How to Calculate Employee Benefits and Perks: The Ultimate Handbook

Calculating employee benefits is crucial in creating competitive compensation packages that attract and retain top talent. Employee satisfaction has taken center stage in business success, so employers are more willing to offer comprehensive employee benefits.

Estas prestaciones son algo más que planes de asistencia sanitaria y jubilación. Garantizan una atención integral a los empleados mejorando su vida personal y profesional.

While these benefits are good, they are an expense to businesses. Therefore, they must be optimized to help both employees and employers. You need to know what benefits are adding value to your business and what is not by calculating employee benefits accurately.

En este blog, veremos cómo calcular el coste de los paquetes retributivos de los empleados y llegar a saber cuánto está invirtiendo en beneficios para sus empleados.

Types of employee benefits you must know before calculating them

Antes de profundizar en el aprendizaje del proceso de cálculo de las prestaciones para empleados, entendamos los principales tipos de prestaciones para empleados.

1. Prestaciones obligatorias

Las prestaciones obligatorias son requisitos legales que las empresas deben cumplir. Los empresarios tienen que pagar cotizaciones a los planes de previsión social, seguros, fondos de jubilación, etc., de la administración central o estatal. Los empresarios están legalmente obligados a hacerlo, pase lo que pase. Aunque la mayoría de los países tienen este tipo de requisitos, no son los mismos.

An example of a statutory benefit could be the Employee Provident Fund in India. The EPF requires employers and employees each to deposit 12 percent of their basic salary per month every year to the employee’s EPF account.

The contributions to the EPF in India accrue an annual interest of 8.15 percent for the employees.

2. 2. Prestaciones complementarias

Las prestaciones complementarias son recompensas no monetarias que se dan a los empleados. El término "prestaciones complementarias" fue popularizado por el Servicio de Impuestos Internos (IRS) de Estados Unidos.

Aunque los empresarios no están obligados a hacerlo por ley, lo hacen para mantener a los empleados motivados e inspirados. Las prestaciones complementarias también pretenden animar a los empleados a desarrollar carreras a largo plazo en las empresas.

A few of the examples of such benefits include:

• Tuition reimbursements
• Company transportation
• Product discounts
• Vacaciones pagadas

An example of a brand offering these benefits to their employees is HubSpot, one of the most popular marketing solutions platforms in the world.

They have a wide range of fringe benefits to their employees, such as: 

• Unlimited vacation and global week of rest
• Remote work
• Parental benefits

Grupos de recursos para empleados, como LGBTQ+ Alliance, Women@HubSpot, People of Color at HubSpot, etc.

3. Sin costes

Estas prestaciones son gratuitas para la empresa, de ahí su nombre. Son prestaciones adicionales que las empresas ofrecen a sus empleados aparte de las prestaciones estatutarias y complementarias.

Aunque ofrecer estas prestaciones no supone ningún coste, pueden aumentar profundamente la calidad del trabajo, la vida personal y el rendimiento de los empleados.

Some of the biggest examples of these benefits are:

• Flexible scheduling
• Location flexibility
• Casual dress code
• Asistencia jurídica

Google is a great example of a business that offers a trove of no-cost benefits to its employees.

They offer:

• Flexibility and time off at work
• Family support and care at the office
• Googley extras 

How to calculate employee benefits (for an employee)

To understand the total value of your compensation, not just your take-home pay. Many employees don’t realize how much their employer contributes toward their well-being through benefits like insurance, retirement funds, and time off.

Step 1: List all the benefits you receive

Start by listing everything your employer provides in addition to your base salary, such as:

• Employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance
• Retirement plan contributions (like a 401(k) match or PF)
• Paid time off (vacation, sick days, holidays)
• Bonuses or stock options
• Wellness programs (gym reimbursements, therapy access)
• Educational support or learning stipends
• Commuter, travel, or meal benefits

Step 2: Assign a monetary value to each benefit

Here’s how to estimate the annual value of each:

Step 3: Add it all together

Add these to find your total annual benefits value.

Total Benefits = $6,000 + $2,400 + $3,460 + $600 + $1,000 = $13,460

Step 4: Add to your base salary

Now calculate your total compensation:

Base Salary = $60,000

Total Compensation = $60,000 + $13,460 = $73,460/year

How to calculate employee benefits – for your business

Understanding the actual cost of employee benefits is essential for business planning, HR budgeting, and designing competitive total compensation packages. For most organizations, benefits represent a significant portion of total employee spend—often ranging between 20% to 40% of the base salary.

