The benefits scheme for Commercial Services staff

Transcription

1 Employee Plus The benefits scheme for Commercial Services staff

2 Welcome The benefits scheme for Commercial Services staff Welcome to Employee Plus Employee Plus is the benefits package that is available to you as an employee of YCL or NYCH, which shall both be hereafter referred to as 'the Company'. Employee Plus introduces choice into the benefits offered to staff and allows you to take advantage of tax and National Insurance (NI) savings on a number of benefits through a process known as salary exchange. Employee Plus brings together salary exchange schemes such as childcare vouchers and cycle to work bike purchase, and joins these with discounts offered by local and national companies. The Company's Rewards administration partner The Company works with Edenred ( a company that specialises in providing and administering employee benefit schemes and which uses its considerable purchasing power to negotiate discounts on a wide range of goods and services. How do I select my benefits? You can find detailed information on each element of the scheme through the web pages at: commercialservices/employeeplus or from Edenred s dedicated Help Desk ( ). This service will help you to understand the benefits within Employee Plus and explain how you go about selecting them. Contents Employee Plus scheme structure...3 How does it work?... 4 Salary exchange schemes... 5 Pensions Plus... 6 Cycletowork Plus...7 Childcare Plus and Nursery Plus... 8 Company offers... 9 Edenred employee savings...10 Choosing your benefits...14 What happens next?...15 FAQs...16 Glossary of terms...18 Useful names and numbers...19 You can find details on how to select your benefits on page 14 of this brochure. 2 Employee Plus

3 Scheme structure Employee Plus scheme structure The main objective of Employee Plus is to provide you with a comprehensive benefits package with the added avantage of saving you tax and NI. You will also be able to save money on a range of goods and services offered by local and national businesses. Employee Plus has been designed to offer a real "mix" of benefits to suit the many different needs and lifestyles of our employees. We hope that all employees will benefit from the scheme whether that is through salary exchange, discounted rates or both. The scheme year runs from 1 December to 30 November, see page 4 for more information. If you are a new starter you can make your choices during your new starter enrolement (election) period, details of which can be found at employeeplus. The benefits that are currently offered include: Salary Exchange Benefits Employee Savings (Company Offers and Edenred discounted goods and services) These schemes allow eligible staff to take advantage of tax and NI savings on the University of York Pension Fund, Childcare Vouchers, a Cycle to Work scheme and the Campus Nursery. These include a range of special offers and discounts on an extensive range of products and services, including clothing, home entertainment, holidays and travel. Some are offered by the Company, some by local companies and others are negotiated nationally by Edenred. We hope to gradually introduce more benefits to Employee Plus and these will be communicated to you as and when they become available. Employee Plus 3

4 How does it work? The benefits scheme for Commercial Services staff Rules How do I know if I am eligible and what is available to me? All employees of the Company (on fixedterm or open contracts) are eligible to join Employee Plus. There are some limitations on salary exchange benefits where annual actual salary falls below the Company's Pay Protection Limit or where salary exchange reductions would drop an employee s pay to below the National Minimum Wage. Pension Scheme members in the UoY Pension Fund will be automatically enrolled into the Pensions Plus Salary Exchange Scheme (subject to salary limits mentioned above). You can opt out of Pensions Plus by ticking the Opt Out button on the Employee Plus Benefit Selection website or by using the form provided with this brochure. If you are on a fixed-term contract of less than two years, you will not be automatically enrolled into Pensions Plus.You may choose to opt in but should discuss your options with the Pensions Office before doing so. The Employee Plus website, administered by Edenred, contains details of all the Employee Plus Benefits schemes. Once you are logged onto the Company website with your normal User ID and password, you will be able to access your own personalised Employee Plus benefits page through the following link: employeeplus see page 14 for more details. During your new starter enrolment (or election) period you can select your chosen Salary Exchange Benefits, thereafter the election period will be the period leading up to the annual scheme renewal date which is 1 December each year. Edenred operate a Help Desk to assist employees in their understanding of the Employee Plus benefits. How do I know how much I am saving? The changes to salary are shown on the screen after provisional selection of benefits. Employees agree to their benefit selections and salary adjustment/ deductions online. How do I pay for the benefits? The salary exchange benefits available through Employee Plus are provided and paid for as a payroll deduction. For Employee Savings, you contact and pay the provider direct for the goods/ services required. What if I don t have access to a computer? There are separate arrangements for people without access to a computer hardcopy forms are available by contacting the Edenred Help Desk on or by contacting the Recruitment and Rewards Administrator on When can I make changes to my benefits? The Employee Plus scheme renewal date is 1 December each year the enrolment (or election) period leading up to this is the annual period when you can make changes to your benefit choices. Outside this annual renewal period, Salary Exchange choices can only be changed subject to a defined Lifestyle Event occuring. To see the full list of Lifestyle Events, which includes those events specific to particular schemes, see page Employee Plus

