"Instead, benefits that focus more on employees as individuals and are about general support have been shown to be highly valued by employees – this includes insurances such as group life insurance or death in service cover."
Mr Farid said many companies were already looking for ways to improve their brand image while making a positive contribution to society.
He said: "Here, extra holiday days for volunteering can be a simple way to allow employees to give back to the community they and their company are part of - this is almost cost-neutral but can improve relationships between employer and employee and between employer and their local community."
rachel.addison@ft.com