EXCLUSIVE: Withers has enhanced its benefits portal to communicate annual salary increases and bonus payment updates to its UK employees, moving away from paper communications in line with its commitment to conducting business in a sustainable manner.
The portal, provided by Staffcare, offers bespoke employee views that show compensation, including individual annual bonus information and how the bonus is calculated.
The new compensation information communication process started in October and is being used as an opportunity to reinforce employee options for the Withers’ flexible benefits window, which opens in January 2016.
Through the portal, employees can view their annual compensation information and their total reward statement, access a range of lifestyle discounts, manage their pension scheme, select flexible benefits from the choices available to them and read information about the benefits available, including associated links and forms.
The international law firm also highlights its corporate social responsibility programme through the portal, by making it a prominent part of the carousel on the flexible benefits home page.
Flu jabs, childcare vouchers, eyecare vouchers, an employee assistance programme (EAP), gym membership, dental cover, and season ticket loans are among the comprehensive range of benefits within Withers’ benefits portal. New benefits are introduced on a regular basis following employee consultation.
The benefits portal, ‘With… your benefit in mind’, was first launched in 2012, and has since been refreshed to give it a new look and feel.
Since launching ‘With… your benefit in mind’, Withers has boosted pensions take-up by 85%.
Withers uses a range of communication techniques to ensure that employees understand and engage with the benefits programme and portal. This includes benefit road-shows, presentations, benefit brochures, internal TV screens, emails, promoting ‘benefit of the month’ in its onsite café and refreshment areas, and holding one-to-one discussions when requested.
Sharon Tebb, compensation and benefits manager at Withers, said: “As well as supporting our green credentials this new way of delivering compensation information should act as an effective engagement tool with personalised communication and give employees another reason to look at their benefits portal and see the benefits on offer to them.
“Our benefits portal allows us to bring our extensive range of benefits into one place and tailor communications.”