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Connect Management CEO Spends £100,000 on Staff Gifts and Retreat

He frames the splurge as a culture investment that is already generating new business.

Overview

  • Prizes ranged from a £44,000 Range Rover Evoque and a Barcelona trip to Apple devices and Ninja gadgets, with the car won by a colleague just four months into the job.
  • The company staged a two‑day Christmas retreat at a mansion that included sports activities and an awards ceremony.
  • Employees took part in a 90‑second supermarket sweep at Aldi and donated everything they grabbed to a local food bank.
  • Leslie says videos of the giveaways have surpassed 50,000 shares online and have attracted new clients, calling the spend akin to marketing.
  • About 10% of the firm’s profit margin is earmarked for staff welfare, and Leslie criticises UK rules that allow only £350 untaxed for gifts, saying higher amounts face a 40% tax.