Health screening latest example of flexible benefits

A transport firm has launched a voluntary health screening programme for employees in its bus division, in the latest example of the growing range of flexible benefits that employers can offer.

Launching this month in north-east Scotland, Stagecoach''s Healthy Heart Bus will tour Stagecoach bus depots to offer free heart health check-ups for thousands of its staff.

A number of employers offer private medical insurance as an employee benefit, an admirable gesture in the economic downturn, but flexible benefits of the kind Stagecoach are offering can help to keep costs down.

Brian Souter, chief executive of Stagecoach, said: "This kind of personal health check is often only available to senior executives. We felt it was important to extend the service to our frontline employees who serve our customers every day."

Mr Souter personally put forward £1 million towards the screenings, which will be open to employees with more than three years'' service under their belts. Back