Good things in water...

Transcription

1 For all general queries, contact Personal Group on or Good things in water... A clear vision... a great place to work mybenefits 2012/13

2 Welcome Welcome to your mybenefits booklet for 2012/2013. Core benefits We ve put together this booklet to help you find out about all the great benefits that are available to you as a Northumbrian Water employee. You ll see some new additions this year as we ve been working hard to improve the things we are able to offer to you as part of your employment package. You ll see that the benefits you are entitled to are split under 3 headings: Core benefits (pages 2-4) These are the benefits that you are automatically given as an employee of NWL and include things like annual leave, sick pay and your pension. Tax efficient benefits (pages 5-8) If you decide to sacrifice part of your salary in exchange for one or more of these benefits you can save tax and National Insurance on the amount sacrificed. Smart Water, childcare savings, Cycle2work, buying additional holiday and the Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme are all tax efficient benefits. Heidi Mottram Chief Executive Voluntary benefits (pages 9-22) There are a wide variety of voluntary benefits on offer to you and many are provided at discounted rates from external providers. As in previous years, we are continuing to work with Personal Group, a specialist benefits company, who support the mybenefits programme. If you want to know more about these benefits, please call Personal Group s helpline on or visit You ll find an application form inside this booklet together with a set of rules covering the different benefits and details of how to apply. You can apply on-line or by post but if you want to apply for any benefits that require a change to your salary we must receive your application by 29 February I hope you find this booklet useful and enjoy using the benefits! Core benefits are the benefits that you enjoy simply because you work for Northumbrian Water. Some, like annual leave, your pension and Back to Health, you get automatically. Others, such as maternity and paternity leave, you may qualify for depending on your personal circumstances. More information on the core benefits is provided in the employee handbook. Annual leave On joining the company, your holiday entitlement, and how it increases, will be explained to you in your contract of employment. Your entitlement to annual leave and bank holidays will be calculated on a pro-rata basis if you work part-time. In addition, you receive two paid half-day holidays (applied pro-rata if you work part-time) in respect of the afternoons of 24 and 31 December. If you are required to work these afternoons due to business need, you will receive the equivalent time off in lieu. Annual leave is earned on an accrual basis, so if you join or leave the company part way during a leave year your entitlement will be prorated. Our holiday year runs from 1 April to 31 March, unless otherwise stated. Maternity and adoption leave Maternity and adoption leave of up to 52 weeks is available to employees irrespective of length of service. If you have 26 weeks' continuous employment by the 15th week before your baby is due, or before the week in which the matching certificate for adoption is issued, you can receive full pay for the first 26 weeks and statutory maternity/adoption pay for a further 13 weeks. If you are participating in salary sacrifice benefit options, you can either leave the salary sacrifice scheme (subject to the particular scheme rules) and receive the above enhanced pay, or retain your salary sacrifice benefits and receive statutory maternity/adoption pay only. To retain enhanced payments you must return for a minimum of 26 weeks excluding any absence or keeping in touch days worked. In addition when you return, you will receive five days special leave to be taken during the first four weeks upon return, applied pro-rata if you work part-time. Your annual leave will continue to accrue during the whole period of your leave, plus any bank holidays which arise during your absence. Paternity/Partner leave If you have at least 26 weeks of continuous service by the end of the 15th week before your baby is due, or by the week in which you are notified of being matched with a child for adoption, you will be entitled to up to 10 days ordinary paternity leave with full pay. This will be calculated on a pro-rata basis if you work parttime. Ordinary paternity leave must normally be taken within a period of 8 weeks before or after the birth of your baby or within 8 weeks of a placement. You may be able to take up to 26 weeks additional paternity leave by sharing your partner s maternity or adoption leave. Parental leave If you have been continuously employed for at least one year and have responsibility for a child under the age of 8, you will be eligible for unpaid leave of up to 13 weeks. 18 weeks of parental leave will be granted to parents of disabled children under the age of 18. The length of parental leave that you can take in any year, or at any one time, is normally dependent on the operational circumstances that exist at the time. Leave must be taken in blocks of at least one week. 01 Good things in water... mybenefits 02

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4 Buying and selling holidays You may choose to either buy up to five additional days of leave or to sell three days from your annual holiday entitlement. The value of a day of holiday is 1/260 of your annual salary if you work full-time. For additional leave, you agree to sacrifice an amount of your gross salary equivalent to the value of the number of days chosen. You will save tax and National Insurance on the amount of the sacrifice. If you wish to buy leave you must decide at the beginning of the scheme year. If you wish to sell leave you have two opportunities to do this, in April and October. If you sell a day s leave, your annual salary will be increased by 1/260 of your annual salary if you work full-time. There is a tax and NI liability on the amount of gross pay received for selling leave. The change to your gross annual pay will be spread equally over the remaining months of the scheme year, i.e.12 if you sell holiday in April and 6 if you sell holiday in October. In the case of holiday bought and sold in April, the amount will be fixed based upon your salary as at the 1st April 2012 and will not be adjusted subsequently if your salary increases or decreases during the remainder of