Staff benefits

All NHS staff have a generous annual leave entitlement:

• 27 days (+ bank holidays) on appointment
• 29 days (+ bank holidays) after 5 years of continuous service
• 33 days (+ bank holidays) after 10 years of continuous service

The scheme remains one of the best available and is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect your financial future, no matter how far off you are from retirement. Your pension benefits are based on your salary and length of membership of the scheme. As a member of the NHS scheme, you get:

• a pension for life and a tax-free lump sum when you retire
• life assurance cover of twice your annual salary
• ill-health retirement benefits
• redundancy benefits 
• family benefits (including civil partners)

Islington Council offer Key Worker Housing consisting of 15 one bedroom properties to qualified nurses, working within our central London headquarters, social workers and occupational therapists who have passed their probation period and are working within Islington only.  

Some NHS staff in London can also access help and support in buying or renting in London through the Keyworker Housing Scheme. An eligibility assessment is required. For more information on how to apply visit: 

• Islington Council
• Metropolitan Housing Ownership
• L&Q Group

Peabody is one of London's oldest and largest housing associations. They provide affordable housing options for London key workers who do not qualify for social housing and are not currently in a position to enter into homeownership. These homes are former Crown Estate properties which are called their Regency Portfolio. They offer fantastic value for money, typically priced between 20%-35% less than the average market rent. They're located in vibrant communities with great transport links.

Visit the Peabody website to find out more.

We have partnered with Allocate InstantPay, powered by Wagestream to provide staff with an app that allows them to track how much they are earning throughout the month, and access up to 40% of that pay as soon as they have earned it. No loans, no interest - just access to your money when you need it, at £1.75 fixed fee. The Wagestream app also helps you save and gives useful tips on financial planning.

The Trust is committed to your continuous development through regular supervision, yearly appraisals, access to in-house and online courses on ESR. The Trust can offer funding towards professional development programmes (conferences, courses and professional qualifications) for individuals and teams. Team coaching is offered to help your team move forward with an issue.

Eligible Trust staff may be able to purchase a bicycle from participating stores up to the value of £1,000. Staff can then make repayments over a 12 month period through monthly salary deductions. 

We offer a generous Special Leave Policy and Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave Policy providing various types of leave including carer’s leave, time off to care for dependants and maternity, paternity, adoption and parental leave.

Our flexible working policy offers a number of ways to work flexibly to our staff, for example, we can offer compressed hours, time off in lieu, flexible retirement, employment breaks, home working, job sharing, part time working, staggered hours. The policy is available via our HR team with information on how to apply to work flexibly and the considerations for you and your manager to think about prior to application/agreement to a flexible working request.  

The Trust offers a salary sacrifice scheme to purchase tax free childcare vouchers. It is an easy way to make savings on childcare costs and you can choose how much you want deducted from your salary. 

We have also negotiated discounts for some holiday playschemes including Supercamps and Camp Beaumont. 

All NHS staff can access a variety of discounts via the NHS Discounts website. Corporate discounts are also available for Merlin Entertainment, O2,Vodaphone and Voicemobile. In addition, there is a dedicated staff benefits portal for staff to access the latest wellbeing and benefits information. 

It is free to register on this site to receive offers on travel deals, airport parking, shopping (Amazon, Halfords, Nandos and much more), home/travel/motor/life insurance, finance, mobiles, motoring, broadband, TV, utilities, gym membership (10% off PureGym). Visit the Health Service Discounts website to register.

All public sector staff can access online and high street discounts with this card (the physical card for use in high street retailers costs £4.99 for a five-year membership). Companies offering discounts to NHS staff include: Alton Towers, Apple, Cineworld, EE, Frankie and Benny’s, Go Outdoors, Haven, Hotpoint, Intercontinental Hotel Groups, Lenovo, PO Cruises, Samsung, Starbucks and more. Visit the Blue Light Card website to register. 

Eye care vouchers Specsavers eye care vouchers are available for those who use a computer as part of their role. The e-voucher provides the employee with a free eye test and up to £45 towards the cost of glasses prescribed for VDU use.

We have an outdoor gym at St. Ann’s site. In addition staff can benefit from membership at reduced rates at the following gyms:

• GLL (Islington and Pancras Leisure have different rates)
• Club 52
• St. Mary’s Gym (St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington)
• Fitness First
• Virgin Active
• The Gym Group

Staff members can use Employee Online (EOL) to view all aspects of their roster in the past, present and as far into the future as the rosters have been published. This includes annual leave, enhanced hours, training days, skills and certificates and their pay records before they receive their paper pay slips from payroll. EOL also allows users to request duties and time off for future off duties, submit their timesheets online and view available bank shifts.

Staff can save money on West End shows, special theatre and dinner packages and hotel and theatre breaks. Visit the West End Theatre website to register to receive the latest offers and discounts.

This service is designed to help with today's challenges and any major life events which may impact upon our ability to lead a balanced and productive life both at home and at work. The EAP Helpline offers free confidential independent help, information, and guidance through:

• face-to-face counselling - following referral by the telephone counsellor, Care First will select an appropriate counsellor from a nationwide network of qualified counsellors and chartered psychologists
• legal information over the phone (for Trust employees only) - qualified legal experts can provide information on a variety of issues that may be disruptive to an individual's peace of mind. They cannot, however, provide legal representation in court.

The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to us and our immediate families

An interest free loan is available for staff wishing to purchase an annual travel card/ season ticket. The cost is deducted from your salary on a monthly basis over the course of one year. 

Occupational Health Service offer a comprehensive range of services for staff and deal with referrals for illnesses and ailments affecting staff. You can self-refer or ask your manager to refer you. Occupational health also offer advice on diet and exercise and information on smoking cessation along with Cardio screening for over 40s and provide an Employee Assistance Programme with telephone support and counselling, online tips, information and signposts for positive wellbeing in your everyday work and home life, legal advice zone and managers’ support line. Each year Occupational Health, Infection Prevention and Control Teams will also encourage the flu jab vaccination.

There is a quiet room available at St Pancras Hospital where you can read quietly, meditate or pray. There are cushions and washing facilities for prayers.

Our staff restaurants offers a place to rest, relax and eat, plus the benefits of an internet Café for staff at the St Pancras Hospital site.

Smoking Cessation Services for staff are available at St Pancras Hospital. You can also get more advice from Smoke Free Camden: 020 3317 3861 or text QUIT to 66777.

Eligible Trust staff can purchase the latest technology devices including mobile phones, laptps,TVs and consoles at up to 30% off RRP and make affordable repayments over 24 months.

As part of the Change and Inspire Health and Wellbeing programme for our employees, we have introduced training courses and workshops to improve staff wellbeing. We currently offer the following courses:

• Resilience Training - stress management training based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy principles which can be used to effectively manage stressful situations at work and home.
• Mindfulness based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy - offering evidence based mindfulness techniques to manage stress and maintain a better quality of life
• Recovery College health and wellbeing courses - courses cover topics such as healthy eating and exercise and getting a good night sleep. These courses are free and open to both staff and service users. Visit the Recovery College pages here to view the prospectus.