The HR Rewards team have launched a new portal this week. Here Kirsten Partridge, HR Reward Partner, shares what the new mylifestyle portal adds to the University’s staff benefits package.
Mylifestyle is a new benefits hub that gives staff access to brand new retail discounts, the University’s Cycle to Work Scheme and the Childcare Voucher Scheme (existing members only) and these are accessible via a single login.
Staff can access the portal via the mylifestyle quick link on the Pay and Reward SharePoint pages, where you can find more information including how to register.
New retail discounts available
Through the mydiscounts area of the portal, you can purchase gift cards at discounted rates. Depending on the retailer, you can make savings of 3 to 10 per cent. Examples of retailers featured include: Asda, Café Nero, Currys PC World, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Primark and Toby Carvery.
Through mydiscounts you can also gain access to offers and discounts relating to travel, leisure and entertainment, home and garden, and technology.
The discounts available through the new mylifestyle portal are in addition to the University’s current staff discounts offering that can be found on the HR Pay and Reward SharePoint, which generally focus on local or smaller businesses.
Cycle to Work Scheme
The mylifestyle portal also provides access to the University’s Cycle to Work Scheme (run by Cycle2Work). Through this salary sacrifice scheme you can save between 32 per cent and 47 per cent on a new bike or accessories for cycling to work. You can select bikes and accessories from more than 1,000 independent bike stores, including Halfords and Tredz, providing access to over 98 per cent of bike brands.
You may now spend up to £3,000 on the cost of a new bike and eligible safety accessories (such as a helmet, lights and lock), and pay through salary sacrifice over 12 or 18 months. This price limit was recently increased to £3,000 in recognition of the increasing cost of bikes and rising popularity of electric bikes.
The Cycle to Work Scheme website.
Update to Childcare Voucher Scheme for existing members
Existing members of the Childcare Voucher Scheme can now make changes to the amount they receive in vouchers or leave the scheme through mylifestyle. This can be done during monthly windows, which are specified on the portal and on the HR Pay and Reward Sharepoint.
All existing members of the Childcare Voucher Scheme are asked to register for mylifestyle and check that their childcare voucher details are correct.
Your Childcare Voucher account will continue to receive payments, and any standing orders you have set up will continue. You should continue to make payments to your childcare provider through www.mychildcarevouchers.co.uk.
The Childcare Voucher Scheme has been closed to new entrants since October 2018. However, Tax Free Childcare may be an alternative option for making savings on childcare.
Tax Free Childcare information on the SharePoint.
You can find all the information on staff benefits and discounts on the Pay and Reward SharePoint pages.