Welcome to our November newsletter
In October, the government finally closed childcare voucher schemes to new entrants. It's disappointing that this valuable employee benefit has been taken away from employers like you, and we're still lobbying the government in the hope it may be reinstated in the future.
However, with one benefit taken away, now is a good time to think about new ways you can help keep your employees happy, motivated and engaged. Our intuitive and easy-to-use platform will give you access to a wide variety of employee benefits to meet the needs of a diverse, hardworking workforce. Read on to find out about our very seasonal Christmas Savings benefit and Technology scheme.
In other news, we're delighted to announce the winner of our Employee Benefits Live 2018 prize draw. Congratulations to Sarah Tucker who will soon be donning an Apple Watch Series 3.
Childcare vouchers - closed to new entrants but still open to existing members
As employers who helped your staff benefit from childcare vouchers, you can continue to help them by letting them know how to remain eligible for their vouchers.
Whether your employees are long-standing scheme members or they signed up just before the deadline, they need to ensure they remain eligible for childcare vouchers for as long as possible. For this reason, it's important they have at least one voucher taken from their pay in every rolling 12-month period. If they don't, they'll have to leave the scheme.
If they do lose your eligibility for childcare vouchers in future, Tax-Free Childcare will be their only option (providing they're eligible for it).
If they don't need childcare vouchers for any period of time – and this can be for a number of reasons – they don't have to cancel their order, simply pause it! They just need to make sure they have at least one voucher (minimum order £20) taken from their pay in every rolling 12 months.
Avoid the January blues with our Christmas Savings scheme
The festive season is a joyous time of the year, but for some, the cost of Christmas can be a real financial burden. Through our Christmas Savings scheme, your employees can save money from their regular pay, helping spread the cost of Christmas and making it more affordable. They’ll also get 3% more than they paid in, as the money saved is used to buy a Love2Shop card at a 3% discount – which can be used in over 50 online and 95 high street retailers. Call us today on 0345 002 1113 about launching your Christmas Savings scheme in the New Year, ready for 2019.
Technology scheme – keeping up with the Joneses
With more and more people seemingly wanting to get their hands on the latest technology, it’s no surprise that our Technology scheme is proving very popular. From smartphones and iPads to top of the range desktops and iMacs, your employees can pay for what they need in an affordable way, directly from their monthly pay. There’s also no need to worry about credit checks or interest, your employees simply pay back the value of the item they’re purchasing. If this sounds like something your employees would really value, get in touch today.
Help your working parents understand the value of wrap-around childcare
Trying to find childcare before and after school hours is a headache most working parents will have to deal with (sometimes on a daily basis).
Breakfast, after-school or homework clubs, also known as wrap-around childcare are a great way for working parents to fill the gap between their working hours and core school hours. It’s also a fantastic way for kids to make new friends, learn an instrument, play sport, the list is endless.
Make sure you share our blog with your working parents. There’s useful information on choosing the right wrap-around childcare for their family and where they can find it in their area.