More than half (58%) of organizations offer employee discount programs, with larger organizations more likely to offer them. The most commonly discounted items are computer hardware/software (57%), health/wellness services (55%), and goods from specific retailers (46%). Nearly a quarter of organizations said their own goods/services were the most popular discount. Over half of employees (55%) highly or somewhat value these discounts. [END SUMMARY]

1. SHRM Poll: Employee Discount
Programs
February 15, 2012

2. Key Findings
 How many organizations offer an employee discount program? More than one-half
(58%) of organizations have an employee discount program. Larger organizations
(those with 500 or more employees) are more likely to have an employee discount
program than smaller organizations .
 What kinds of goods and services are most commonly offered? The top five
employee discounts offered are: computer hardware and software (57%),
health/wellness services not covered by health insurance and/or organization’s
wellness offerings (55%), goods and services at specific retail stores or retail sites
(46%), entertainment (46%), and the organization’s own goods and services (43%).
 Which employee discounts are the most popular? Nearly one-quarter (24%) of
organizations reported that their own organization’s goods and services were most
popular, followed by health/wellness services and entertainment (15% each).
Computer hardware and software was the fourth most popular discount (10%).
 Do employees value employee discounts? The majority (55%) of organizations
reported that their employees either highly or somewhat value these discounts.
More than one-quarter (27%) indicated that employees were neutral about
employee discounts, and 18% reported little to no value for employee discounts.
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3. Does your organization have an employee discount program?
No, 42%
Yes, 58%
Note: n = 486. Respondents who answered “don’t know” were excluded from this analysis.
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4. Does your organization have an employee discount program?
Comparisons by organization staff size
Larger organizations (more than 500 employees) are more likely than smaller organizations (1 to 499 employees) to have an
employee discount program.
Small organizations Large organizations Differences based on organization staff size
500 to 2,499 employees (75%)
1 to 99 employees (19%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (84%) Larger organizations > smaller organizations
100 to 499 employees (55%)
25,000 or more employees (94%)
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5. In the past two years, has your organization’s employee discount
program increased (e.g., in terms of the value, types and number of
discounts offered)?
No, 49%
Yes, 51%
Note: n = 218. Only respondents whose organizations had an employee discount program were asked this question. Respondents who answered “don’t
know” were excluded from this analysis.
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6. On what kinds of goods and services does your organization offer
employee discounts, and which is the most popular?
Computer hardware and software 57%
10%
Health/wellness services not covered by health insurance and/or 55%
organization's wellness offerings (e.g., fitness classes) 15%
Goods and services at specific retail stores or retail sites 46%
7%
Entertainment 46%
15%
Your organization's own goods and services 43%
24%
Restaurants 35%
4%
Other consumer electronics (other than computer hardware and 34% Offered (n =
software) 5% 269)
Travel 33%
4% Most Popular
New auto sales or auto services 29% (n = 220)
6%
Clothing 23%
0%
Services discounts such as cleaning, dry cleaning, etc. 19%
1%
Phone discounts 6%
0%
10%
Other
9%
Note: Percentages for “offered” category do not total 100% due to multiple response options. Only respondents whose organizations had an employee
discount program were asked these questions. Respondents who answered “don’t know” were excluded from this analysis.
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7. Does your organization use a third-party administrator to manage
employee discounts?
Yes, 21%
No, 79%
Note: n = 242. Only respondents whose organizations had an employee discount program were asked this question. Respondents who answered “don’t
know” were excluded from this analysis.
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8. How does your organization communicate employee discounts to staff?
Through the organization's intranet 67%
Via e-mail to staff 52%
Distribution of coupons 18%
Employee handbook, policy manual or orientation 12%
Flyers, brochures, memos 8%
Other 10%
Note: n = 268. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. Only respondents whose organizations had an employee discount program
were asked this question.
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9. How does your organization communicate employee discounts to staff?
Comparisons by organization staff size
Larger organizations (25,000 or more employees) are more likely to communicate employee discounts to staff through the
organization’s intranet than smaller organizations (1 to 2,499 employees).
Small organizations Large organizations Differences based on organization staff size
1 to 99 employees (45%)
100 to 499 employees (54%) 25,000 or more employees (94%) Larger organizations > smaller organizations
500 to 2,499 employees (67%)
Comparisons by organization sector
Publicly owned for-profit organizations are more likely to communicate employee discounts to staff through the organization’s
intranet than privately owned for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
Publicly owned for- Privately owned for- Nonprofit Differences based on organization
profit organizations profit organizations organizations sector
Publicly owned for-profit >
85% 61% 61%
Privately owned for-profit and nonprofit
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10. How much do employees value discounts as part of their benefits
package?
Highly value 16%
Somewhat value 39%
Neutral 27%
Little value 15%
No value 3%
Note: n = 268. Only respondents whose organizations had an employee discount program were asked this question.
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11. Do you know what percentage of your organization’s employees
used at least one employee discount in 2010?
Yes, 20%
No, 80%
Note: n= 267. Only respondents whose organizations had an employee discount program were asked this question.
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12. Percentage of organization's employees that used at least one
employee discount in 2010
1% to 25% of employees 32%
26% to 50% of employees 28%
51% to 75% of employees 17%
76% to 100% of employees 23%
Note: n = 53. Only respondents who knew what percentage of employees used their organization’s discount program were asked this question.
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13. Demographics: Organization Industry
Manufacturing 20%
Health care and social assistance 15%
Professional, scientific and technical services 13%
Finance and insurance 8%
Retail trade 7%
Educational services 6%
Transportation and warehousing 5%
Accommodation and food services 4%
Information, publishing industries 4%
Public administration 4%
Wholesale trade 4%
Utilities 3%
Arts, entertainment and recreation 3%
Real estate and rental and leasing 2%
Religious, grant-making, civic, professional and similar organizations 2%
Management of companies and enterprises 2%
Construction of buildings, heavy and civil engineering construction, specialty trade contractors 2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 1%
Mining 1%
Repair and maintenance 1%
Private households 0%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 0%
Personal and laundry services 0%
Other services except public administration 9%
Note: n = 446. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.
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14. Demographics: Organization Sector
Publicly owned for-profit organization 18%
Privately owned for-profit organization 53%
Nonprofit organization 20%
Government sector 5%
Other 4%
n = 443
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15. Demographics: Organization Staff Size
30%
24%
22%
16%
8%
1 to 99 employees 100 to 499 employees 00 to 2,499 employees to 24,999 employees or more employees
5 2,500 25,000
n = 444
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16. Demographics: Other
Does your organization have U.S.- Is your organization a single-unit company or a
based operations (business units) only multi-unit company?
or does it operate multi-nationally? Single-unit company: A company in which
the location and the company are one 30%
U.S.-based operations only 73% and the same.
Multi-unit company: A company that has
Multinational operations 27% 70%
more than one location.
n = 467 n = 470
Are HR policies and practices determined by the
What is the HR department/function multi-unit corporate headquarters, by each work
for which you responded throughout location or both?
this survey? Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies
51%
and practices
Corporate (company wide) 68%
Each work location determines HR policies and
Business unit/division 14% 4%
practices
Facility/location 18% A combination of both the work location and the
multi-unit headquarters determine HR policies 45%
n = 336
and practices
n = 335
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17. SHRM Poll: Employee Discount Programs
Methodology
 Response rate = 18%
 Sample composed of 501 randomly selected HR professionals
from SHRM’s membership
 Margin of error +/- 4%
 Survey fielded September 28-October 12, 2011
For more poll findings, visit www.shrm.org/surveys
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