Home featured Andrew Morris, Director of Robert Half Australia Featured Leadership Featured Australians prioritising non-salary benefits to offset cost of living and slow wage growth Loren Webb August 6, 2019 A new report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Consumer Price Index indicates that the cost of goods and services have increased 1.6 per cent over the past year. As employees are faced with the rising cost of living coupled with slow wage growth, they are looking to increase their total remuneration and offset living expenses through additional non-financial benefits. 62% of Australians say non-salary benefits have become more important to them than base salary when considering a job offer, compared to five years ago. 80% say they would consider additional non-financial benefits if a potential employer was unable to meet their salary expectations. 79% of Australian employees would be motivated to stay with an employer if they offered flexible/remote working options, followed by bonus (62%) and training and development (39%). New independent research commissioned by specialised recruiter Robert Half and published in the 2019 Robert Half Salary Guide reveals changing employee attitudes towards salary and benefits. While salary negotiation is a standard part of starting a new job, almost two-thirds (62%) of Australian employees say non-salary benefits have become more important to them than base salary when considering a job offer, further highlighting the need for employers to look beyond salary when tailoring remuneration packages. Yet 31% of Australian companies do not offer non-salary benefits. Non salary benefits offered