the scheme year. If you want to buy or sell any holidays, you must complete the application on-line or send your completed mybenefits application form (enclosed) to Personal Group to arrive by 29 February Smart water Smart Water is a salary sacrifice arrangement under which you can exchange salary for free water and sewerage, water only or sewerage only services that are provided by the company. If you decide to take advantage of this benefit, you will no longer be liable for water/sewerage charges for your main residence and will be able to save tax and National Insurance on the amount of the sacrifice. Your salary sacrifice will be equivalent to the charge that would have been incurred if you had been a billable customer (referred to as Smart Water Value in the table). Cycle2work Cycle2work could be just what you need if you want a new bike to get fit, do something for the environment, have a less stressful journey to work and save pounds doing it. Working with Halfords, this benefit takes advantage of the Department for Transport s initiative to try to encourage us to use sustainable modes of transport to and from work. The tax and National Insurance savings available through the scheme make cycle2work a fantastic employee benefit. Fifty per cent of the bike s use should be work related, e.g. travel to and from work, or to get around your work site, but you can also use it for leisure. How does it work? By entering into the cycle2work scheme you agree to sacrifice an amount of your gross salary equivalent to the value you choose over an 18 month period. You will be able to save tax and National Insurance on the amount of the sacrifice. How do I join? The Rules of the mybenefits scheme as amended from time to time apply. A copy is enclosed and is also available on livelink under people/pay and benefits/rules of mybenefits or from your manager. You must register with cycle2work by 29 February Complete the application on-line or send your completed mybenefits application form (enclosed) to Personal Group to arrive by 29 February Visit your local Halfords store to decide what bike and safety equipment you require. 2. Choose the value that is closest to the value you require. (N.B. the value must cover the total value of products as you cannot add your own personal funds of any description. You cannot receive any change or refund of the remaining amount). 3. Once your application has been authorised and processed you will be issued with a Letter of Collection which can be redeemed within any Halfords store. You will have a further opportunity to join the scheme in October Should you not be able to find the bike of your choice, please contact Halfords cycle2work Team on and quote Northumbrian Water or cycle2.work@halfords.co.uk. How do I join? To be eligible: You must be a named account holder for water and sewerage, sewerage only or water only services supplied by the company The property must be your main domestic residence You must be a UK tax payer You must decide whether you wish to participate in Smart Water when we write to you in January each year You will be unable to participate in the benefit if the reduction in your salary will take your earnings below the lower earnings threshold or national minimum wage. If you are eligible to join, you should already have received a letter or from smartwater@nwl.co.uk detailing the amount of sacrifice required for 2012/2013 together with the action you need to take if you wish to participate in the benefit. How much can be saved? Smart Water Value Examples (discounted scheme for South based staff) For measured customers the Smart Water Value is estimated on average usage and for both measured and unmeasured, includes a reduction equal to the Direct Debit discount you would have received as a billable customer. If you receive sewerage services from Thames Water or water from Hartlepool Water, it is still possible for you to participate in Smart Water. However your participation is limited to the services you receive from Northumbrian Water Tax & NI Savings per annum for 20% taxpayer Tax & NI Savings per annum for 40% taxpayer Note: The company will disclose to HMRC that a benefit is being provided to you in the form of free water/sewerage. There will be tax payable by you on this benefit in kind. The current benefit in kind agreed with HMRC is 4.00 (unmeasured) and 5.00 (measured) which means that as a 20% tax payer you will pay 1.00 in tax if you have free water and sewerage and 2.00 if you are a 40% tax payer. or Essex and Suffolk Water. Water supplied by Hartlepool will continue to be billed by them and these charges must be paid to them. Details of Smart Water can be found in the Smart Water Questions & Answers document and Rules of the mybenefits scheme. These are available on livelink under people/pay and benefits or from your manager. 05 Good things in water... mybenefits 06

5 Childcare savings Salary sacrifice car scheme Arranging childcare is a major concern for many employees and their partners. We recognise that working parents want to provide their children with the highest quality care whilst keeping costs down as far as possible. care-4 is a flexible electronic voucher scheme designed to make childcare that bit more affordable. We are committed to this benefit and in supporting employees who strive to achieve the optimum work/life balance. The care-4 scheme takes advantage of a Government initiative that allows a proportion of the childcare costs that you pay through care-4 to be free from income tax and NI. If you were a member of the scheme prior to April 2011 or are a basic rate tax payer you can save tax and NI on 243 per month. If you are a higher rate tax payer joining after April 2011 you can save tax and NI on 124 per month and 97 per month if you are an additional rate tax payer. If you are paying 12% NI and 20% tax you could save the following: Annual childcare cost Annual tax saving Annual NI saving Total Saving 2, You can join care-4 by agreeing to reduce your gross salary by a fixed monthly amount (up to your tax free amount which is dependent on your tax band as above) for the whole scheme year. These funds are placed in a secure care-4 account from which you authorise payments directly to your carer s bank. You can pay your carer up to your tax free amount from the scheme. Any childcare fees above this amount you will need to pay direct to your carer. You can use the care-4 scheme to pay registered carers including childminders, day nurseries, after-school clubs and play schemes, as well as