Northamptonshire Police has introduced e-learning courses to help improve employee recruitment and retention.
The Home Training Initiative gives staff the chance to take out a free loan of home computing equipment from the scheme's provider RedPC, then pay for access to online training on a range of work-related topics such as financial management, digital media and managing IT projects.

The police force is offering the e-learning package as a voluntary benefit to its 3,000 employees and is running the scheme on a salary sacrifice basis payable out of gross pay. This means staff make tax and national insurance savings on the cost of their course, but the loan of the computer is treated as a benefit in kind for tax purposes.
Employees can opt to pay over one, two or three years and can select a package that includes a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 30 e-learning courses.

Northamptonshire Police has also recently launched childcare vouchers and has a plan to launch a cycle-to-work scheme in February 2008.

Karen Jarvis, projects officer, HR, said it hopes the benefits will help to encourage recruitment and retention at the organisation.

Roadshows are being used to communicate the benefits to staff.