Los siguientes factores afectan al cálculo de las prestaciones a los empleados:

• Tipo de empleados
• Empleados a tiempo completo
• Empleados contratados
• El número de empleados
• La contribución del empresario a los regímenes de prestaciones

Here’s a deeper look at how to calculate, evaluate, and leverage employee benefits from a business perspective:

Step 1: List all the benefits your company offers

Start by compiling a comprehensive list of all benefits your organization provides. Group them under categories such as:

1. Health & insurance benefits

• Employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance premiums
• Seguro de vida
• Disability insurance (short-term and long-term)
• Workers’ compensation insurance

2. Retirement & financial benefits

• Employer 401(k) or PF contributions/matches
• Profit-sharing plans or stock options
• Annual or quarterly bonuses
• Financial wellness programs

3. Prestaciones de tiempo libre

• Paid vacation days
• Sick leave
• Vacaciones pagadas
• Parental or bereavement leave
• Sabbaticals or volunteer time off

4. Learning & development

• Tuition reimbursement
• Certification and upskilling programs
• Conference sponsorships

5. Lifestyle and well-being perks

• Gym memberships or wellness stipends
• Meal subsidies
• Travel or relocation allowances
• Commuter benefits
• Mental health support (therapy, mindfulness apps)

6. Other non-traditional benefits

• Flexibilidad laboral
• Remote work setup allowances
• Employee recognition and reward programs
• Subscription services or cultural engagement perks

Step 2: Determine the annual cost of each benefit

For every benefit, calculate the per-employee cost per year. Use actual cost data from your payroll system, benefits provider, or HR platform.

Ejemplos:

If benefits vary by department, location, or seniority, consider segmenting your calculations for accuracy.

Step 3: Add up total annual benefit cost per employee

Once you’ve quantified each benefit, sum them to get the total cost of benefits per employee per year.

Por ejemplo:

• Health Insurance: $8,000
• 401(k) Match: $2,400
• PTO: $3,000
• Gym Stipend: $600
• Learning Budget: $1,000

Total = $15,000 per employee/year

Step 4: Add benefits to salary to calculate total compensation

To understand the total employment cost, add the annual salary to the benefits cost.

Por ejemplo:

• Salary = $60,000
• Benefits = $15,000 

Total Compensation= $75,000

This number reflects what your business is truly spending on one employee annually.

Step 5: Calculate benefits as a percentage of salary

This helps benchmark your benefits investment and compare across departments or industries.

Benefits % of Salary = (Total Benefits / Base Salary) × 100

Example: $15,000 ÷ $60,000 × 100 = 25% of salary spent on benefits

Companies typically aim for 20%–40%, depending on role type, location, and industry norms.

Step 6: Apply calculations across your organization

Now scale the process to:

• Calculate total benefits spend across the company
• Compare cost-per-employee by team or department
• Forecast benefits expenses for future hiring or policy changes

💡 Pro tips for businesses:

• Track usage vs. cost: Not all perks are used equally. Evaluate utilization data (e.g., how many employees redeem wellness stipends or attend learning programs) to optimize spend.
• Include hidden costs: Don’t forget administrative costs, platform subscriptions, or employer tax contributions when calculating total benefits.
• Audit annually: Employee needs to evolve. Review benefit costs, feedback, and ROI regularly to ensure you offer high-value, relevant perks.
• Communicate benefits clearly: Often, employees undervalue benefits simply because they’re unaware of them. Transparent communication boosts appreciation and retention.

¿Cuál es la importancia de los costes de las prestaciones a los empleados?

Employee benefits come at a cost; you need to understand this as a business. Instead of looking at it as an expense, consider it an investment for the growth of your business.

Este enfoque es beneficioso a la hora de calcular los beneficios de los empleados y el rendimiento de estas inversiones.

Pueden ayudar a su empresa de las siguientes maneras.

1. Fomenta la retención de los empleados

The talent crunch is a real business problem that employers have been facing for a couple of years now. Employee benefits are a top strategy to instill a sense of loyalty in the workforce and retain them.

