The Unity Schools Partnership has introduced an innovative salary sacrifice scheme for electric cars in collaboration with Fleet Alliance.
A Wide Choice of EVs for Staff
The newly launched scheme provides a broad selection of electric cars at attractive rates through salary sacrifice, available to eligible staff members at each educational establishment within the partnership. Founded in 2010, Unity Schools Partnership is a multi-academy trust with charitable status, overseeing 35 educational institutions across three counties, including academies and secondary, primary, and special schools.
With approximately 2,800 staff members, the majority are eligible to lease an electric car through the Fleet Alliance scheme, provided they have completed their probationary period, are over 21 years old, and the salary sacrifice does not reduce their gross pay below the minimum living wage.
Employee Retention and Environmental Impact
Sarah Garner, Deputy CEO and Director of Finance, highlighted the scheme’s dual benefits. “We see this as a valuable retention and recruitment tool that has been very well received to date amongst staff members,” she noted. Additionally, Garner emphasized the environmental benefits, explaining that offering electric cars through salary sacrifice is part of their carbon-reduction measures required under the Streamlining Energy and Carbon Reduction (SECR) report.
Garner praised Fleet Alliance for their proactive role in launching and promoting the scheme. “They have been great in marketing the benefits to staff and attending live events to discuss the scheme and address common misconceptions about electric cars,” she said. Fleet Alliance will also participate in the upcoming Unity Day for staff development, providing an opportunity for staff to view the vehicles and learn more about the scheme.
Positive Reception and Comprehensive Offering
The feedback from staff members has been overwhelmingly positive. Garner remarked, “No-one who has taken an electric car through the scheme has regretted it, and there have been very positive comments on our internal intranet.” She also expressed satisfaction with the range of electric cars available through the scheme, noting that there are no restrictions and all options are on the table.
Fleet Alliance’s Growing Popularity
Fleet Alliance reports that their salary sacrifice electric car scheme is gaining traction among various organizations and businesses. Andy Bruce, CEO of Fleet Alliance, outlined the advantages of the scheme, particularly the low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rate on electric cars, which remains attractive compared to petrol and diesel cars. “With the very low rate of BiK on electric cars currently and rising to 5% in April 2028, it is well below that of petrol and diesel cars. This makes electric cars very attractive from a tax and cost perspective,” Bruce explained.
He added that despite recent changes in National Insurance rates, the effectiveness of these schemes remains strong. “There are significant savings on vehicles supplied through a salary sacrifice scheme,” Bruce noted. He encouraged organizations to consider these schemes to provide broader benefits to their staff.
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