A young entrepreneur hailed as the 'UK's best boss' has splashed out an eye-watering £100,000 on Christmas presents for his team, with luxury prizes ranging from a brand-new Range Rover to a holiday in Barcelona.
The Santa Leslie Incentive
Benjy Leslie, the 26-year-old CEO and founder of Connect Management, runs a festive 'Santa Leslie incentive' where the top-performing employee and salesperson of the day get to pick a gift. The lavish selection has included a £44,000 Range Rover Evoque, a trip to Barcelona, the latest Ninja gadgets, and Apple products like iPhones and iPads.
Remarkably, one fortunate staff member who had been with the London-based company for just four months drove away with the luxury car. Benjy, from Willesden, also treated his entire team to a two-day Christmas retreat at a mansion, complete with sports and an awards ceremony.
Giving Back is the Bottom Line
While the total cost of the celebrations and gifts reached around £100,000, Benjy is adamant that the investment is worthwhile. "Giving back is what this is all about," he stated, admitting that the scale surprises many. "People thought I'd try to do this as cheaply as possible, but I genuinely want to give back to my staff."
He believes that creating a positive environment is key to success, especially with a younger workforce. "The happier the staff are, the better the workflow and work ethic is," Benjy explained. Roughly 10% of the company's profit margin is dedicated to employee welfare initiatives.
A Marketing Boost and a Call for Change
The generosity has also provided an unexpected business boost. Videos of the festivities were shared over 50,000 times on social media, attracting new clients and significant engagement. "In a way, I almost see it as a marketing cost – even though it's really for my staff," Benjy observed.
However, he argues that more British companies would reward staff lavishly if not for restrictive government rules. "The government only lets you spend £350 untaxed on employees. Anything above that gets taxed at 40 per cent, which limits what employers can do," he said.
Inspired by philanthropists like MrBeast, Benjy has no plans to scale back and hopes others will follow his lead. "If you treat people well, they'll work harder for you, and everyone wins," he concluded. The festive activities even included a charitable 90-second supermarket dash at Aldi, with all collected items donated to a local food bank.