5 Salary exchange schemes Salary exchange schemes Selecting benefits through a Salary Exchange scheme means that you are agreeing to a reduction to your salary and that you will receive a non-cash benefit in return. The Pensions Plus, Childcare Plus, Nursery Plus and Cycletowork Plus schemes all operate through a Salary Exchange arrangement which provides you with tax and/or NI efficiencies. A Salary Exchange arrangement allows employees to give up the right to receive part of their salary. In return the Company agrees to provide you with some form of non-cash benefit, eg childcare vouchers or cycle to work vouchers. The salary exchange is achieved by varying your terms and conditions of employment relating to salary. You will agree to reduce your pay and you will receive childcare vouchers or a bicycle, for example, of an equivalent amount. You will not have to pay tax and/or NI on the salary you have given up and will therefore make tax and/or NI savings on the amount given up. Employees should consider carefully the effect, or potential effect, that a reduction in their pay may have on their entitlement to: Tax credit or child tax credit State Pension or other benefits such as Statutory Maternity Pay For most employees, paying less NI will not adversely affect their benefit entitlement. However Salary Exchange must not reduce your cash pay below the National Minimum Wage or the Companys pay protection limit. Please look out for the icons that refer to each benefit on the top right hand corner of the following pages. A tick indicates that you will save tax and/or NI and a cross indicates that you will not. For more information on the impact of Salary Exchange, please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in this pack. Employee Plus 5

6 Salary exchange schemes Pension Plus (UoY) The benefits scheme for Commercial Services staff Do I save? Tax NI Pension Plus (UoY) Pensions Plus changes the way pension contributions are made. Ordinarily, you pay National Insurance Contributions (NIC) on your gross salary and make the appropriate percentage of contribution to the UoY Pension Fund. Please see for the most recent contribution percentage rates. Under Pensions Plus (UoY): you stop making your normal pension contributions to the UoY Pension Fund, excluding any Additional Voluntary Contributions ( AVCs ). the Company pays an amount equal to your normal pension contribution directly to the UoY Pension Fund on your behalf. your contractual gross pay is reduced by the percentage amount that you used to pay into the scheme. As a result, your take home pay increases because you are paying less National Insurance Contributions (NIC). This is because the employee pension contributions that you previously paid were subject to NIC whereas the employer contributions that are paid on your behalf going forward are not. The Company also saves NIC. The main reason the Company introduced this arrangement is to help you and the Company to make contributions into the UoY Pension Fund in the most costefficient way. As almost every employee benefits financially from Pensions Plus, you will be included automatically but, in the event that you do not wish to participate in Pensions Plus, you can opt out by clicking the opt out box found on the Employee Plus benefit selection website. Please note that you will need to click the box by the end of your new starter enrolment (election) period otherwise you will be included in the arrangement. However, you will be able to opt out at any time. If you do not have access to a computer, you can complete and return the opt out form supplied with this brochure. It can also be found on the website. If you are on a fixed-term contract of less than two years, you will not be automatically enrolled into Pensions Plus. You may choose to opt in but should discuss your options with the Pensions Office before doing so. We will use the term Notional Salary to refer to your annual basic salary before taking account of the UoY pension scheme reduction, and/or any other salary exchange arrangements which you enter into. Your Notional Salary will remain on your payslip for reference purposes. In addition, death in service benefits, pension benefits and any other Company salary-related payments or benefits will be calculated on your Notional Salary and not your Post- Salary Exchange Pay. We will refer to your pay after the Pensions Plus adjustment as your Post Salary Exchange Pay. 6 Employee Plus

