EXCLUSIVE: Penguin Random House is to introduce a number of new flexible benefits during its next annual enrolment window to boost its current offering for employees.
The publisher will introduce salary sacrifice home technology purchasing for tablets and mobile phones, a will writing service, skin screening clinics and a financial advice service to its flex scheme.
The addition of new benefits to the flex scheme, which is run through a Thomsons Online Benefits-provided online benefits portal launched in January 2014, is part of the employer’s aim to build the scheme around the needs and wants of its workforce.
The online benefits portal will be redesigned to be more intuitive and user-friendly for employees, feature the publisher’s branding and enable staff to access their benefits via their mobile devices.
Neil Morrison, group HR director at Penguin Random House, said: “It is important to keep the scheme fresh and alive. Staff in publishing do not have top incomes like the financial services, so it is about returning the value through new benefits.
“With home technology, it is no longer a premium purchase. It is something anyone can buy. [Staff] expect to have a new mobile every two years, [and] if [they] can get these benefits via work, they will work hard and will want to stay because they feel appreciated and valued.
“It is about creating a compelling offer and really thinking about what is important to them. How we build on it is important to us.”
