T&S Stores has used its connections with Tesco to offer staff a better range of voluntary benefits, including mobile phones.
Neil McCawley, pay and benefits manager at the convenience store chain, said that he traded on the supermarket giant's name when procuring a new range of benefits because it meant staff would get a cheaper deal thanks to Tesco's better purchasing power.
He added that one of the ways Tesco negotiates its deals is by introducing products to customers through its Clubcard loyalty system and then negotiating deals for employees at the same time.
The firm has managed to get significant discounts on mobile phones through a deal with O2, highlighting the popularity of mobile phones as a benefit. He said: "In effect they're getting business contract call rates, and without paying a monthly line rate."
T&S Stores, which operates the One Stop brand, is including this in a new benefits communication aimed at making sure staff know what they are being offered. It is launching a benefits booklet for individuals, a website and a binder for stores. "The problem with the booklet is that as soon as you do it it's almost out of date, but we've got lots of people [without] internet access."