With about 12,000 staff across 80 sites in the UK, including wind farms and customer contact centres as well as field-based employees, the organisation was keen to ensure its benefits scheme was communicated in an engaging way.
Its campaign used a network of employee representatives, known as local champions, as well as targeted emails and home mailings. It also gave line managers comprehensive briefings to help them promote the scheme by conveying information to employees.
Ant Donaldson, senior specialist, employee benefits, UK HR, at E.On, says: “Having different communication channels means people are exposed to at least one of the channels they are receptive to. There is a degree of targeting, but it also involves sending things out through lots of different mediums so people have got the right things they can respond to.”
E.On operates an annual flex enrolment window, but communicates with staff regularly about the scheme. It also provides total reward statements (TRS), which are updated monthly. Employees are encouraged to check their statements before making their flex choices so they can see the value of their package.
“It helps get the message out that our reward packages are not just the salary,” says Donaldson. “We try to differentiate ourselves by the quality of our benefits, so getting people to have a look at their TRS is a really positive message.”