approved home carers such as nannies. The scheme also entitles you to free parental support on health, education and general issues, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The childcare helpline includes a childcare search service, should you wish to change your current childcare arrangements and for emergency/temporary childcare options. As a care-4 member you have access to which provides the opportunity to search for and book emergency childcare when your normal childcare is not available. You can book for the same day or up to 3 weeks in advance and pay for the place through your care-4 account. In addition you have access to discounts with childcare providers such as summer camps (subject to availability). Full details of the latest discounts are available on the website How do I join? You must select the care-4 benefit by 29 February 2012, by completing the childcare savings section of the mybenefits application form enclosed or on-line. You must also register your details with care-4. You can do this by telephone or on-line using the number or website address given below. You will need to provide your Payroll number, your name and address, your carer's name and full address and the name and date of birth of each of your children. The Rules of the mybenefits scheme as amended from time to time apply. A copy is enclosed and also available on livelink under people/pay and benefits/rules of mybenefits or from your manager. Please note that if you are already using care-4 there is no need to re-register. Payment to care providers is electronic so check your carer is able to accept this. For more information and to register call , or visit the website and quote NWL05 and complete the mybenefits application form. Helpline open 9.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday and 9.00am to 5.00pm Saturday. The salary sacrifice car scheme enables you to drive a brand new, fully maintained and insured car for up to 3 years through a salary sacrifice arrangement. You can take a car for yourself or for a member of your immediate family and have free choice of a car with CO2 emissions of up to 160 g/km. Cars provided to employees under this scheme are obtained by NWL under lease hire arrangements and at the end of the scheme term it is possible for employees to request a price to purchase the car. If you decide to take advantage of this benefit you will make savings on tax (including VAT) and NI arising from the sacrifice and will also benefit from excellent NWL fleet discounts. There are currently over 4,100 vehicles to choose from and the amount you sacrifice in salary will reflect your choice of car. You will be liable for benefit in kind tax based on the car s value (often referred to as P11d value), its CO2 emissions and fuel type. The highest savings can therefore be achieved by choosing a car with low CO2 emissions. What is covered? Full Maintenance including servicing, batteries, exhausts, no quibble tyre replacement Fully Comprehensive Insurance Early Termination Contingency (limiting liability if you terminate the scheme early) Gap Insurance (covering you if the car is written off and there is any shortfall in the amount of insurance settlement) Annual Road fund licence MOT (where applicable) Roadside assistance (UK and European) How do I obtain a quotation? Our car provider Tusker have an on-line site which contains all the information you need relating to the scheme and can calculate the amount of sacrifice required for any chosen car, providing you with an instant, no obligation quotation. To access the on-line driver site please go to and enter your username and password which is NWL followed by your employee number (in caps). Please then change your password to something you will remember. If you require any assistance or advice on choosing a car, please contact Tusker s Customer Service Team via the Live Help Online option on the website or by phone or customerservices@ss4c.com The Rules of the mybenefits scheme, which may be amended from time to time, apply together with the Questions & Answers sheet for the Scheme. Copies are available on livelink under people/pay and benefits/ rules of mybenefits. 07 Good things in water... mybenefits 08

6 Tastecard NWL Christmas savings club The Tastecard enclosed with this book provides you with a six week FREE trial giving you discount at participating restaurants and is valid until 9 March You can save for your Christmas shopping using Northumbrian Water s Christmas Savings Club which has been set up just for employees. Tastecard can be used in participating restaurants nationwide, entitling you to a discount of either 50% off the total food bill or 2 for the price of 1 across all courses and in many cases can be used for more than two diners. There are over 5,500 participating restaurants nationwide including high street chains such as Pizza Express, Café Rouge, Prezzo and Zizzi s. There is no restriction on the number of times you can use the card during the free trial. Tastecard can be used Monday to Sunday although most restaurants exclude use of the card on Friday and/or Saturday nights. Please see the Tastecard website for full details of all participating restaurants and restrictions that apply. You have until 9 March 2012 to register for this benefit. The annual cost will be and if you register, a deduction of 2.50 for 11 months and 2.45 for 1 month will be made from your salary from 1 April 2012 Discounted/Cashback shopping 31 March Once you register a new Tastecard will be sent to you. To join go to Closing date to register is 9 March The discounted/cashback shopping site will allow you to access savings from 100s of retailers when you shop on-line and gives you the ability to accumulate cashback which you can then transfer directly and securely into your own bank account. How it works You decide how much you want to save each month. You can save as little as 10 per month but can save anything up to 250 per month (in multiples of 10). You then arrange to have this amount deducted from your net pay, by completing the Christmas Savings section of the mybenefits application form enclosed or on-line. All deducted amounts will be paid into an exclusive bank account which has been set up specifically for the Christmas Savings Club. You save the same amount each month during the savings year and at the beginning of November your savings will be credited to your normal bank/building society account together with a share of any interest*. At the beginning of November you choose what to do