The University of Salford saved over £187,000 with increased benefits engagement - here's how
Through the partnership, the University of Salford has seen incredible results from increased benefits engagement, improved employee satisfaction, and a reduction in employee turnover.
Staggeringly, its benefits strategy has generated nearly £200,000 in national insurance and salary savings.
Employee benefits as a business strategy
If you treat employee benefits as a tick-box exercise, they won’t deliver the desired impact. A successful employee benefits programme must align with business goals and workforce needs.
This approach saw the university become a finalist in the Best Alignment of Employee Benefits to Business Strategy in the EB 2025 awards.
Perks that deliver real impact
For perks to make an impact, employees must use them. That’s the fundamental truth that transforms benefits from an expense to an investment that yields a return.
“I like the wide variety of offers available and the selection of options, including prepaid cards, cashback, and general discounts. In a cost-of-living crisis, it’s really useful to know that we have lots of options to save even more money," says Dean Brown, reading list support administrator, Library, Careers and Enterprise Team, University of Salford.
In the first year, employee savings generated through discounts platform usage increased by 130%.
A culture of recognition
More than nine out of ten (94%) of the university colleagues are active on the My Salford reward platform. That’s close to every employee engaged with the culture of recognition. This isn’t a result that happened overnight.
The university achieved this uplift by ensuring each and every employee, especially those classed as deskless workers, understand the value of peer-to-peer recognition.
The result is that the Estates Division, comprised of almost entirely deskless workers, is one of the most active on the platform.
Reducing employee turnover
One of the key performance indicators (KPIs) the university set against its benefits and rewards strategy was to reduce its employee turnover rate.
An employee value proposition (EVP) can often be the deciding factor when an employee is considering whether to leave or join your business. Between December 2022 and December 2023, the first year the Pluxee partnership ran, the university’s employee turnover rate dropped from 8.6% to 6.4%. By December 2024, it had reduced to 5.9%.
Boosting CSR credentials
Salford offers its employees greener commuting options, making a new bike or electric vehicle more affordable. Through the green car salary sacrifice scheme, it has helped to save 43.14 tonnes of C02.
By offering its employees eco-friendly employee benefits, the university is strengthening the social impact pledge outlined in its For Salford From Salford report.
A business cost-savings strategy
Employee benefits are an investment in your people and business. With the recent increase in the national minimum wage and employer’s national insurance contributions, the money-saving narrative is coming to the forefront.
The University of Salford offers its colleagues two salary sacrifice schemes – cycles and electric cars – and an annual leave purchase option, alongside a childcare voucher scheme.
Combined, these solutions saved the university over £187,000 in salary and NI contribution in 2024.
The Office for Students predicts that by 2025-26, 72% of universities will spend more money than they have coming in. The ability to generate savings from employee benefits uptake through increased retention and wage bill reduction sets the university on a sustainable path for the future.
From driving engagement through competitions to getting to the core of employee needs to deliver financial education, it’s a partnership that’s driving value for all.
Download the case study for more.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Pluxee UK
Pluxee UK, is a leading employee benefits and engagement partner that opens up a world of opportunities to help people enjoy more of what really matters in their lives.
