Leicester City Council has been shortlisted in the ‘Best Staff Travel Policy’ category at the Employee Benefits Awards for its low carbon salary sacrifice car scheme.
The scheme, which was implemented in November last year with salary sacrifice provider Tusker, is available to more than 13,600 eligible employees within Leicester City Council’s 18,000-strong workforce.
The council already provided employees with salary sacrifice arrangements covering cycles and buses and felt that, by providing new cars as well, it was offering employees the total transport solutions necessary for them to get to work.
The green car scheme has now opened up new car ownership to a much wider audience within the council, while making substantial savings in National Insurance and pension contributions.
So far the Leicester City Council scheme has been greeted very enthusiastically by employees with more than 100 new car orders being placed within the first few months of the scheme going live.
The council set a carbon cap of 120g/km for the scheme, which is inclusive of motor insurance, servicing and maintenance, Road Fund Licence, roadside assistance, tyres and glass, plus protection against redundancy, resignation and maternity leave, to encourage staff to choose fuel efficient and more environmentally-friendly vehicles.
The scheme was set up under the terms of a Pan Government Collaborative Framework Agreement, originally established by North Yorkshire County Council when it introduced its own salary sacrifice car scheme with Tusker three years ago.
Under the agreement, the Tusker scheme is available for use by all UK contracting public sector authorities, including Government Departments, Non-Departmental Public Bodies, the NHS, Local Authorities, Police Authorities and Emergency Services.
Cory Laywood (pictured), HR, pay and benefits manager at Leicester City Council, who was responsible for overseeing the scheme’s introduction, said the council was delighted to have been shortlisted.
“In terms of approved new car orders, we are ahead of where we expected to be at this stage, as we were looking for 100 orders for the first 12 months.
"That we’ve exceeded our expectations is down to the broad range of cars available under the Tusker scheme, from budget models to more luxurious cars. As a result, it appeals to a very wide audience within the Council.
“We have worked very hard over the last three years to bring in a number of transport alternatives for staff at Leicester City Council and this recognition is the fruition of all that hard work. Personally, it gives me a great sense of achievement.”
The winners of the Employee Benefits awards will be announced during a lunch-time ceremony on Friday, June 27 at the Artillery Garden at the Honourable Artillery Company in London.
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