for the following year by either continuing to save the same amount, notifying a different amount you would like to save or withdrawing from the Savings Club. * The Savings Club bank account will generally earn interest in line with base rate. Tax will be deducted before your share is added to your savings. No further tax liability will arise on the interest which can be omitted from your tax return. Extra value? You can make your savings work even harder for you by using the lump sum from your Christmas Savings Club to purchase pay as you go retail vouchers (see page 12). With savings of up to 15%, you can choose from a wide range of vouchers that can be used for Christmas presents or festive fare. How do I join? Simply complete the Christmas Savings section of the mybenefits application form. Decide how much you wish to save each month and remember it must be the same amount until November. Complete the application on-line or send your completed mybenefits application form (enclosed) to Personal Group to arrive by 29 February The first deduction will be taken from your April pay. When you join, the first savings year will last 7 months but in future years the savings period will be 12 months. N.B. If you leave the company before the Christmas savings programme has been completed for that year, your savings will be refunded in full but no interest will be added. Stopping your monthly deductions before the deduction in October will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and there will be no access to the savings prior to November unless you leave the company. You can also use this site to order discounted vouchers and gift cards (page 12), discounted reloadable cards (page 13) and book commission free holidays (page 21). If you have not previously registered on the site you will need a mybenefits fob which contains a unique membership number. A fob was issued with last year s mybenefits book but if you need a new fob, please contact Heidi Robinson on ext Go to and input the username and password as detailed in the letter enclosed with this book. Once you have gained access to the mybenefits site click on the lily discounted/cashback shopping. If you have already registered on the discounted/cashback shopping site use your existing password. If you have forgotten this please click on the forgotten user name and password link. If you are registering for the first time use the membership number which is shown on the reverse of the mybenefits fob. For security, you will then be asked to create a unique username and password which you will need to use each time you log in to the site. If you need any help with the log in process please contact Personal Group s helpline on Monday to Friday 9.00am pm. 09 Good things in water... mybenefits 10

7 Shopping vouchers (deducted monthly from your salary) Retail discounts (pay as you go) Discounted vouchers are available to use at major supermarkets, department stores and many other shops and restaurants. Northumbrian Water is able to source retail vouchers from major retailers at discounted prices and pass the savings on to you. There are no tax or NI implications. There's a wide range of vouchers to choose from so there are lots of ways to save money. You can choose to have vouchers from any of the stores shown below and have the option to stop deductions after three, six, nine or twelve months. Voucher Discount Arcadia* 8% Argos 7% ASDA Gift Card 5% B&Q 9% Boots 7% Co-Operative Supermarket 5% Currys** 8% Debenhams 8% HMV*** 8% Harvey Nicholls 7% House of Fraser 9% Savings and budgeting ideas Set aside your supermarket budget as vouchers Buy vouchers for Christmas and birthdays or use the vouchers to buy gifts What do I save? If you normally spend 400 a month on groceries, you would save at least 20 by purchasing supermarket vouchers at a 5% discount. You would have a deduction of 380 from your net pay and receive 400 in vouchers. This example represents an annual saving of 240. Voucher Discount John Lewis (inc Waitrose) 8% Leisure Vouchers 8% Marks & Spencer 6% Morrisons Supermarket 5% New Look 6% Sainsbury s 5% Thomas Cook 6% Waterstones 8% WHSmith 8% Wilkinson 8% How it works Simply place a minimum monthly order of 50, which may be split in multiples of 10 between any voucher type (e.g. 30 Sainsbury's, 20 Boots). It is possible that you can change the voucher type each month by contacting Gail Kirkham on ext by the 5th of the month. The total amount in vouchers will be sent to your home address around pay day. The vouchers, except where indicated, have no expiry date. You can stop the voucher deduction after three, six, nine or twelve months by confirming this to Gail Kirkham on ext * Arcadia Group Ltd - vouchers can be used in: Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Outfit, Topshop, Topman and Wallis. ** Can be used in Currys, Currys Digital and PC World. *** Can be used in HMV, Dillons and Hatchards. Includes Pizza Hut, Bella Italia, TGI Friday, Brewers Fayre, Beefeater, Marriott Hotels, Premier Inn, JMC, Haven & Warner Holidays and Red Letter Days (see for the latest listings). Argos vouchers are valid for one year. Leisure Vouchers, House of Fraser, Sainsbury s and WHSmiths vouchers are valid for two years. B&Q vouchers are valid for five years. To avoid any delays in delivery, please make sure you update HR with any changes to your home address. Your monthly salary will be reduced by the cost (not the face value) of vouchers selected. How do I join? Complete the shopping voucher section of the enclosed mybenefits application form or apply on-line by 29 February Discounted vouchers and gift cards are available to use at major supermarkets, department stores and retail outlets. Order a minimum of 10 worth of shopping vouchers or gift cards via the Lifestyle Voucher Service and receive up to 15% off the value of your order. Example savings: Order 200 worth of Currys Vouchers and you pay 180. How to Order Call the Lifestyle hotline on and quote NWL Monday to Friday 9.00am pm or order on-line Click on the discounted/cashback shopping lily tab, log in using Voucher/Gift Card Outlets Lifestyle Saving Arcadia Burtons, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Outfit, Topshop, Topman, Wallis 10% Argos Argos 9% Asda Asda 5% Boots Boots 10% B&Q B&Q 10.5% BHS BHS 10% Comet Comet 10% Currys Currys and Currys Digital 10% Debenhams Debenhams 9% HMV HMV, Hatchards and Hodges Figgis 9% Homebase Homebase 10% House of Fraser House of Fraser, Dickens & Jones, Arnotts, Binns, Cavendish House, David Evans, D.H. Evans, Dingles, Hammonds, Rackhams, Frasers, Barkers, Army & Navy, Howells, Jollys, Kendals. 