7 Salary exchange schemes Cycletowork Plus Do I save? Tax NI Cycletowork Plus This is a Government backed initiative designed to encourage the use of cycles in getting to work, thereby tackling traffic congestion, poor air quality, and increasing access to a more sustainable means of commuter transport. The basis of the scheme is to pay for a voucher, through salary exchange, which enables you to purchase a cycle from a local participating shop (there are several in York and the surrounding area). By paying for the voucher by twelve monthly salary exchange payments you will reduce your income on which tax and NI are paid by the value of the voucher which you take, making the effective cost of the cycle much cheaper. We have chosen to use Cyclescheme Ltd. as our voucher provider. Through Cyclescheme Ltd. you can select any make/model of bike(s) and/or cycling safety equipment from a large network of independent bike shops. Tax and National Insurance (NIC) savings are made on the items you choose. In return for the use of cycling and safety equipment, you agree to sacrifice a part of your gross salary (spread over 12 monthly payments). The minimum value is 100, whilst the maximum is 1,000. To apply for this benefit you should visit a participating local bike shop to obtain a quote for a bicycle and/or cycling safety equipment. Once you have the quote, enter the amount when you are making your Employee Plus benefit choices. When the election has ended and your forms have been received, Cyclescheme Ltd. will issue a voucher to the Company. You will need to sign a Hire and Salary Exchange Agreement and provide proof of insurance in order to redeem the voucher. Once in receipt of the voucher, you should then go back to the shop and redeem this for the bicycle (and safety equipment). The salary exchange will take place from the beginning of the month in which you receive the bike and will continue for a 12 month period. Please note that the voucher cannot be exchanged for cash, and change cannot be given should the value of the equipment be less than the amount stated on the voucher. You are unable to top-up the amount you elect, so please ensure that your election is adequate to fund the bike and safety equipment you require. The bike and/or safety equipment should be used mainly for travel between home and work and needs to be used at least half of the time for your commute to work to be eligible for tax and NI savings. To comply with this requirement we will require you to reduce any parking permit which you have to a part-week permit. Employees who choose this benefit will be agreeing to a 12 month hire agreement. In support of our Sustainable Transport initiative, you can join the Cycletowork Plus scheme at any point during the year. If this is outside your new starter enrolment (election) period or the annual election period leading up to 1 December, you can register your request to join by completing and submitting a Lifestyle Change Notification Form through the Recruitment and Rewards Administrator (see contact details on page 19). For full details of this benefit, please log onto the Employee Plus website at employeeplus. Employee Plus 7

