ADVERTISING agency Big Communications has launched a “blue chip” flexible rewards package for its 50 employees.

The new offering - entitled The Big Takeaway - will offer staff a contributory pension scheme, an additional three days' holiday at Christmas, the option to buy or sell one week's additional holiday, life and critical illness cover, home computing initiative, childcare vouchers, tax-free bicycles and discounted online shopping.

Under a “Happy Birthday” scheme, employees are able to take their birthday off as holiday paid for by the company, while a range of voluntary benefits include discounted holidays, pet, travel and dental insurance, wine club, private medical insurance, hospital cash plan, health spa discounts, and eyecare vouchers.

Thomsons Online Benefits sourced and designed the benefits, communicated the scheme to employees and implemented its Perquisite software to allow staff to enrol and manage their own benefits.

The Big Takeaway brand was themed around a Chinese meal and was launched with desk drops on each employee's desk containing a branded takeaway box containing the benefit booklet (designed to look like a menu), fortune cookies containing different benefit messages and chopsticks. This was followed by group presentations and one-to-one meetings conducted by Thomsons Online Benefits.

Big Communications said it launched the package to ensure its staff were rewarded all year round instead of receiving a once-a-year bonus. It added that as a small-to-medium sized business it wanted to offer a blue chip benefits scheme that reflected its client base, which includes Alliance & Leicester, Virgin Cola and WKD.

Director Mark Firth said: “For a number of reasons the advertising agency is renowned for its high turnover of staff. The ambitious young environment combined with a need to strike for a work-life balance is something that we struggle with daily.

“We were looking for a provider that understood the dynamic of our people and could provide a cutting edge relevant solution. We got this in spades from Thomsons Online Benefits and the feedback from staff since the launch has been very positive.”

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