Success at Leicester City Council

Leicester City Council has been shortlisted for its low carbon salary sacrifice car scheme, which it implemented with salary sacrifice market leader, Tusker, in the Best Staff Travel Policy category at the Employee Benefits Awards.

The green car scheme, which was implemented in November last year, 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 83 new car orders being placed within the first four 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, HR, Pay & 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,” he said.

Tusker’s award-winning salary sacrifice car scheme, SalarySacrifice4Cars (SS4C), is used by over 150 organisations throughout the UK in both private and public sectors to provide access to brand new, cost and tax efficient cars via a salary sacrifice arrangement for employees who would not normally qualify to receive a company car.

“We are delighted that Leicester City Council has been shortlisted in this way and it is recognition of all the hard work and effort they have put in in providing a range of transport solutions for all staff. We wish them all possible success at the event,” said Tusker CEO, David Hosking.

The winners of the Employee Benefits awards will be announced during a lunch-time ceremony on Friday 27 June at the Artillery Garden at the Honourable Artillery Company in London.