University of Greenwich Eligibility Criteria.
Introduction.
Our salary sacrifices schemes—including e-vehicles, gym memberships, and the cycle-to-work offers—are designed to support our employees while managing financial wellbeing. Additionally, our net offers for home and electrical items, along with cash plans for dental care, aim to enhance the overall benefits available to staff. To ensure that both the university and its employees can fully maximise these offerings, it is important to adhere to the outlined processes and eligibility criteria. Please be aware some of these schemes are not yet live, may be capped and are currently being offered on a pilot basis, which may affect their availability and the number of applications which are approved. Furthermore, all items are subject to change and may be paused or discontinued in response to university needs.
Staff Eligibility.
Income Threshold.
Employees participating in schemes must ensure that their income threshold does not fall below the National Minimum Wage (NMW). Employees are strongly encouraged to consider the potential impact of deductions, and to avoid overcommitting to benefits that may lead to income pressures. The NMW as of 2025/26 is £23,809.00 per annum and subject to change.
Salary Sacrifice.
Employees participating in salary sacrifice schemes, which include e-vehicles, bicycles, and gym memberships, have specific calculation methods for determining eligibility and affordability. Each scheme utilizes different platforms and processes to assess individual circumstances, ensuring that employees have a clear understanding of their financial commitments.
Net Deduction.
The Home and Electrical net scheme determines affordability repayments based on the National Minimum Wage (NMW).
Probation Period.
Employees must have passed their probation period before applying for any benefit schemes.
Accurate Personal Information:
Purchases should be made through your work email. The University will also require staff to provide correct personal details (name, home address, personal email) as per employee horizon information which can be found under “Me” – “Personal Information” and “Contact info” on the left of the homepage.
Purchase Limits.
- Home and Electrical Items: Total requests cannot exceed £480 each year.
- Gym Memberships: Up to £180.00 per employee per calendar month.
- Bicycles: Maximum loan amount of £4,000.00.
- E-Vehicles: Financial eligibility will be assessed by Tusker.
HR Disciplinary Status.
Employees who are actively engaged in HR processes, including formal investigations related to disciplinary or capability matters, are not eligible to participate in any benefits schemes until these processes are fully concluded.
Visa Status.
Employees with a pending UKVI visa extension that is expected to be unsuccessful are not eligible to apply for any scheme.
Redundancy/Retirement/Resignation Notice.
Employees who are due for redundancy, retirement, or resignation are ineligible. Those planning to retire before repayment completion period cannot apply for any salary sacrifice or net deduction schemes.
Contract Duration.
Employees must have a fixed-term contract for at least the duration of the repayment period of the benefit applied for. The purchase of E-vehicle will be assessed by Tuskers eligibility criteria.
Employee Responsibilities.
To participate in the scheme, it is essential for employees to read the guidance for each benefit offering and complete the following steps:
Use the Vivup affordability calculator to assess your ability to manage repayments for gym memberships and home electricals. The guidance includes instructions on how to evaluate your actual income, factoring in all outgoings (e.g., pensions), which can be found on your UoG payslip.
For electric vehicles, you must complete a separate eligibility checklist and budget calculator upon application with Tusker.
Terms and Conditions Agreement.
Employees are required to sign a terms and conditions agreement/contracts when completing purchases.
Process.
Request Submission:
Employees will need to submit their purchase requests through the appropriate benefits hub/portal.
Information Verification:
People Operations will verify the information provided. Incomplete requests will be refused or returned for additional information.
Approval:
Once details are verified, requests will be approved and purchases processed. Finance will handle invoice payments and manage salary deductions based on the following schedules:
- Home and Electrical Items & Gym Memberships: 12 months
- Cycle to Work: up to 18 months
- E-Vehicles: Repayment periods range from 2 to 5 years in 6-month increments; a 3-year repayment is recommended for optimisation.
Life Circumstances and Outstanding Loans:
In cases where planned or unplanned departures may occur quickly, colleagues will be supported through a debt recovery procedure with Finance to ensure all outstanding payments are settled effectively.
We strongly recommend all staff provide at least three months’ written notice via the Horizon Helpdesk for any foreseeable or unexpected changes, where feasible. This allows the university to offer the best possible support and helps ensure there is no outstanding debt upon departure.
In the unfortunate event of a death in service, the university will provide tailored guidance and support based on individual circumstances and will work closely with relevant teams to ensure affected colleagues and their families receive personalised assistance with matters.
Summary Table of Salary Sacrifice and Net Payments.
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| | | You can obtain membership/s with a maximum payment request of £2,160, which can be spread over 12 months. | Applications will not be processed in September, March and April or when the annual limit is reached. |
| | | You can request a maximum payment of £480.00 which will be repaid over a 12-month period. An administration fee of 1-2% will be charged for this scheme. The full amount must be repaid before the allowance can be renewed. |
| | | The maximum payment request is £4,000, to be repaid over an 18-month period. | |
| | | No caps on the cost of vehicles over a 3-year payment period. | The offer is available until the annual limit is reached. |
*Items listed here are subject to change in accordance with the operational needs of the university.
The Staff Benefits Hub can be accessed through staff services here https://portal.gre.ac.uk/staff/staff-services