8 Salary exchange schemes Childcare Plus and Nursery Plus The benefits scheme for Commercial Services staff Do I save? Tax NI Childcare Plus Childcare Plus is the Company's salary exchange scheme name for the provision of childcare vouchers, a form of employer supported childcare. The way the scheme works is that your employer gives you the option to take part of your salary in childcare vouchers and the value of vouchers you choose to take is tax and NI free (through a salary exchange scheme). How much can I save? The government has set a limit on the amount of salary you can exchange for childcare vouchers (but this limit applies to each working parent or legal guardian). Because the vouchers are tax and NI free, you end up with more money in your pay packet than you would have had if you had paid for your childcare with cash from your normal net pay. The amount that you can receive tax and NI exempt depends on the level of tax that you pay. For 2012/13, a basic rate (20%) taxpayer can get up to 243 a month tax and NI exempt. A higher rate (40%) taxpayer can get up to 124 a month, and an additional rate (50%) taxpayer can get up to 97 a month tax and NI exempt. To establish which rate of tax you pay, the Company will perform a basic earnings assessment which will take into account your basic pay and any guaranteed additional payments or overtime. The amount that you can receive free of tax and NIC is set at the start of the tax year in April or when you join the scheme and will not change throughout the year, regardless of any changes in salary or hours. At the start of each tax year, all employees who joined the scheme on or after the 6th April will be reassessed and any changes in salary that occurred within the year will be taken into account. Where can I use vouchers? Childcare vouchers are not just for babies and can be used to pay for the care of children up to the age of 15 (until 1 September following their 15th birthday) or 16 if your child is disabled (until 1 September following their 16th birthday). So if you have teenagers, you can use childcare vouchers to pay for holiday clubs or play schemes during school holidays. All childcare must be registered or approved. Please contact your carer as soon as possible to find out if they are affiliated with Edenred. If they are, simply ask them for their Account Number which you will need in order to transfer electronic vouchers to them online (this account number begins with a P and is issued to carers when they affiliate with Edenred). If your carer is not already affiliated with Edenred, they can complete a carer application form online by visiting and clicking on ACCEPT VOUCHERS in the Childcare Providers area. You can download a printable application form for them by clicking on Start accepting vouchers in the Childcare Provider section if they do not have internet access. These days electronic vouchers are the most popular way in which to receive vouchers. You access them through a personal childcare vouchers account that works in a similar way to online or telephone banking. You can access your electronic childcare vouchers account to request a payment to your carer(s) either via the internet or telephone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can even set up a standing order to request repeat monthly payments to your childcarer, making the process as simple as possible. Please refer to the Edenred and Employee Plus websites for more information: employeeplus. Nursery Plus Nursery Plus is our salary exchange scheme for employees using the Campus Nursery. The amount you are able to save using the Campus Nursery varies depending on your personal circumstances. The Company is committed to promoting flexible working arrangements and affordable childcare for employees. Using salary exchange, staff are able to take advantage of tax and national insurance savings on the cost of fees at the Campus Nursery. For more information on how the scheme works and the points you need to consider if you are thinking of joining the scheme, please read our Nursery Plus booklet available from commercialservices/employeeplus. 8 Employee Plus

9 Company offers Company offers Many local businesses provide special offers on a range of goods and services to Company employees. These offers will change over time and currently include: Blackwell s Book Shop Bus Tickets Legal & Business Advice Packet and Parcel Service UoY Sports Centre Membership Unibikes Full details of these offers can be found at employeeplus. Blackwell s Book Shop at The Market Square 10% discount to all Company staff. Blackwell are pleased to offer 10% discount to our colleagues on purchases from Blackwell s shop on campus. To claim your 10% discount, please identify yourself to a staff member at the cash desk when making your purchase some proof of Company identity may be requested. Bus Tickets Save up to 20% on Bus Travel. As part of the Company's sustainable Transport Policy, and in partnership with local bus providers, we are able to offer staff the opportunity to purchase reduced price Bus Tickets. To find out more visit: admin/estates/transport Legal and Business advice Free membership, consultations and discounted fees. Join our Law Club Free membership, 12.5% discount on fees across our legal services for both private and business clients. Free initial consultation. Call quoting University of York or ; lawclub@ crombiewilkinson.co.uk Packet and Parcel Service This service will give staff and students the opportunity to post their personal items (up to 30kg) to anywhere in the UK and overseas at very good discounted prices, via the University Mailroom. For more information contact the Mailroom on or mail-room@york.ac.uk University of York Sports Centre Membership Use the gym or sports centre at a discount with a Membership. Buy your membership in three ways; online at york.ac.uk/ or at the Sports Centre reception (payable with cash, cheque or credit/debit card) or pay via payroll. Unibikes People who cycle to work are healthier, fitter, more motivated, less stressed and more productive. The Unibike cycle to work scheme allows you to own a bike at around a 40% discount. For more information call or unibikesyork@getcycling.org.uk Employee Plus 9

