Media industry is fastest sector to take-up childcare voucher schemes for employees

  • EYVL finds that four times as many media companies take-up scheme compared to other markets
  • Brilliant Media and GlobeCast say scheme improves working relationships and enables parents to come back to work
  • But Government not doing enough to promote value among employers and employees

Manchester, UK - 9 September, 2008 - Early Years Vouchers Ltd, one of the UK's leading childcare voucher organisations, has found four times as many companies in the media industry are taking-up childcare vouchers compared to other market sectors. Over 14 major media companies recently signed up to EYVL's scheme - including Brilliant Media, one of the UK’s leading media communications agencies, and GlobeCast, a global provider of content management and worldwide transmission services. Both companies are strong in their praise for the scheme which is already enabling employees to save up to £1,195 per year on childcare costs, but criticise the Government for not promoting their value.

Jenny King, HR and Office Administration, GlobeCast: "We first heard about the scheme just over a year ago when a new member of staff enquired about joining. It's a Government initiated scheme but the Government doesn't really advertise or market it so it falls to the employer to ensure working parents receive the benefits they are legally entitled to. Since joining EYVL, all I have to do each month is go onto the website, click a button and send the invoice across to the Accounts Department – I can’t fault EYVL on its service."

GlobeCast and Brilliant Media are just two of the media companies that have become pro-active in educating its employees about the benefits. Many parents and companies remain unaware of how much employees can be helped with childcare costs using childcare vouchers, even though money saving experts, such as Martin Lewis from GMTV, continue to tip the scheme as one of the best ways to save money.

Early Years Vouchers Ltd helps companies educate their employees on the benefits of the scheme by providing a personal induction to the scheme, while HR departments use emails, leaflets and posters to ensure that all new and existing employees know exactly what they're entitled to.

Brilliant Media joined the childcare vouchers scheme at EYVL when the Government ruling came out in 2005. "The company's Director, Amanda Ward, came to our offices and gave working parents an induction to the scheme - they couldn't believe how much they were entitled to and how easy the whole process was," commented Jane Nivot, Personnel Manager at Brilliant Media. "There are a number of working Mums and Dads on the scheme - including the Chairman of the company - and those who have become parents since we implemented the scheme have come back to work and signed up straight away. As a company we recognise how difficult it is to be a working parent."

"Being able to personally visit companies really enables me to explain the workings of the scheme - to both employees and HR departments," said Amanda Ward, Director of Early Years Vouchers Ltd. "The amount of big media firms that have joined EYVL is fantastic because it really helps to spread knowledge of the scheme within the industry. Companies that offer the vouchers to their employees benefit financially from National Insurance savings, but it can also be the deciding factor as to whether new parents can afford to go back to work."

About GlobeCast
GlobeCast, a subsidiary of France Telecom, is the leading global provider of content management and worldwide transmission services for professional broadcast delivery. The company operates a secure global satellite and fibre network to manage and transport 10 million hours of video and other rich media each year, providing ingest, aggregation, transmission and repurposing of content for delivery to direct-to-home satellite platforms; cable, IPTV, mobile and broadband headends; as well as corporate and digital signage networks. GlobeCast's fleet of SNG trucks is deployed globally to support coverage of the biggest news and sporting events each year in SD and HDTV formats. www.globecast.com

About Brilliant Media
Brilliant is the leading, privately owned media communications agency in the UK. It has offices in Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham and annual billings of £150 million. Brilliant’s independent status creates a unique culture, where highly talented and motivated individuals are committed to delivering the very best in terms of media expertise and service to our clients. Brilliant provides results driven media communications solutions for a wide range of blue chip clients. www.brilliantmedia.co.uk

About Early Years Vouchers Ltd:
Early Years Vouchers Ltd is one of the UK's leading childcare voucher companies. Founded in 2004, the company operates one of the UK's most advanced fully functional online childcare voucher systems for parents, carers and employers of any size - from large nationwide organisations with many thousands of employees to small companies with just two or three. The scheme enables each parent to achieve significant cost savings for the 2008-2009 tax year of up to £903.96 per year for a 20% tax payer and £1,195.56 per year for a 40% tax payer. Additional information is available at www.childcare-vouchers.net or contact:

Amanda Ward
Director
Early Years Vouchers Ltd
Tel: 0845 0945 804
Email: amanda.ward@childcare-vouchers.net

Manuela Whittaker
The PressOffice - PR for Early Years Vouchers Ltd
Tel: 01780 721433
Email: mwhittaker@pressoffice.targetwire.com

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