Emergency medical service Devon Air Ambulance is giving its 135 employees early access to their pay to avoid financial hardship throughout the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
The organisation, which has partnered with income streaming platform Hastee, is giving its employees the opportunity to withdraw up to 25% of their pay, as and when they earn it. Employees will be able to make one withdrawal per month of up to £100 for free, while further withdrawals will be subject to a 2.5% flat fee.
This benefit is part of Devon Air Ambulance’s wider strategy to create a safe culture for its employees through being transparent, ethically aware and an inclusive workplace.
Melanie Stevens, HR manager at Devon Air Ambulance, said: "What motivated us to consider the collaboration is the fact that by partnering with Hastee, our staff can have the freedom and choice to access a portion of their earnings between paydays through Hastee’s smartphone app, giving more flexibility around how to manage their money.
"One of the major motivating factors for us was knowing how, sometimes in life, things crop up where suddenly we need to find some money and we cannot always afford to wait for payday. This financial burden can be extremely stressful and lead to payday loans which are not always helpful for the individual. Hastee reduces this risk and we felt that was a benefit we wanted to be able to offer to our staff."
Martin Bell, people, talent and culture director at Devon Air Ambulance, added: “At the heart of our ethos is caring for our local community, but during this difficult year it has become increasingly important for us to reflect that level of care back to our employees too. Our partnership with Hastee gives our incredible staff the financial liquidity they deserve."
