Salary sacrifice ‘boosts recruitment, morale and sustainability’

Salary sacrifice is boosting the recruitment and retention of staff at the Discovery Trust, thanks to the introduction of a Tusker car benefits scheme.

Tusker was selected to implement its scheme at the Leicestershire-based partnership of 13 primary schools and two special educational needs schools to bolster the benefits provision for its staff across all levels of the organisation.

The Discovery Trust had found the recruitment and retention of staff becoming an increasing challenge, particularly with the rise in hybrid working environments, making additional benefits offerings can provide a helpful boost to the trust’s appeal as an employer. 

While traditional company car schemes have often only benefitted more senior staff, Tusker’s salary sacrifice benefits scheme was favoured for its ability to offer vehicles to a far wider range of employees, from basic-rate taxpayers up to more senior management.

In an added boost for staff, The Discovery Trust has helped its employees further by introducing an energy-bill salary sacrifice scheme at the same time.

This means that not only can staff enjoy a brand new, safe, environmentally friendly electric vehicle for a fixed monthly sum, while saving on their tax and NI, they can also charge their vehicles in the same tax-efficient manner, too, says Tusker.

Discovery’s chief finance and operations officer, Steve Orton, had introduced a Tusker scheme for an educational trust as part of a previous role, and having had a good experience, he was keen to repeat the process for his new employer.

“Setting up the Tusker scheme was a no-brainer, it was a really simple process which was delivered sooner than we expected,” he said.

“It all worked really well, and the Tusker team were very supportive, they understand the challenges that schools and staff have, I wouldn’t have done anything differently.”

Alison Argall, business development director at Tusker, added: “Discovery Trust, like many other multi-academy trusts, recognise that the Tusker scheme can enhance their employment package, while enabling the schools to save money through Class 1 NI and pension contributions.”