12.5% Ikea Ikea 7% Laithwaites Wine Laithwaites Wine 12% Leisure Vouchers Please see for full listings of where and how your vouchers can be spent and for details of how to redeem. Leisure Vouchers can be used for travel, however they cannot be redeemed with High Street travel agents. 10% Love2shop The UK's leading multi-retailer gift voucher - accepted by over 85 retailers nationwide. Please see for a full listing. You can also spend your Love2shop Gift Vouchers at Park Travel. To use this voucher for holidays and travel you must call % Marks & Spencer Marks & Spencer 7% Morrisons Morrisons 5% New Look New Look 10% River Island River Island 8% Sainsbury s Sainsbury s 5% SayShopping SayShopping vouchers can be spent at many different retailers. Please see for a full listing. 7.5% Signet Ernest Jones, Leslie Davis & H Samuel 15% Thomas Cook Thomas Cook and Going Places. Can be redeemed in any Thomas Cook Shop, Going Places shops, through Thomas Cook Direct, against Thomas Cook TV or via or 6% Toni and Guy Toni and Guy 8% WHSmith WHSmith 10% Terms and conditions apply. Please see mybenefits website for full details, and the full range available. A 1.25% charge for using your credit card will apply. There is no charge for using your debit card. the username and password you have created and select the high street discounts tab on the left hand side. 11 Good things in water... mybenefits 12

8 Reloadable cards Computer loan Discounted reloadable cards can be an efficient alternative to ordering paper vouchers. You can top up the credit on the card at any time on-line by using your debit/credit card and the balance on the card can be used for in-store purchases (excluding third-party concessions or products, petrol and lottery tickets). 1. Choose the card you would like and call the number below or visit the discounted/cashback shopping site (details on page 9). The card will be sent to you within three working days. 2. When you receive the card, it must be activated by calling the number provided or visiting the website listed on the reverse of the card. The money will then be credited to the card within two working days. 3. Use the card instore and you will receive a receipt showing the balance remaining. To reload your card, simply call the number below or visit the website. The funds will then be ready to use within two working days. To order, call and quote NWL Monday to Friday 9.00 am 5.30 pm or on-line Click on the discounted/cashback shopping lily tab, log in using the username and password you have created and select the high street discounts tab on the left hand side. As an employee of Northumbrian Water you are able to apply for an interest-free computer loan from the company provided you have a permanent contract of employment or a fixed term contract which covers the repayment term and have satisfactorily completed your probationary period. The loan can be to a maximum of 750, repayable via monthly deductions from your salary over a fixed period of two years. You should be the main user of the equipment. The loan can be used to buy one PC or/and one laptop or/and equipment linked to a PC e.g. printer/scanner purchased from a VAT registered supplier. Tablet PCs eg ipads are included. Items of equipment that work Qualification loan independently from a PC e.g. digital camera are not included. An application form together with full terms and conditions is available on livelink under people/pay and benefits/computer loan or from your manager or HR. You will be required to provide a receipt/proof of purchase for authorisation for the loan. Card Lifestyle Saving Arcadia 10% Argos 9% ASDA 5% B&Q 10.5% Boots 10% Comet 10% Debenhams 9% Ernest Jones 15% H.Samuel 15% Card Lifestyle Saving Homebase 9% House of Fraser 12.5% Marks & Spencer 7% New Look 10% Pizza Express 10% Sainsbury 5% Toys R Us 8% Zizzi 10% Terms and conditions apply and discount rates may change. Please note charges will show as P&MM Travel Ltd on your bank statement and a 1.25% charge for using your credit card will apply. There is no charge for using your debit card. Minimum and maximum top up amounts apply, please refer to the discounted/cashback shopping website for the individual retailer terms and conditions. Please note B&Q reloadable cards are non-refundable. If you choose to undertake a course of study where the course is not a requirement of your role, you are able to apply for an interest-free qualification loan, provided that you have a permanent contract or a fixed term contract which covers the repayment term, have satisfactorily completed your probationary period and the course will lead to a recognised qualification. The loan is also available if you are receiving partial financial support under the Professional Development Policy for the balance of the cost of the course, registration, assessment and examination fees. The maximum loan will typically be 3,000 per annum, repayable by monthly deductions from salary over a fixed period of two years, or the length of the course, whichever is the greater. An application form and Qualification Loan Policy is available on livelink under people/training and development/key links/qualification loan. Payment will be made direct to the educational provider. Discounted legal services The commercial law firms used by Northumbrian Water in the North East and South are offering 7.5% discount on legal services including conveyancing and will writing to employees and their immediate family. Gordon Brown Law Firm LLP have offices in Newcastle and Chester-le-Street. Please contact them on quoting Northumbrian Water. Wortley, Redmayne Kershaw have offices in Chelmsford. Please contact Graeme Atkinson on or gra@teeslaw.co.uk quoting Northumbrian Water. 13 Good things in water... mybenefits 14

