Flexible Benefits take off at Ceridian Centrefile

Ceridian Centrefile has successfully launched FlexAbility, its flexible benefits scheme, with 80% of its 840 UK employees enrolling to take advantage of the options available.

This high take-up by employees (80% compared to typical UK experience of around 40%) was due to three factors:

1. Relevance of the benefit options.

2. Effective communication and change management.

3. Appropriate technology to support enrolment and administration.

1. Ceridianís annual employee survey had indicated their desire for a more flexible rewards structure. To ensure the relevance of the benefits options within FlexAbility, all employees were invited to complete an online survey of their preferences for the range and scope of possible benefits. As a result, they can now choose to increase or reduce their core benefits, such as life assurance, holiday entitlement and pension, and purchase a variety of additional benefits including private health insurance, childcare vouchers and discounted shopping. Consultancy surrounding the implementation of FlexAbility was provided by thomsons online benefits.

2. A comprehensive communications programme ensured everyone understood their options within FlexAbility. This included: emails from the managing director, an information pack mailed to home addresses, and workshops run at every office location. Ceridianís experience of change management ensured that the appropriate processes and supporting technology were in place to support the roll-out and timely implementation of the project.

3. FlexAbility is delivered through Source, Ceridianís integrated HR and payroll solution, as used by over 3,000 Ceridian clients worldwide, including companies such as Pizza Hut and Travelex in the UK. It provides a full complement of front office HRIS applications, including flexible benefits, that work seamlessly with Ceridianís payroll engine to provide a total HR / payroll management solution. Delivered as a hosted service supported by Ceridian Centrefile, Source Self-Service provides online access to employees to administer their flexible benefits and other personal details. This minimises the administrative overhead by automating the process of recording individual benefit choices, adjusting the payroll, and notifying the benefits providers.

Bruce Thew, President of Ceridian International, says:

ìAs an employer of choice, we aim to keep ahead of the changing world of work and respond to the needs of our diverse workforce. A recent employee survey highlighted the desire for a more flexible reward structure: the preferences of a young single person were quite different from a parent with schoolchildren or elderly dependent relatives. With 80% of employees taking advantage of FlexAbility, the scheme has clearly demonstrated its benefit to individuals and to the company. As a managed HR solutions business, we have applied the expertise normally available to our clients to ensure the successful implementation of flexible benefits in our own company.î