Welsh brewery SA Brains has launched a flexible benefits scheme to bring together a number of different terms and conditions across the organisation.

It has acquired a number of businesses over the past couple of years, which meant that staff received unequal benefits packages.

Debra Wood-Lawson, HR manager, said: "We had a group that didn't really receive any benefits and through this we've managed to give them the same entitlement as everybody else."

She added that the company also wanted to pass on the chance for staff to take advantage of savings gained through its bulk-buying power.

The scheme is available online via a dedicated flex website and is available to all employees except for the company's pub staff.

Its options include childcare vouchers, discounted retail vouchers, holiday trading and a home computing scheme. It also includes a range of healthcare options, which staff can flex to include partner or family cover.

SA Brains chose to keep communication for the scheme in-house and ran a series of presentations and Q & A sessions for staff. "We know our staff and felt it would be more effective this way," she said.

Employees' choices will take effect from January 2005.