9 Discounted medicals Dental plan A range of comprehensive health assessments are available to both you and your partner through Nuffield Health, with a NWL discount of 20%. Each of the health assessments provides a comprehensive range of tests which will give you a clear understanding of your current state of health as well as the opportunity to discuss any individual concerns in confidence with an experienced health professional. Following your health assessment you will receive a detailed report which will explain both the outcome of your assessment as well as advice and guidance on managing your health and lifestyle. Further details and costs of the assessments are available on livelink under people/health and wellbeing/discounted medicals. If you are unsure which assessment is best for you, a Nuffield Health Adviser will be available to discuss in confidence your requirements and help you decide. Health & leisure You can book your appointment direct with Nuffield Health by calling the central booking line on and quoting the account number C You can either pay for the assessment at the time of booking via a card payment or alternatively you can request an invoice to be sent to you. Benefits Denplan Key Denplan Elementary Denplan Essential Denplan Essential Plus Denplan Extensive Denplan Extensive Plus 100% Reimbursement For NHS treatment. Worldwide Dental Injury Cover for up to 2,500 of treatments per dental injury up to four incidents per policy year. Worldwide Emergency Dental Treatment In the UK: up to 200 of treatment per incident for up to four incidents per policy year. Outside the UK: up to 400 of treatment per incident for up to two incidents per policy year. There is an overall maximum of 800 per policy year for this benefit. Hospital Cash Benefit 50 for each night you stay overnight in hospital, up to 1,000 per policy year, for dental treatment under the care of a consultant specialising in dental or maxilofacial surgery in relation to a head or neck condition. Dentist Call-Out Fees Up to 100 per incident for up to two incidents per policy year. Mouth Cancer Cover Up to 12,000 towards one course of treatment for up to eighteen months following diagnosis (smokers are included). 24-hour Worldwide Emergency Helpline Routine Examinations * * * * * Hygiene Treatments * * * * * Dental X-rays * * * * * Restorative Treatments * * * * * (and NHS band 2 & 3 treatment) Including but not limited to fillings, crowns, bridges, dentures and specialist treatment. Monthly Cost As a Northumbrian Water employee, you can save money on your gym membership, even if you are already a member at one of the participating gyms*. There are over 2,500 gyms to choose from, all of which will offer you the lowest corporate rate available for your membership. You are also entitled to a guest pass or trial to try out the club prior to joining. How it works To locate your nearest participating health club and to discover all the advantages of your Incorpore membership please visit and log in using company reference NWL. Alternatively, telephone the 24 hour customer support line on and quote Northumbrian Water. Once you have chosen your club please contact them quoting Incorpore to book your visit. Please take this booklet with you to the health club as proof of employment with Northumbrian Water. If your chosen fitness club does not currently participate in the network, let Incorpore know by ing your details to help@incorpore.co.uk and they will try to enrol the health club on your behalf. There is no deadline for registering for this benefit. If you would like assistance or further information visit the member section of the website (your member login code is NWL), or call the 24 hour customer support line. *many participating gyms will let existing members transfer to Incorpore membership rates immediately provided you are paying via direct debit. Contact your club or Incorpore at help@incorpore.co.uk to find out if your gym allows member transfers. Employee 4.65 per month 9.55 per month per month per month per month per month Employee and Partner 8.70 per month per month per month per month per month per month Single Parent Family 7.55 per month per month per month per month per month per month Family Monthly per month per month per month per month per month per month *There is a limit as to how much can be claimed, please see the Policy Handbook for details. Prices quoted include Insurance Premium Tax charged at the prevailing rate of 6%. Prices are valid until 31st March Dependants include the employee's partner and children up to the age of 21 (or 24 if in full-time education). Denplan Elementary is not applicable to children under the age of 18 (or 19 if in full-time education) as they are exempt from NHS charges. Exclusions and other Terms and Conditions apply - please see the Policy Handbook for details. How do I join? You must register your interest with Personal Group by 29 February 2012, by completing the Dental Plan section of the mybenefits application form enclosed or on-line. Full details of the benefits, exclusions and limitations can be found in the terms and conditions within the Policy Handbook, which will be sent out to you if you register your interest. For more information call Denplan direct on and quote Northumbrian Water or corporate@denplan.co.uk. (Lines are open from 8.00am to 5.30pm on Monday to Thursday and 8.00am to 4.30pm on Friday Denplan may record and/or monitor calls. Mobile phone charges may apply). Please see the Policy Handbook for further details. 15 Good things in water... mybenefits 16

10 Eyecare Company eye tests for VDU users. If you use a VDU screen in your work and are defined as a DSE user, Northumbrian Water pays for your eye tests. If as a result of the examination, corrective spectacles are recommended for VDU use, we will contribute 55 towards the cost of the spectacles - this is increased to 75 for bi-focals and more complex prescriptions. You should ask your manager to request an eye test voucher from HR which you should then take to your chosen optician. The optician will provide you with a VDU certificate of recommendation, stating whether glasses are required. If you need glasses for VDU use you should pay for these and reclaim either 55 or 75 (bi-focal prescriptions) via the expenses system on mydata. You should send the optician s certificate together with a copy of your receipt to Payroll and you will receive reimbursement through your salary. Personal financial and mortgage advice service The Personal Financial and Mortgage Advice Service gives all employees access to independent financial advice. Simply call the telephone number or access the Berkeley Morgan Ltd website They will arrange for a Financial Adviser to discuss your individual circumstances with you on the telephone or, where appropriate, arrange an individual meeting at a time and location convenient to you. Professional personal advice on... Pensions Existing or new personal pensions Company pension transfers - via their associate company, LighthouseCarrwood Protection Ways of helping you plan and protect Comparisons with existing life/critical illness policies Cover for individuals and for possessions Savings and investments