Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust looks after more than half a million people each year in their homes, in the community and across its three hospitals. To deliver this service it employs around 10,000 people, working in roles from administration and cleaning to nursing.
Alongside a defined benefit pension scheme, generous annual and parental leave, and a health and wellbeing service provided by Perkbox Vivup, it offers a comprehensive voluntary benefits package. This includes a bikes-for-work and car lease scheme, home electronics, travel and shopping discounts, onsite nurseries and a childcare salary sacrifice scheme.
Communication is key when it comes to the employee benefits proposition. Arlene Wills, head of employee benefits, says: “We have a multigenerational workforce. What’s important to a 20-year-old is very different to what someone approaching retirement will value. We work hard to ensure staff really understand what we offer.”
As well as having a benefits hub on its intranet site and an annual programme of promotional activity, every department has a benefits champion. “We send them a newsletter each month that they share with their colleagues but they can also come to us with any questions or feedback,” explains Wills.
The benefits team is also alive to changes in employee needs, with the cost-of-living crisis a prime example. “Employee surveys and feedback highlighted how it was affecting staff wellbeing so, as well as promoting all the financial resources we had, we arranged for the Citizens Advice Bureau to set up a hub in the hospital for staff and patients. This has resulted in claims for more than 80,000 new state benefits.” explains Wills.
Discount vouchers are also a valuable way to help staff make their money go further. Alongside constantly reminding staff to check whether they could get a discount on their spending, the benefits team flag the discount vouchers through the benefits champions, regular promotional activity and by running financial wellbeing surveys. “These can gauge employee need but also help us promote the topic and the benefits we offer,” adds Wills.
And, as employee needs constantly change, finding creative ways to connect with staff and help them understand the breadth of benefits available is a top priority for the team at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust.