10 Edenred employee savings Offers and discounts The benefits scheme for Commercial Services staff Edenred employee savings Employee Savings offer you a great range of benefits, discounts and fantastic savings that will help make your money go further. Easy to access online or over the phone, Employee Savings can help you make big savings on a whole host of goods and services from over 1600 suppliers. Browse the site for items for yourself or presents for your friends and family, and take advantage of some fantastic offers including: Gift cards save at over 12 leading supermarket and high street stores including Sainsbury s, Asda, Marks & Spencer and Debenhams Shopping vouchers save at over 35 leading supermarket and high street stores including Morrisons, Topshop, Comet and Mothercare Days out and holidays enjoy special offers for days out and last minute holiday deals for home and abroad Over the phone offers there are savings on everything from driving lessons to ipods Whether you are looking for savings on your weekly shopping, money off your summer holidays, discounts on clothes from leading fashion names and even for competitive rates on your household insurance Employee Savings offer something for everyone! Easy to access The website of offers is available to you 24 hours a day and can be easily accessed online at commercialservices/employeeplus or by going directly to Help If you require any assistance accessing the offers and discounts, please contact the Helpdesk by ing customerservices@ edenred.uk.com or by calling Employee Plus

11 Edenred employee savings Offers and discounts Here is a taste of some of the offers you can enjoy. There are over 1600 suppliers on the website, with new offers being added every day, so be sure to check out the website to pick up a great bargain. If you do not have access to a computer, call the Edenred Help Desk on for information on all the offers. Discounted shopping vouchers 11% 6% 10% Discounted reloadable cards 5% 6% 5% Over the phone offers UP TO 17% UP TO 45% UP TO 45% Instant SMS vouchers 10% 8% UP TO 8% Please note: all offers, prices and codes are correct at the time of going to press and are subject to change at any time. Please refer to the website for terms and conditions. Employee Plus 11

12 Edenred employee savings Offers and discounts The benefits scheme for Commercial Services staff Shopping vouchers Save up to 20% on purchases at several popular supermarkets and high street stores when using shopping vouchers or gift cards bought through Employee Savings. You can order the shopping vouchers or gift cards through the website at a discounted rate to save money. Ordering shopping vouchers and gift cards is simple: 1. Firstly login to the website to choose your shopping vouchers or gift cards. 2. Pay for them at a discounted rate (for example at PC World receive 10% off). 3. When they are delivered to you go to your chosen supermarket or high street store to spend them and make great savings. 10% 8% 8% 8% 8% 10% Reloadable gift cards Some of the gift cards are reloadable so you can simply top them up with credit when you run out ideal for regular savings at the supermarket. When you top up, you get a discount ranging from 5% to 15% depending on the retailer. You will benefit from the discounts made on purchasing them for less through Employee Savings. Topping up a reloadable card is easy: 1. Re-visit the website to place your order through our gift card ordering page 2. Type in the amount you want to top up and select the card you wish to reload (your previous card orders will appear here) 3. Complete the payment and your gift card will be reloaded within 3 full working days* * Please see the back of your card for details on how to check that the reload has been completed before trying to use your card and check the T&Cs available on the website 9% 10% 5% 8% 15% 9% 12 Employee Plus

13 Edenred employee savings Offers and discounts Cashback You can save money while you shop at Employee Savings as we have over 1600 retailers who want to pay you Cashback on purchases. This is a great way to save money whenever you shop online as the Cashback is a discount which is applied after you ve made a purchase. So if you buy something for 100 online with Cashback of 10%, you pay the retailer 100 and you will be credited 10 to your Cashback account. Cashback is also awarded for taking part in surveys, entering competitions and even for using price comparison engines! Here s how to start saving with Cashback: 1. Create a free Cashback account using the link on the Employee Savings site 2. Login to your account and find the retailer you need 3. Click the link to visit the retailer s website and shop as you normally would 4. The retailer informs us of your Cashback, which we credit to your Cashback account 5. We pay your Cashback monthly either by BACS or in Amazon gift vouchers with a 5% bonus (whichever you choose) Here s a quick example to show you how much you could save, simply by doing a quick personal finances review : Renew (or switch) your car insurance: Renew (or switch) your home insurance: Switch your energy supplier: Open a new current account: Start a new ISA: Up to 60 cashback Up to 70 cashback } Up to 75 cashback Up to 20 cashback Up to 50 cashback Total Cashback 275 Employee Plus 13