A range of savings schemes, including bonds and tax-efficient ISAs Mortgages A wide range of mortgages for those who are Moving home Home buying for the first time Remortgaging for a better deal or to raise extra funds Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other loan secured on it. For more information call and quote NWLF01. The Personal Financial and Mortgage Advice Service is Whole of Market. This means they can look at a wide range of providers and recommend one suitable for your circumstances. The Personal Financial and Mortgage Advice Service is operated and administered by Berkeley Morgan Ltd, a company authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered address: John Ormond House, 899 Silbury Boulevard, Central Milton Keynes MK9 3XL. LighthouseCarrwood Ltd is an appointed representative of LighthouseXpress Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Taxation service Believe it or not, the taxman owes money to nearly half the working population of the UK, and you could be one of them. Personal Taxation Services, the UK s leading personal tax rebate specialist has, to date, secured more than 65 million for tax payers. To see if you are eligible to receive a tax rebate, please complete and return the enclosed questionnaire or visit their website at Discounted Vehicle Servicing/ Repairs & MOT testing Via a network of local Service Centres covering the North East, Essex and Suffolk, Prestige Car Servicing will repair, maintain, service and MOT vehicles belonging to NWL employees. Servicing prices can be accessed 24/7 by visiting nwl.html. Simply enter your make of car and choose from the model list provided. The 15% discount should then automatically be deducted when you book. Important information: No rebate, NO FEE 59p in the pound refunded to you from every successful claim A completely confidential service The odds of receiving a rebate from PTS are averaging 1 in 3 Rebates obtained to date range from 10 to 11, Save 15% on Vehicle Servicing, discount on repairs and MOT testing for You can make bookings 24/7 via to nwl@prestigecarservicing.com or by telephone on between 8.30am and 6.00pm Monday to Friday. Service prices include collection & delivery from home or work (provided your home is no further away from the Service Centre than your place of work) and a wash and vac. Collection and delivery must be from/to the same address. There is no deadline for registering for this benefit. Simply complete the tax claim questionnaire provided in the back of this booklet or visit the website. For more information call Monday to Friday 8.30am pm, and quote Personal Taxation Services is not part of Personal Group. If you require repairs, Prestige Car Servicing will also offer discounted rates to NWL employees and their families. Full payment must be made by credit/debit card prior to the return of the vehicle. 17 Good things in water... mybenefits 18

11 Bikes for the family NWL passes and discounts If you are not eligible for the cycle2work scheme because you do not use your bike for work related travel, you have the opportunity to purchase a bike or cycle accessories for yourself or your immediate family at 10% discount from Halfords or on-line from Cycle Solutions at 15%. Halfords First choose your cycle and cycle accessories from any one of the Halfords stores, visit to locate your nearest store. Contact Halfords Business Services on between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday - Friday Quote Scheme Code: NWLHAL12 Give your name, company name, employee number, address plus the total value of Gift Vouchers you require e.g. If the item you wish to purchase is 100, when speaking to an adviser request 100 worth of Gift Vouchers and you will be charged 10% less than the face value of the vouchers, in this case you would be charged 90. Payment can be made by Visa, Switch, Maestro or MasterCard. Payment details and Gift Vouchers will be posted out to you by secure post. Gift Vouchers are available in Sterling only (in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20) and the minimum order value is 50. Vouchers can be spent on over 15,000 products ranging from; cycles, car parts, in-car technology, alloy wheels, roof boxes, child seats and camping equipment. Gift Vouchers can be used for any items in-store including sale items, however, they cannot be used to make purchases on-line. Cycle Solutions Log on to their website and choose the bike you wish to purchase or contact their customer service team on quoting Northumbrian Water. The 15% discount will apply to sale items and special offers and includes free delivery to any UK mainland address,12 months' full guarantee on all products and a 24/7 customer care line. Take advantage of offers from within the business. Newcastle Eagles Basketball passes for a 1 donation* Seaham Hall, near Durham Employees plus a guest can visit the spa for just 10 each.the offer is open all year and there are 4 passes available. Every day 2 employees and 2 guests can visit the spa Free entry passes for Alnwick Gardens Free entry passes for Durham Cathedral Free entry passes for Wetlands Trust Passes listed above can be obtained from the Corporate Affairs team on *Donations are returned to the foundation at the end of each year Free entry into the Museum of Power at Langford 20% Discounted entry at Bressingham Gardens/Garden Centre/Steam Museum on production of your Company ID Classic Spa Days at Greenwoods Hotel, Spa & Retreat in Stock, Essex. The special rate of per person is available to staff + guest throughout The spa day includes full use of spa facilities (pool, gym, sauna, Jacuzzi and steam room) between 9am and 7pm Mon-Fri including 2 course lunch in the Rosewood Restaurant. To make a booking telephone and quote NWL. Cinema Mobile Phones from Orange Fantastic savings are available for visits to the cinema Watch the latest film releases in the comfortable surroundings of your local cinema and enjoy a superb saving of up to 45%*. With over 400 participating cinemas nationwide, you'll be spoilt for choice! Simply order your vouchers in advance via the Lifestyle hotline, stating which cinema you wish to visit. Then on arrival use your vouchers just like a gift voucher to purchase either an adult or child s ticket. These vouchers have no expiry date, so you can choose when to redeem them. There is FREE postage and packaging and there are no charges for debit card payments. How do I order? Call the Lifestyle hotline on and quote Northumbrian Water Monday to Friday 9.00am pm or