Welsh government employee benefits

The Welsh government has appointed employee benefits provider Vivup to deliver the managed service provision for its employee benefit schemes.

Launched this week and set to run until 2028, with break clauses at the end of years two and three, the managed service provision framework includes a fully managed service and individual services for employee benefit schemes, covering a range of salary sacrifice and voluntary deduction arrangements.

Employee benefits that will be accessible through the framework include an online benefits platform, a bikes-for-work scheme, a green car scheme, a home technology and smartphone scheme, a childcare voucher scheme, pensions savings, pet and eldercare insurances, and a retail and leisure discount scheme. It will also offer reward and recognition benefits such as gift cards, vouchers and gift experiences, long-service awards, recognition messages or cards, and lump sums.

Its financial wellbeing scheme includes debt management products and services, low-cost borrowing, savings and investment options, financial education and planning resources, and financial wellbeing workshops.

Meanwhile, its health and wellbeing scheme includes health cash plans, life insurance, personal accident insurance, cancer cover, sick pay insurance, and medical and dentistry cover.

As part of the framework agreement and in alignment with Welsh government policy, provision for Welsh Language Standards will be made. This ensures websites, portals, marketing materials and emails will be available in both Welsh and English, with Welsh speakers available to respond to telephone or email correspondence.

A Welsh government spokesperson said: “The Welsh government is looking forward to working with Vivup over the next four years to deliver the managed service provision element of our employee benefits framework. Vivup’s proposals for delivering the framework were comprehensive and we hope the agreement will provide a high level of service for our public sector customer organisations.”