14 Benefit section The benefits scheme for Commercial Services staff Choosing your benefits Making your benefits choices for the year couldn t be easier. All you have to do is follow these simple instructions and you are on your way to choosing a benefits package that suits your individual requirements. You could even make significant tax and National Insurance savings. How to log in You will need your Company network user name and password before being able to access the Employee Plus Benefit Selection website. Once you have this, you make your benefits choices through a link on the Company Intranet site at employeeplus. From home Logging in from home is just as straightforward. Go to commercialservices/employeeplus and you will be prompted to enter your university network username and password. For any problems logging in, please customerservices@edenred. uk.com How to make your choices 1. Click on the Benefits tab. 2. To view your options click on click here to continue to your selection choices. 3. The Your current package tab will display your current benefits which will include any previously chosen through the Employee Plus scheme. Click on the Change or View Benefit info button for more information and costs. 4. The Additional benefits tab will display the salary sacrifice benefits you can choose through the Employee Plus scheme. Click on the Change or View Benefit info button for more information and costs. 5. Once you have clicked on the Additional benefits tab and, for Childcare Plus or Cycletowork Plus, entered the annual amount you wish to opt for, your chosen benefits will then display in the Your current package tab. 14 Employee Plus

15 What happens next? Finalising benefits choices Finalising benefits choices To confirm your Employee Plus choices: 1. Once you are happy with your benefits choices, click on the Proceed with this package button 2. Check you have read and agreed to the Employee Plus terms by simply ticking the box to confirm. Please also check any policies or terms relevant to each of the benefits you select. Your benefit selection process is now complete and your choices submitted and you will then be asked if you would like to receive an to confirm your choices. It is important to close your browser once you have made your benefit selections. If you do not have access to a computer to make your benefits choices, you can use the Offline Benefit Selection form supplied with this brochure. What happens next? To help you make the most of your benefits, here s a quick step-by step guide to the Employee Plus scheme: Step 1 read this brochure so you understand the benefits available, how to make your selections, and how to make the most of possible tax and National Insurance savings Step 2 make your choices during your new starter enrolment (election) period, details of which can be found at: Step 3 make sure you have confirmed your selections by the closing date of your election period Step 4 if you have made any selections, you will be contacted either by the Company and/or by the relevant benefits providers who will send any joining packs to your home address during the three to four weeks following the end of your election period. You will receive all the details of the benefit provision and other relevant documents, like claim forms. Step 5 your benefits will become effective on 1st of the month closest to the end of your election period and will last until the next annual renewal period (except for bicycles taken on a 12 month agreement under the Cycletowork Plus scheme). Employee Plus 15

16 Frequently Asked Questions The benefits scheme for Commercial Services staff FAQs Am I eligible to participate in Employee Plus? As an employee of the Company, you are eligible to participate in all Employee Plus schemes. There are, however, some additional conditions attached to the Salary Exchange schemes with regard to an employee s actual rate of pay and the need not to reduce it below the National Minimum Wage. In addition, entitlement to certain state benefits could also be affected if your earnings fell below the NIC Lower Earnings Threshold. For this reason, the Company has introduced a Pay Protection Limit (currently 8,200 per annum) which means that any employee whose actual annual earnings are below this amount may not take part in a Salary Exchange scheme. The reason for this Pay Protection limit is to do just that to protect the employee s salary from falling below the Earnings Threshold and to ensure that entitlement to state benefits is not reduced. The Company will identify any staff whose actual annual earnings are below either the National Minimum Wage or the Company's Pay Protection Limit and will write to these individuals about their options for joining Employee Plus. Which benefits will be offered through Salary Exchange? Salary exchange is offered for the UoY pension scheme, childcare vouchers, the campus nursery and a Cycletowork scheme. We may introduce more Salary Exchange schemes in future. Details of these will be communicated to staff as and when they become available. Does the Company offer any other benefits? Yes. Through using Edenred as its specialist benefits provider, the Company has been able to negotiate preferential rates for staff on a wide range of goods and services. Is Salary Exchange different from Salary Sacrifice? No. Salary Exchange is the term that the Company prefers to use in its Employee Plus scheme but the concept is exactly the same as Salary Sacrifice. How will Salary Exchange benefits affect my salary? Your pension and other similar benefits will continue to be based on your pay before taking account of any Pensions Plus (UoY) or other Salary Exchange adjustments (known as Notional Salary). Why do I need to agree to a reduction in pay? In order for the Salary Exchange schemes to be effective, the Company will need to make amendments to your Terms and Conditions in accordance with the provisions of Section 4 of the Employment Rights Act It is important that you understand and agree these changes. What happens if there are several Salary Exchange benefits? At present, the Company offers pension contributions, childcare vouchers, the campus nursery and a Cycletowork scheme through Salary Exchange. The Company may introduce further salary exchange benefits under Employee Plus to offer employees a more flexible reward package. You will be able to participate in all the salary exchange benefits as long as this does not bring your Post Salary Exchange pay to below the National Minimum Wage or the Company's Pay Protection Limit ( 8,200 per annum currently). If this does become an issue, the order in which you will be able to take Salary Exchange benefits will be Pensions Plus, Childcare Plus, Nursery Plus then Cycletowork Plus. The order in which you will be able to take Salary Exchange Benefits may change as further Salary Exchange Benefits are introduced.???????? 16 Employee Plus