on-line Details of your nearest participating cinema can also be found here. Please allow 7 working days for delivery of your vouchers. Due to the fast changing nature of the cinema industry, you are advised to check participating locations via the website prior to making a purchase or setting out on your journey. *Savings based on average cinema entrance prices. Terms and conditions apply, please see the website for full details. As an NWL employee you and up to 4 members of your family can take advantage of discounts from Orange at Orange stores subject to the contract being in your name. Pay Monthly for less 20% off any 24 month Animal pay monthly talk plans and specific iphone plans, with a minimum monthly spend of before discount, plus access to offers like Unlimited free calls to your favourite Orange number with Magic Numbers Home broadband offers at Pay as you Go for less 20 off any pay as you go phone costing more than 30, plus Access to all pay as you go offers Mobile Broadband for less 10% off any (min) 12 month mobile broadband plan (subject to terms and conditions) Plus You also get all the benefits of being an Orange customer including 2 for 1 cinema tickets every Wednesday with Orange Wednesdays Take advantage of the deal at any Orange shop Simply take along a recent payslip (last 2 months) and if you want to sign up for a pay monthly or mobile broadband plan you will also need: Proof of your signature (drivers license or passport) For family members you will need to accompany them to the shop and take your payslip, and photo ID All offers are subject to change and some handsets may not be available as part of this scheme. 19 Good things in water... mybenefits 20

12 Holiday discounts You can now book your next holiday on-line and receive up to 14% discount There are now two ways you can access holiday discounts You can select a holiday from any* tour operator brochure and then call the Lifestyle hotline to make your booking Call and quote Northumbrian Water Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 5.30pm You can also search on-line using Lifestyle travel s brand new booking engine. To access go to click on the lily discounted/cashback shopping and follow the login details on page 9. Once logged in you should click on the lifestyletravel tab which can be found in the categories on the left hand side of the screen. *Tour operator must be ATOL/ABTA bonded. Excludes direct sell operators. Kielder lodges 15% discount on Kielder Lodge bookings. For bookings from 1 April 2012 a 15% discount off the brochure price for Kielder Lodges is available to you as a Northumbrian Water employee. The booking must be made in your name and the lodge occupied by you. The offer is not transferable. The discount is offered on the brochure price, and does not apply to promotions or to combined packages, e.g. Winter Travel insurance Wonderland combined lodge and ticket offer. For further information please contact the leisure team on Please quote your employee number when making a booking. Holiday additions Make great savings on car rental and holiday extras. Up to 13% off holiday extras Receive 13% off airport parking (Valet parking also available subject to availability) Receive 10% off airport lounges Receive 12% off airport hotels and airport by rail travel Up to 12% off worldwide car rental 12% off Holiday Autos Free fishing Free fishing is available to you as a Northumbrian Water employee between 10 March November 2012 at the following locations: Cow Green, Derwent, Fontburn, Grassholme, Hanningfield*, Hury, Kielder**, Scaling Dam and Whittle Dene (*Hanningfield opens 3 March 2012 ** Kielder closes 9 November 2012). Please note that charges will show as P&MM Travel Ltd on your bank statement and a 1.5% charge for using your credit card will apply. There is no charge for using your debit card. For full terms and conditions please refer to the mybenefits website All employees, including partners must be registered to fish. You are allowed a maximum of 3 trout per visit except at Whittle Dene (and Abberton when it reopens) where all fish caught must be returned. Bookings will occasionally need to be made by a P&MM representative over the telephone and this may result in your details being taken and your call being returned. For more information call and quote Northumbrian Water. Discounts at participating car parks only. All rentals are subject to availability A partner and up to two children or grandchildren may fish free. This offer also applies to retired employees. To obtain a registration form together with the full terms and conditions, please call With Holiday Travel Insurance from Rapidinsure you can rest assured that you are protected against the cost of most of the mishaps that could happen to you when you are on holiday. You can choose either a single trip or annual multi-trip policy, both providing the wide range of benefits shown. Cover is available at very competitive prices. All trips must start and finish in the UK, involve at least one pre-booked overnight stay and must not last more than 31 days. Simply visit the website or call the number below. If your travel plans are not restricted to short-stay holidays, check the Rapidinsure website - they can also arrange cover for groups, backpackers and business trips. All benefits quoted are valid at 9 January 2012 but may subsequently change without notice. Cover Maximum Sums Insured Per Person Cancellation (Optional cover) 3,000 Curtailment 3,000 Missed Departure 1,000 Travel Delay 100 (Abandonment 3,000) Personal Accident 10,000 Medical Emergency Expenses 5,000,000 Medical Inconvenience Benefit 300 Loss of Passport/Driving Licence 250 Personal Public Liability 2,000,000 Legal Expenses 25,000 Personal Property (Optional Cover) 1,500 (Limits apply to certain articles) Personal Money 500 (Cash 200) Delayed Baggage Over 24 hours to 24 hours 100 Winter Sports (Optional Cover) Ski Equipment 750 (Single article limit 150) Ski Hire 300 Delayed Ski Equipment 100 Ski Pack 250 Piste Closure 300 Avalanche 150 All benefits are subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy For a full quotation visit and include reference code NW4 OR call (Monday to Friday 9.00am pm) and quote NW4. Rapidinsure.co.uk Limited is an appointed representative of Berkeley Morgan Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Rapidinsure.co.uk Limited (registered in England and Wales No ). Registered address, John Ormond House, 899 Silbury Boulevard, Central Milton Keynes MK9 3XL. 21 Good things in water... mybenefits 22