Danone has added cash accounts with half-matched employer funding that employees can use to spend on learning and development, and wellbeing activities to its flex scheme.

From this month, staff in its Danone Dairies division can save between £10 and £50 a month into either a learning and development account, a wellbeing fund, or both. The company will contribute half the amount employees put in.

Staff will be able to draw on their funds up to three times a year to pay for activities such as night classes gym memberships and acupuncture.

Liz Ellis, HR director, said the company was taking a broad view on what staff can spend the money on.

A staff survey suggested the new benefit would be popular. "Something like 25% of the population said they would participate and I would imagine it is going to be more popular than that. I don't think people will do both. My feeling is that they will do one or the other," said Ellis.

Retail vouchers and travel insurance will also be added. "We wanted to introduce travel insurance earlier but because of the size of the company we had trouble finding a provider. One of the issues is trying to get benefits for a company of our size," she explained.