Leisure & Lifestyle

We all want to make the most of our time away from work. Lifestyle benefits through myChoice are designed to help you get the right balance between work and home while saving you money along the way.

Leisure Travel Insurance

Flights? Check. Hotel? Check. Travel Insurance? Don’t forget to protect yourself against mishaps or medical costs while you are abroad. You can choose European or Worldwide cover and add dependants too.

Please note that the Leisure Travel Insurance policy may not cover claims arising from travel to locations against UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice. Refer to the Important Updates page for more information.

Choose from 4 options

Worldwide Cover including Winter Sports

Worldwide Cover excluding Winter Sports

European Cover including Winter Sports

European Cover excluding Winter Sports

Each plan option allows you to select from the following levels of cover:

For Me
Me and My Partner
Me and My Children
Me and My Family

Cycle to Work

Stay fit while doing your bit for the environment with Cycle to Work. You can also save money on tax through this government sponsored scheme, not to mention daily travel costs!

Select up to £2,000 to spend on a bicycle and safety equipment of your choice. You must agree to use the bicycle mainly for ordinary commuting and/or business journeys.

You must also agree to a 12-month hire agreement; the Company will purchase the equipment on your behalf and you will make monthly ‘payments’ via Salary Sacrifice. As the cost is taken prior to Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions, you save money on the cost of the bike.

Once your 12-month hire agreement ends, the provider will contact you about your End of Hire options. If you leave HPE's employment during the hire period, any outstanding Salary Sacrifice repayments will be deducted from your final salary. Refer to the Cycle to Work FAQs inside your myChoice account for policy T&C's.

Retail Vouchers

Save up to 10% on e-vouchers to use at 30+ high street retailers such as John Lewis, M&S, Costa, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. You can use them yourself or give them to someone as a gift.

To see an up-to-date list of available retailers, please visit the Flex Bank platform which you can access via myChoice in the ‘Benefit information’ on the top right of the homepage.

Childcare Vouchers

The Childcare Voucher scheme closed to new members in October 2018. Existing members were not affected by the change and can continue to use the scheme whilst it is offered by HPE, subject to the company’s discretion.

In April 2017, the government launched a new scheme, Tax-Free Childcare, to replace this scheme. You can find more information about the government Tax-Free Childcare scheme here.

Annual Leave

You have the flexibility and convenience to tailor your Annual Leave to meet your needs, whether you’re looking to extend your holiday or get some extra cash in your pocket.

The holiday year is aligned to the calendar year: 1st January to 31st December. For the 2024 calendar year, you can choose to either keep your standard Annual Leave, or increase/decrease your entitlement (subject to limits). If you want to increase or decrease the level of annual leave it should be agreed in advance with your manager.

Please be aware that there won’t be a mid-year enrolment window during 2024, so Annual Leave selections must be made during the annual enrolment window in November 2023. You will not be reimbursed for any Annual Leave you purchase but do not use within the calendar year for which it was selected, i.e. 2024.

Annual Leave Limits

Minimum leave permitted is 20 days*

Maximum leave permitted is 35 days*

*Excludes your entitlement to Bank Holidays and is pro-rated for part-time team members.

Points to consider:

Do you need extra Annual Leave due to personal circumstances or family commitments?

If you choose extra Annual Leave, will you be able to take it within the myChoice Year? You will need to discuss the timing of your Annual Leave with your manager.

How do I request Annual Leave?

To request annual leave simply log in to the Workday system and select the Time Off link from the homepage. You can also type ‘Request Time Off’ into the search bar in the top left corner. Scroll through the calendar, highlight the days you’d like to take as annual leave and then choose the ‘Request Time Off’ button. Your request will be passed to your manager for approval, and you’ll be notified once they have done so. As you plan your Holidays each calendar year, please remember to set aside a few days from your annual leave entitlement to cover the mandatory office closure for the Christmas Holidays at year end - typically 4 days each year, or as announced locally through HPE internal email communications.