17 Frequently Asked Questions Do I have to do anything to participate, eg sign any forms? Upon joining a pension scheme, new starters, with a salary above the Pay Protection Limit, will be automatically enrolled into Pensions Plus from the first day of employment, unless they have already chosen to opt out. Subject to this same Pay Protection Limit, new starters will also be able to join any other Salary Exchange scheme. New starters on fixed-term contracts of two years or less will not be automatically enrolled into Pensions Plus. This is to protect eligibility for a refund of pension contributions. If you are on a fixed-term contract of two years or less you may choose to opt into Pensions Plus, but should discuss your options with the Pensions Office before doing so. If you wish to take advantage of any of the other Employee Plus schemes, you will need to visit the website and select the benefits you would like. If you do not have access to a computer, you can complete the Offline Benefit Selection Form included with this brochure to take part in any of the schemes. What if I change my mind or my circumstances change? If you decide to participate in any Salary Exchange scheme, you will not be able to opt-out until the annual scheme renewal date of 1 December each year, unless you experience one of the following Lifestyle Events : Marriage or civil partnership Birth or at key stages in adoption of a child Becoming pregnant/notification of pregnancy or commencement of/ return from maternity leave Divorce/legal separation/ dissolution of civil partnership Death of a partner or dependant Long-term sick leave Return from long-term sick leave Redundancy of partner or involuntary loss of job Commencement of or return from unpaid leave of greater than three months (adoption, maternity support, sabbatical, career break, etc.) A significant change in hours Decrease in Notional Salary of 20% or more Commencement of or return from a secondment University initiated changes to contractual terms and conditions Pensions Plus (UoY) Leaving the UoY Pension Scheme Pensions Plus (UoY) Reaching State Retirement Age Pensions Plus (UoY) Change of Grade leading to change of Pension Scheme membership Childcare Plus or Nursery Plus A significant change in childcare circumstances or eligibility for childcare grant for children over three years old Cycletowork Plus Moving home (ie closer to the University), theft of bicycle, travel to work lifestyle change If you decide to opt out of any Salary Exchange scheme, you will have the opportunity to review your decision and elect to participate again with effect from 1 December each year. You will also be able to elect to participate again if you experience one of the lifestyle events listed above. What is the role of Edenred? Edenred is one of the UK s leading employee benefit scheme administrators with a wealth of experience and expertise in the employee benefits arena. They help us source our range of employee benefits and provide all the administration for our scheme. What this means is that we provide Edenred with employee data so that they can set up and administer Employee Plus for us. This includes the administration of employee benefit choices, provision of a Help Desk facility so you can ask questions about the different schemes, and processing all the data to ensure that appropriate salary deductions can be made. Edenred hold the employee data in a secure data storage environment, and this information is only available to the individual employee using a secure log-on and password access to the web site. Who can I ask if I have any additional questions? If you have any additional questions, please contact the Edenred Help Desk on or the Recruitment and Rewards Administrator by sending an to ycl-employeeplus@york.ac.uk. Employee Plus 17

