Case Study: National Grid

Background
National Grid is one of the world's largest utilities, focused on delivering energy safely, reliably and efficiently. With 9,500 employees, their flexible benefits scheme, Your Flexible Benefits, has been running for over 2 years with over 50% employee participation.

Requirements

National Grid recognizes that the success of their business lies with the skills of their employees. Committed to being an employer of choice, they wanted to introduce an exciting new product to their attractive and competitive range of benefits.

Recognising the evolving needs of their workforce and that employees have different personal priorities, they wanted to introduce a universally popular benefit that would have real tangible use. In addition, they wanted to provide their employees with the opportunity to make valuable tax and National Insurance savings.

Solution

They chose to add mobile phones to their benefits package, launching Mobile Salary Saver in November 2006. Flexphone were able to satisfy National Grid’s business needs and comprehensively provision the benefit to their staff, provide excellent customer service and delivery, and impart their industry experience as a provider.

Flexphone worked with National Grid to communicate the benefit to their employees attending roadshows throughout the UK, providing product demonstrations and explaining the scheme direct to employees. Employees were able to place their order on the Flexphone website and via telephone during the Your Flexible Benefits election period, with delivery the following month.

Benefits

National Grid were able to provide a great company related benefit offering their employees the ability to save up to 41% on Vodafone High Street prices as payments are made from employees’ gross salary. As the cost is taken before tax, National Grid would also benefit from reduced NI contributions at 12.8% per employee.

The first year was a success with over 2.5% of employees participating in the Mobile Salary Saver scheme, and the 2007 renewal achieved 4% take up.