Employee benefits

We offer some great benefits for our employees.

Flexible working

We have a flexible and hybrid working policy for corporate, services and some retail roles. This means that subject to the needs of their customers, colleagues can usually work where they work best. Be that at home or in the office.

Leave

Disability Support Leave

Scope understands that disabled people sometimes need time away from work to manage their disability, impairment or long-term condition. You can request Disability Support Leave as a reasonable adjustment. This is an extra 10 days over a 12 month period between 1 April to 31 March.

Annual leave

We recognise the importance of a good work life balance and offer a generous holiday entitlement.

• Corporate Services colleagues receive 27 days each year, plus bank or public holidays.
• Retail colleagues receive 35 days a year including bank or public holidays.

If you work part-time, your holiday entitlement depends on how many hours you work.

Buying and selling holiday

Permanent colleagues can buy or sell up to 5 days’ leave for the next holiday year, during a designated window. Part time colleagues can buy or sell leave on a pro-rated basis.

Emergency and special leave

Scope recognises that a certain level of absence from work is inevitable for a variety of different reasons. We aim to give you a level of flexibility so you can balance the demands of life outside of work where possible and maximise your attendance.

Such authorised absences come under the Emergency and Special Leave policy. This includes:

• compassionate leave
• time off for medical and dental appointments
• time off to go with a pregnant person to antenatal appointments
• leave for elective surgery
• leave for fertility treatment
• employment breaks
• study leave
• leave for public duties
• time off for Works Council Representatives
• leave for jury service
• leave for Reserve Forces
• time off for special religious holidays

Some of these absences, such as compassionate leave, leave related to your professional development and leave for fertility treatment are paid leave. Others are unpaid or subject to manager’s discretion.

Occupational sick pay

Scope offers Occupational Sick Pay to colleagues. The amounts payable are set out below and include Statutory Sick Pay.

During employee's probation:

After successful completion of probation:

Pension

Saving for your retirement is important. As a Scope colleague, you can join our Worksave Pension Plan.

The smallest contribution you can make is 5% of your earnings. This is deducted on a salary exchange basis (before tax and National Insurance). Scope will pay 3%. You are welcome to contribute more, but Scope will only pay 3%.

After 2 years' service, you have the option to upgrade to a higher level of contributions. If you choose to do this, Scope will increase its contribution to 4% of total pensionable pay. You will contribute 5% of total pensionable pay.

After 4 years, Scope will match your contribution up to a maximum of 6%.

Life assurance

If you die while working for Scope, a lump sum of 3 times your salary is payable to your dependents if you belong to one of our Legal and General pension schemes. If you are not a member of a Scope pension scheme, your dependents will receive one times your annual salary.

Maternity, adoption, shared parental and paternity leave

We offer occupational maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policy for eligible colleagues. These enhance the statutory pay for eligible colleagues.

We will top up statutory maternity, adoption and shared parental leave pay to 90% of your monthly salary for 18 weeks. Then 6 weeks’ half pay and 15 weeks’ statutory pay.

We enhance paternity leave pay to 2 weeks’ full pay.

Discounted gym membership

Through our life assurance scheme, Scope colleagues can get up to 25% off gym membership fees at some leading fitness centres. There are also digital fitness discounts.

Season ticket loans

We offer interest free annual season ticket loans for colleagues who have completed their probation and are on a permanent contract. Colleagues on a fixed term contract can also get a season ticket loan as long as it ends before their contact. Repayments are by monthly deductions from your salary.

It can only be used to buy an annual season ticket for travel from home to work. If you return your season ticket, you must repay the balance within one month.

Eye care vouchers

Scope will provide eye test vouchers up to the value of £19.95 (soon to be raising to £25), if you use a computer screen for at least one hour a day. If the eye test shows you need glasses for using computer screens, we will provide £55 towards them.

Cycle to work scheme

You can buy a new bicycle and equipment at a discounted rate and spread the cost over 12 months. To take part in the scheme, you must:

• be a permanent colleague
• be 18 or over
• have passed your probation
• the monthly deduction must not take your earnings below the National Minimum Wage
• you should not be home-based and should be within a commutable distance to your work location

Learning and development

At Scope, we want to help you to grow and flourish. We offer a wide range of learning and development opportunities, to support you on your journey at Scope. This is through a large number of courses on our Scope to Learn platform.

We have a mentoring scheme in partnership with other charities. This gives you the opportunity to focus on your personal and professional development and grow your network.

We offer fully funded apprenticeships. These are a great way for colleagues at all levels to develop experience, and skills. Plus gain a nationally recognised qualification.

Individual and team recognition

The Scope Recognition Awards take place four times a year to celebrate colleagues who are great examples of our Scope values. The 5 award categories are:

• connected
• courageous
• fair
• open
• pioneering

The Scope Team Awards take place once a year. This way we celebrate colleagues and co-production groups. We look for those groups who have worked together to deliver outstanding performance. The 5 award categories are:

• service excellence
• collaboration
• successful projects
• above and beyond
• inclusivity

Long service awards

We recognise and celebrate long service with the following awards. 

• £50 award after 5 years
• £100 award after 10 years
• £200 award after 20 years
• £250 award after 25 years
• £300 award after 30 years
• £400 award after 40 years 

Wellbeing resources

Our Employee Assistance Programme is a free, confidential helpline and website run by Spectrum Life. It provides a telephone and face to face counselling service and practical advice and support on a range of issues. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Colleague networks

There are currently four colleague networks at Scope: Disabled colleagues, Equality in Race, LGBTQ+ and Women.

The networks are voluntary groups of colleagues. They focus on a specific characteristic, shared identity, or shared life experience. They are a great way to meet new people, find peer support, and discuss issues important to you.