EXCLUSIVE: British Sugar has increased its voluntary benefits take up by more than a third since it launched an online benefits portal in November 2013.
More than half (53%) of its 1,200 employees have registered for the scheme, compared to the 5% who had taken up benefits prIor to the launch.
Nick Court, reward and benefits manager at British Sugar, said: “The reason for this is twofold: the way that our provider Gee7 worked with us to deliver the programme to our office and factory locations, and our communications strategy.”
Its My Staff Shop portal has pulled the organisation’s benefits all into one place for the first time. Employees can access the portal through mobile devices and tablets.
It includes access to:
- A bikes-for-work scheme
- Childcare vouchers.
- A health cash plan.
- Employee reward and recognition programme.
- Health and wellbeing information and activities.
- Links to the British Sugar intranet site.
British Sugar previously offered a bikes-for-work scheme and childcare vouchers to staff, but these were administered via manual forms. These benefits are now provided via salary sacrifice arrangements.
The online benefits launch was communicated to employees via emails, one-to-one face-to-face communications, presentations and posters which incorporated quick response (QR) codes.
British Sugar plans to continue to communicate the portal using roadshows, targeted emails and campaigns.
Court said: “It’s something different for us. We have always had monetary discount elements.
“We took a proactive approach and attached our reward and recognition programme to the portal. We were able to drive engagement through this.
“We plan to develop [the portal] further during the year, but needed a platform that we could build on first.”