the cloud for editing and sharing, and simply answering texts in a timely manner. Your employees won’t have an excuse of having an old phone or an incompatible one.
It encourages camaraderie
Just like when a sports team gets in their matching shirts, there’s something to be said about alignment and sameness. When everyone in the company has the same smartphone, perhaps even with the same casing, camaraderie will blossom. It might sound silly, but everyone wants to belong and a smartphone can bridge disparities.
You’ll lure in better candidates
It’s still an employer’s market, but you have to make sure you get the cream of the crop. There are many ways to get creative with perks, but a state of the art smartphone might be one of the most affordable. If you have a candidate on the line who’s considering a few offers, dishing up the iPhone 6 might just be enough to lure them over.
It’s a tax deduction
Even if you upgrade everyone’s phone twice a year, you can deduct those expenses at the end of the year. This is a fantastic way for small businesses to stay in a lower tax bracket and big businesses to cut a few corners on an otherwise massive tax bill.
