Managing change in the workplace is a very delicate process and requires careful strategic planning, and this is particularly the case when the change in question involves very emotive subjects such as a person’s salary and their motoring habits. Introducing a salary sacrifice car scheme should only be undertaken when a business is ready to do so, and much of that comes down to being prepared and having a robust plan in place for how it is to be sold to your workforce.  

The desired outcome of this introduction is not simply to increase the number of uptakes, but also to minimise and manage any negative impacts. No salary sacrifice scheme will be obligatory for your workforce, but at the same time you want to ensure that everyone feels they will enjoy the same opportunity to sign-up and to enjoy the same benefits, whether they ultimately sign-up or not. Here we have outlined some important HR strategies you need to consider when introducing a salary sacrifice car scheme, to ensure you maximise sign-up and minimise disruption. 

• Leadership buy-in 

It is essential that the business has leadership buy-in when launching a scheme, so that employees can see the scheme is being advocated from the top down. Having corporate buy-in can be hugely influential across the wider workforce and this can be achieved by listing the organisational benefits of the scheme. This could include meeting sustainability goals, attracting top talent with an enhanced employee benefits package, national insurance cost savings, a stable and motivated workforce and the introduction of an employee benefit with zero-cost implications for the business.  

• Soft launch 

Once you have top management buy-in you could consider a soft launch to key management personnel. This can help you iron out any issues with your launch materials and communications before you extend this to the wider workforce.  

• Communications 

Now you are launching the scheme to the extended workforce and this requires clear and consistent messaging. It is important that everyone understands the scheme is inclusive and the same benefits are available to all employees across the board. The realm of ‘company cars’ is traditionally elitist, and even though this is a very different model, some people may not understand that this scheme is open to everyone. Fundamentally employees need to understand how the scheme works, what the scheme benefits are and why and how it is different to traditional car leasing. 

• Educational resources 

Following on from the main launch, you need to back this up quickly with lots of resources so that people can make an informed decision. This is literature and other materials, but the education process can also involve informal discussion sessions, Q&A sessions and real-life examples of how the finance works for different vehicles with an easy-to-understand calculator so that people can work out the cost for themselves. Resources can also include demonstrations of different electric vehicles (EVs), home charging and what are the best EVs, and talks from EV drivers who can explain and answer queries relating to electric driving.  

• Workplace charging 

Range anxiety is still a barrier to many people making the switch to EV driving, so explaining how that works and how EV technology has advanced in recent years is a big part of the education process. But could a business consider installing workplace chargers? This would considerably help the process if a business could provide a safe and convenient process for people to charge while they are at work.  

• On-boarding process 

The business needs to ensure the signing-up and enrolment process is fast and simple. There needs to be no strain on the employee other than a simple admin process and a quick credit check. A good salary sacrifice scheme provider will provide most of the resources to manage the sign-up process, and the business needs to explain the process and what the timeline is between signing-up and driving a brand new EV. 

• Monitor 

Once the initial sign-up process has subsided you can monitor the immediate take-up figures, listen to feedback and review the introduction process. This can offer valuable comment and opinion which may help when delivering a second introduction process and how communications and support can be improved.  

• Ongoing support 

It is important that HR is able to offer ongoing support for employees who sign-up to the scheme and for those who haven’t signed up and have legitimate concerns about it. The business should appoint a go-to contact for the scheme so that employees know who they can approach and talk to, and who can assist with initial problems. This service can also provide ongoing tips on EV driving to help people adjust, and can inform people of new tech developments in electric driving. The HR department can also set-up peer group discussions so people can air concerns with each other and discuss how they are finding the scheme and the vehicles. It has also proven successful to appoint peer group advocates who can talk to employees who have concerns or who haven’t signed up for various reasons. This is often successful because people will listen more attentively to colleagues they can relate to, rather than listening to senior personnel saying the same things.  

Help and support with introducing a salary sacrifice car scheme from Pink Salary Exchange

At Pink Salary Exchange we have helped many businesses with the challenging launch process of their salary sacrifice car scheme. Let us help you with the mechanics and practicalities of this to ensure your introduction has a positive impact and is warmly received as the widespread employee benefit that will help your business thrive.