Benefits

Comprehensive Benefits Programme

The programme allows employees to choose the most appropriate benefits to suit their individual family needs.

Rather than having a fixed salary and fixed benefits employees can choose more salary and less benefits OR choose less salary and more benefits.

Compensation packages are made up of three elements:

• Base salary
• Fixed core benefits package and
• A flexible benefits allowance equal to a percentage of base salary.

The flexible benefits allowance can be used to increase core benefits or to choose additional benefits. Employees may choose to take core benefits only and receive the allowance as additional non-pensionable salary.

Employees can also choose to use up to 25% of their base salary in exchange for additional benefits — this is known as salary sacrifice. Benefits available include:

Competitive Salary

Salary (less statutory and other lawful deductions) will be paid in arrears by credit transfer in 13 equal four-weekly instalments, directly into employees banks or building society account in accordance with the SAIC accounting calendar. Salaries will be reviewed on an annual basis and at the absolute discretion of the company be increased on the basis of merit and performance.

Company Pension

The company operate a group personal pension plan. All employees are eligible to join the scheme upon completion of twelve weeks continuous service. The company will pay a contribution of 7% of base salary to the plan as part of the core benefits and employees may choose to contribute additional provisions for their retirement from the flexible benefit allowance.

Private Medical Insurance

The scheme covers private health care following a referral by the employees GPP to a consultant and for any period of hospitalisation. There is no requirement to disclose previous medical history. Flexible benefits enable employees to extend this cover to include their families.

Dental Health Insurance

Employee may use their flexible benefit allowance to choose from three levels of dental health care for themselves and their family.

Life Assurance

Employees are immediately eligible for the Death in Service Benefit of two-times base salary in the event of their death in service. The sum is paid to the employees nominated beneficiaries as a tax free sum. Flexible benefits allow employees to increase this if desired.

Spouse/Partner Life Assurance

Employees may choose to purchase this benefit using their flexible allowance.

Permanent Health Insurance

The long term disability scheme provides continuation of salary during absence from work due to illness or injury. After 26 weeks of continuous absence, providing the claim is accepted by the insurers, the benefit will pay 75% of base salary. This is a core benefit and is non- flexible.

Dependants Pension

25% of the employee's salary will be paid to employees nominated dependants should the employee die in service. This benefit is non-flexible.

Retail Vouchers

Employees may choose to use their flexible benefits package to purchase discounted retail vouchers which may be spent at a range of high street shops.

Childcare Vouchers

This benefit is available to employees with children up to 15 years old (16 years old if disabled). Employees can use these vouchers to pay for the care of child(ren) by registered or approved carers such as childminders or nursery schools.

Holidays

Employees are entitled to a minimum 26 working days' paid annual leave in each holiday year. For part-time employees, holiday entitlement will be prorated to reflect the proportion of contracted hours. Employees can choose to purchase up to a further 10 days annual leave through the company's flexible benefits programme.