Important Updates
Below we’ve summarised some important changes to your benefits that will take effect from 1st January 2024. Please scroll down further for more detailed information and refer to the resources available inside your myChoice account.
- Health Screening: Bupa will withdraw the Female Assessment from health screenings.
- Retail Vouchers: We are moving from reloadable cards to eVouchers only and the list of retailers has been updated.
- Health Cash Plan: The price is increasing and new benefits are being added.
- Cycle to Work: As a reminder, team members who enrol in this scheme are required to comply with government guidelines.
- Leisure Travel Insurance: Team members selecting this benefit are kindly reminded not to travel against the advice of the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).
As a general rule when you select your benefits, please make sure you are comfortable with the cost before you commit to your choices. Whilst every effort is made each year to negotiate market competitive group rates for all HPE benefit plans on offer, there can be instances in which premiums for some benefits have risen due to inflation and supply chain pressures, as well as post-pandemic utilisation trends in the benefits marketplace.
Update: Female Assessment is being withdrawn from health screenings
Due to the low percentage of team members using the Female Health assessment, it is being withdrawn by Bupa. Although this change is in place for 2024, women’s health remains a priority for us and there are a wide range of other health screenings available that provide a comprehensive health and wellbeing experience.
Detailed information about all available health screenings can be found inside myChoice. For more information about existing packages, coverage or any clinical questions we recommend calling Bupa, Contact details can be found inside myChoice.
Update: Retail Vouchers are becoming eVouchers only and the list of retailers has been updated
Sodexo have made commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90% and are determined to become a digitally-driven business. They have therefore made the decision to no longer offer reloadable cards for the Retail Vouchers. These will be available as eVouchers only.
97% of the reloadable card retailers have an eVoucher alternative on the Flexbank platform. To search our full eVoucher portfolio, go to ‘eVouchers’ on the left-hand side. The eVouchers will provide you with instant discounts – no need to wait for a voucher to arrive in the post.
In addition, the list of retailers offering vouchers has been updated - for a full list of available discounts and rates please visit myChoice.
Update: Health Cash Plan is increasing in price and offering more benefits
Westfield, our Health Cash Plan provider, have applied inflationary increases this year so the costs will be increasing by 3% for levels 1-3, 5% for level 4 and 20% for level 5. For full cost information please visit myChoice.
Take a look at the new Health Cash Plan Extras being added for this year such as prescription charges, a flu jab, and access to an online Health-eHub where you can find dedicated resources to support health and wellbeing.
Update: Cycle to Work – New limit and current government guidance
The maximum amount that you can spend annually on a bicycle and/or safety equipment remains at £2,000. Whether you’re considering selecting Cycle to Work or you’re already enrolled in the scheme, your participation should comply with government guidelines. The Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions savings this benefit attracts assumes the bicycle is used mainly for ordinary commuting and/or business journeys (defined by HMRC as the ‘main use test’). Now that more of us are hybrid working, it’s your responsibility to make sure you will be using the bicycle in line with the latest guidance. The following extract from www.gov.uk explains the guidance in force as of June 2022 (although this is subject to change at any point thereafter):
“COVID-19 impact on the ‘main use’ test
COVID-19 has changed working practices. Many employees who may have been provided with a cycle or cyclists’ safety equipment have increasingly been working from home. It may not, therefore, be possible for them to meet the ‘mainly for qualifying journeys’ condition necessary for this exemption to apply.
Provided employees have joined a scheme, with a cycle or cyclists’ safety equipment provided to them on or before 20 December 2020, the qualifying journeys condition will not be applied until after 5 April 2022.
Employees who have a cycle or cyclists’ safety equipment provided after 20 December 2020 will need to meet all the conditions for the exemption to apply.”
The latest guidance can be found here.
Update: Leisure Travel Insurance – Reminder to follow UK FCO advice before travelling
The Leisure Travel Insurance benefit remains available for 2024. Participants of this scheme are reminded to avoid travelling to destinations against the travel advice provided by the United Kingdom’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). Claims submitted under this scheme must comply with the provider’s terms and conditions before they can be considered for settlement. Please refer to the detailed information and policy documents available inside your myChoice account.