Happy and satisfied employees stick with their employers longer than unhappy employees.

2. Ayuda a atraer a los mejores talentos

When you have an excellent employee benefits program and employees are happy working with you, it will attract more top talent. Most employees look at the benefits offered by employers before they accept an offer.

Además, cuando los empleados están contentos, también recomiendan la empresa a sus amigos y familiares, lo que constituye una forma eficaz de encontrar talento.

3. Ayuda a mejorar la productividad

Los beneficios sociales hacen que los empleados se sientan más valorados y recompensados por su contribución a la empresa. Esto hace que los empleados estén contentos y satisfechos, y mejora la productividad y la eficiencia en el trabajo.

Como resultado, estarán más dispuestos a trabajar más y a permanecer fieles a la empresa.

4. Cumplir los requisitos legales

Las empresas tienen la obligación legal de proporcionar prestaciones suficientes a sus empleados. Al dar prioridad al bienestar de los empleados y ofrecerles prestaciones adecuadas, pueden garantizar el cumplimiento de los requisitos legales y mitigar el riesgo de enfrentarse a desafíos legales relacionados con los empleados.

How to optimize benefit costs without sacrificing value

Offering employee benefits doesn’t have to drain your budget. The real key is maximizing impact per dollar spent by tailoring benefits to employee needs, automating delivery, and tracking effectiveness—all without compromising the employee experience.

Here’s how companies can do just that and how Empuls makes it easier:

1. Offer curated perks & exclusive discounts at scale

Rather than building your own vendor network or offering costly one-off perks, Empuls gives you access to a global perks marketplace with over 6,000+ brands across 50+ countries.

What you can offer through Empuls:

• Cashback and discounts (5%–50%) on essentials, travel, electronics, wellness, food, and moreDiscounted gift cards that employees can share with friends and family
• Limited-time offers, curated deals, and local + global brand access

2. Enable tax-saving benefits with multi-wallet cards

One of the most innovative ways to reduce costs (for boththe company and employees) is by offering tax-saving benefits that comply with local regulations.

Empuls supports tax-saving categories like:

• Meal allowances (online and offline food expenses)
• Fuel reimbursements (for travel and commute)
• Books, periodicals, and telecom (learning & connectivity)
• Wellness and health-related benefits

These benefits can be disbursed through a single multi-wallet card, simplifying administration and maximizing savings​.

3. Provide flexible fringe benefits with lifestyle spending accounts (LSAs)

Modern workforces are diverse—and so are their needs. Empuls helps companies go beyond traditional offerings by setting up flexible LSAs. These allow employees to choose what matters most to them.

Empuls-supported fringe benefit categories:

• Fitness & wellness memberships
• Upskilling and education courses
• Family care (childcare, elder care, fertility support)
• Remote work setup and travel
• Mental health and mindfulness

4. Offer salary advance and earned wage access

Short-term financial stress can impact employee productivity, mental health, and retention. Instead of high-interest loans, give your people access to their earned wages—on demand.

With Empuls salary advance, employees can:

• Withdraw part of their salary before payday
• Track earned wages in real time
• Avoid debt traps and unnecessary financial strain

5. Track utilization & ROI with real-time insights

Many companies offer perks without knowing if they’re being used. Empuls helps track:

• Which benefits are being claimed most
• Savings generated per employee
• Program adoption rates across departments
• Overall ROI on your perks and benefits budget

🚀 Smart benefits. Real savings. Happier employees.

Empuls makes it easy to design a cost-effective, high-value benefits program that caters to modern employee expectations. By combining curated discounts, tax-saving allowances, flexible fringe benefits, and financial wellness tools, Empuls helps you:

• Reduce benefits wastage
• Boost utilization and employee satisfaction
• Stretch your budget with measurable ROI

Conclusión

The importance of employee benefits cannot be stressed enough. While they look like an expense to the business, the advantages of these employee support programs far outweigh the costs.

Por eso, calcular los beneficios de los empleados es crucial para las empresas, ya que comprender sus costes les ayuda a determinar el ROI y a optimizarlos aún más para mejorar su eficiencia.

Por lo tanto, como empresa, debe tratar las prestaciones de los empleados como una inversión y una estrategia que aporta beneficios a largo plazo, más que como un gasto empresarial.

Preguntas frecuentes