From 30% to 50% satisfaction: How Refresco’s employee benefits strategy won over a deskless workforce
Summary
Refresco began with just 30% of its UK workforce feeling they had “special and unique benefits.” The HR team, led by Sarah Tomson with communications support from Anne Hobson, consolidated fragmented benefits into a single platform, introduced flexible new options (private medical, dental, partner life assurance, EVs, will writing and more), and standardised core cover to improve equity. They paired the technical changes with a heavy communications push — including two weeks of roadshows visiting six factories and speaking face-to-face with over 1,200 colleagues. Within three months, 71% of employees had logged in, more than half chose at least one benefit, and satisfaction with benefits rose from 30% to 50%.
Key Points
- Initial problem: only 30% of employees felt they had special or unique benefits.
- Solution: centralised benefits platform and a new suite of flexible options to meet diverse needs.
- Equity move: standardised life assurance to a 3x salary minimum (option to increase to 10x) with cost-effective group rates.
- Communications: the “Cheers!” multi-channel campaign plus face-to-face roadshows were pivotal to uptake.
- Early results: 71% platform login rate, >50% selected a benefit, and benefit satisfaction rose by 66% (30% to 50%) in three months.
- Leadership buy-in improved after reframing success as offering choice rather than chasing raw opt-in numbers.
- Next steps: sustain engagement, promote benefits year-round and iterate using ongoing feedback.
Content Summary
Refresco used survey data (Great Place to Work) and leadership support to treat benefits as a lever for attraction, retention and engagement. The team repaired a fragmented offering by consolidating everything into one user-friendly platform and introducing a range of flexible benefits tailored to individual needs. Crucially, they prioritised fairness by standardising life assurance and offering accessible group rates. Communications were treated as equally important: a named campaign and in-person visits created transparency and credibility. Rapid engagement followed each site visit, and measurable improvements in login rates and satisfaction were recorded within three months.
Context and Relevance
Deskless workforces — shift-based, site-bound employees with limited digital access — are increasingly common across manufacturing, logistics and frontline sectors. This case study shows how combining platform consolidation, equitable benefits design and proactive, in-person communications can unlock rapid engagement. For HR teams wrestling with low perceived value of benefits, especially where employees are dispersed or non-desk-based, Refresco’s approach offers a practical blueprint that aligns with wider trends: personalised benefits, fairness/equity, and the importance of human-led communications.
Why should I read this?
Short version: if you’ve ever wrestled with low take-up because your people don’t sit at desks, this is a handy, real-world playbook. They didn’t just add shiny extras — they fixed fairness, bundled everything in one spot and actually went to meet people. The results? Quick spikes in logins and a proper boost in satisfaction. Read this if you want a no-nonsense example of what actually moves the needle with a shift-based workforce.
Author style
Punchy. The piece is practical and outcome-driven — it highlights measurable change and the tactical steps (platform, standardisation, roadshows, comms) that delivered it. If you care about translating survey insight into action, this write-up is worth a deeper read.