Fife Council has switched its voluntary benefits provider in a bid to boost the number of employees taking up locally-sourced discounts.

The council has publicised the discounts from more than 130 local businesses, such as decorators, jewellers and home removal firms, on its branded website. To take advantage of the perks, the council's 23,000-strong workforce must show their employee identification.

Ruth Brown, the council's HR adviser of reward and establishment, said: "We believe it is important to support local businesses, so we have teamed up with local suppliers to give employees discounts on a broad range of products and services."

The voluntary benefits scheme, provided by Asperity, also includes discounts from national retailers such as Boots, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer. Staff can access these discounts online, by phone or directly from stores.
The scheme was communicated to council staff using newsletters and emails, while information was also posted on its intranet site.

All employees who registered for the scheme were also entered into a competition for the opportunity to win an Apple iPod, a Samsung digital camera and a digital photo frame.