Cineworld has introduced a flexible benefits scheme, added in new benefits, introduced a salary sacrifice arrangement, and rebranded its benefits communication.

The cinema group, which has 650 monthly-paid employees and 4,200 fortnightly-paid employees, launched the online scheme for its monthly-paid staff on 1 August.

Nicole Tomlinson, senior HR business partner at Cineworld, said: “Our benefits were quite archaic and it was all very much manual administration. It has been partly to try to move us into the 21st century and make our benefits reporting and management much better, as well as engaging employees, and preparing for auto-enrolment.”

The group will use the scheme, which is provided by Thomsons Online Benefits, to assess, communicate and enrol its staff in its group personal pension (GPP) plan.

The flex scheme combines the group’s previous benefits, which include the GPP, childcare vouchers and life assurance at two-times salary, with a range of new benefits. These include a health cash plan, private medical insurance (PMI), a bikes-for-work scheme, an employee assistance programme (EAP), a discounted gym membership, employee discounts scheme, a discounted dining card, a season ticket loan, and life assurance flexed up to 10-times salary.

A variety of the benefits are available via a salary sacrifice arrangement, including the GPP, life assurance, bikes for work, health cash plan, childcare vouchers and discounted gym membership.

The scheme was branded Star Rewards, with iconic film scenes recreated as part of its communications campaign. Communications included a 10-page booklet sent out to all employees’ home addresses and updates via its CineWeekly web link. Tomlinson added: “We had weekly teasers leading up to the launch. After launch, each week focused on a different benefit.”

Cineworld informed its cinema managers of the flex scheme through regional meetings and hosted a provider roadshow at its head office. The final piece of communications will be at its company conference at the end of September.

Fortnightly-paid staff have access to the employee discounts scheme, the discounted dining card and the EAP. However, since these staff are paid at the minimum wage, it is not possible to provide them with the salary sacrifice arrangement.