18 Glossary of terms The benefits scheme for Commercial Services staff Glossary of terms Item The Company Annual Renewal Date Eligible Employee Employee Savings Enrolment Definition This is the collective term used to describe both YCL and NYCH This is the date when employees can opt in or out of Employee Plus benefits on an annual basis. There is a benefit selection window leading up to 1 December each year. An employee of the Company on an open or fixed-term contract YCL or NYCH employee A different name for Discounted Goods and Services, ie a range of goods and services offered to employees at discounted rates The time when you will be able to make your Employee Plus choices: As a new starter this will be the election period communicated to you when you join the Company Lifestyle event / change National Minimum Wage (NMW) Net salary NIC Notional base salary Thereafter it will be the period leading up to 1 December each year. This is a change in your personal circumstances that allows you to alter your Employee Plus options 6.19 per hour from 01 October 2012 (for workers aged 21 years and over) This is the adjusted salary after stoppages for National Insurance, Income Tax and Pension Contributions National Insurance Contributions This is the basic salary before any adjustments are made for any of the Salary Exchange options It is the Annual Basic Salary for an employee s role or their annual protected salary if this is different This salary is used in determining pay increases and will be the salary shown when applying for a loan or mortgage. Any fixed payments (ie shift and unsocial hours) will be added to Notional Basic Salary for salary confirmation purposes. Pay Protection Limit Pensionable Salary Post-Salary exchange pay Pre-Salary exchange pay Salary Exchange It is also the salary figure used for calculating salary-related payments and benefits such as Pensionable salary, Death in Service and Overtime The annual earnings amount below which an individual may not contribute to a Salary Exchange scheme at the Company currently set at 8,200 for 2012/13 Defined by the role of the relevant pension scheme rules The employee s notional salary less any reductions for Employee Plus Salary Exchange elements See Notional Salary Also known as salary sacrifice. This is the means by which staff and the Company can take advantage of tax and NIC savings. Within a Salary Exchange or Salary Sacrifice scheme, an employee gives up the right to part of their salary, and the equivalent amount for the non-cash benefit is provided by the employer (eg pension contributions, childcare vouchers, etc.) 18 Employee Plus

19 Useful names and numbers Useful names and numbers Benefit Type Benefit Provider details Telephone Website / Childcare Plus (Childcare Vouchers) Edenred Scheme ID is UNIV0497 Customer & Childcare Provider helpdesk Salary Exchange Benefits Cycletowork Plus (Cycle Scheme) Nursery Plus Cyclescheme Recruitment and Rewards Administrator York Campus Nursery Ext or info@cyclescheme.co.uk employeeplus ycl-employeeplus@york.ac.uk nursery@york.ac.uk Recruitment and Rewards Administrator Ext employeeplus ycl-employeeplus@york.ac.uk Pensions Plus (UoY) Pensions Office Ext pensions@york.ac.uk Employee Savings Company Offers (Discounts negotiated locally by the Company) Edenred Offers (National Discounts negotiated by Edenred) Edenred Help Desk employeeplus or mailbox@edenred.co.uk Edenred Help Desk employeeplus or mailbox@edenred.co.uk ycl-employeeplus@york.ac.uk Employee Plus UoY c/o HR Services Lifestyle Changes and General Policy Issues Recruitment and Rewards Administrator Ext employeeplus ycl-employeeplus@york.ac.uk Edenred Helpdesk Benefit information and how to find out more Edenred mailbox@edenred.uk.com Employee Plus 19

20 The benefits scheme for Commercial Services staff Disclaimer No information in this brochure should be taken as a personal recommendation or advice on the part of the Company or any of its suppliers or partners. Whilst every effort is made to maintain the accuracy of this brochure, it is only intended to act as a guide to the scheme. In the event that there is inconsistency between the brochure and the provider s terms and conditions, the provider s terms and conditions will prevail. To set up and administer your benefit selections, information about you and your partner, spouse and family members may be provided to the Company's benefit advisors, providers and administrators. Please see Appendix 4 General Terms and Conditions of the Employee Plus Benefits Scheme for full details of all terms and conditions