How car salary sacrifice drives performance and reward at Reed and Popeyes
Accessing EVs through a workplace salary sacrifice scheme can result in substantial savings - on what would otherwise be a major purchase for employees and their families.
EV salary sacrifice schemes (EVSSS) offer clear recruitment, engagement, wellbeing and retention support, yet two Tusker customers are using their programmes to drive performance and motivation in a different and highly aspirational way.
More than just a financial benefit
The schemes, offered independently by Popeyes and Reed, are more than a supportive employee financial wellbeing benefit. In these schemes, salary sacrifice is linked to total reward in a way that’s both affordable and accessible, while also working as an incentive for performance.
Recruitment giant Reed deployed its Tusker EVSSS to help drive employee motivation, running a ‘Golden Ticket’ incentive programme which enters high-achieving recruitment consultants into an annual prize draw to win a Tusker luxury EV.
Natasha Litchfield, reward advisor at Reed, said: “It’s an event the entire company eagerly anticipates. On the morning of the reveal, excitement buzzes through every Reed office as teams hope the car will arrive at their doorstep - either for themselves or a lucky teammate.”
With a workforce of more than 4,000 people across the UK, Reed’s EVSSS offers a seamless, scalable solution for eligible employees. The scheme launched in April 2025, supporting Reed’s wider employee engagement and ESG strategies, providing access to EVs in a tax-efficient way while aligning with carbon offsetting goals.
More outstanding performances
Another success story is Popeyes, the New Orleans-born chicken QSR brand, which offers a similar initiative through Tusker. Like Reed, it hosts an annual theme night to recognise outstanding employee performance.
This year, they announced the winner of their Carnival Jackpot incentive at the Magazine venue in London. The celebration brought together teams from more than 100 Popeyes restaurants nationwide for an unforgettable Mardi Gras–themed night recognising outstanding performance across the business.
But part of the excitement, Popeyes told Tusker, is in the build up to the event, where participants earn tokens based on excellent sales results and high mystery shopper scores, with each token contributing to a growing jackpot.
This year, the ultimate prize jackpot was a Tusker car with a two-year agreement. The jackpot incentive was open to over 230 Popeyes managers and assistant managers across the UK and raised awareness of the newly-launched EV salary sacrifice scheme too - which is already a well-sought after employee benefit among staff.
To date, 21% of eligible staff have engaged with the car salary sacrifice scheme and 8.4% have already received their cars. With 3 to 5% being the average during the first year of implementation, it demonstrates just how popular the scheme has been.
“The Tusker car scheme is one of many incentives we run to keep our colleagues motivated, and it has been really popular since we introduced it, so it was fitting to provide a prestigious car to our winning employee,” said Matt Hudson, chief people officer, at Popeyes.
Cheryl Clements, head of business Development at Tusker, said: “These incentive programmes - beyond a EVSSS - align with high performance and aspiration, strengthening an employee value proposition (EVP) and bolstering loyalty.
“On top of that, the live award events and their anticipated build-up create momentum and enhance engagement. The events, culminating in a sought-after asset (a Tusker car), are both a motivator and a sustained way to boost productivity. Behaviourally, this is far more powerful than short-term transactional bonuses.”
Aligning with company culture
Salary sacrifice EV schemes aren’t just a static benefit – they align with company culture, supporting ESG goals and providing employees with a cost-effective way to enjoy an electric vehicle.
For employees, it’s about financial and emotional wellbeing and for employers, it’s a way to reward good performance while making business savings and meeting environment targets.
Salary sacrifice is linked to total reward in a way that’s both affordable and accessible, while the incentive scheme itself aligns with high performance and aspirations, strengthening the employee value proposition (EVP) and bolstering loyalty.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Tusker
Tusker is the UK’s leader in salary sacrifice cars. Part of Lloyds Banking Group, it has more than 15 years’ experience in offering an affordable way for employees to drive a new, fully insured, and maintained car. Its scheme, which is available to over 1.8 million UK employees, offers a range of options, from pure electric cars to hybrids and even traditional petrol and diesel vehicles. It provides a tailored scheme for organisations’ individual needs.
