Practical, ready-to-use guidance for launching payroll savings and keeping momentum — written for HR teams, payroll managers and line managers.
Everything you need for launch day
The single biggest driver of sign-up is a clear, personal launch. Employers who announce the scheme through more than one channel — email, payslips, team meetings — typically see two to three times the participation of those who rely on a single message. Use the templates below as they are, or adapt them to your own voice.
Subject: A new way to save — straight from your pay
Hi everyone,
From [date], you'll be able to save directly from your pay with [Credit Union name] — a not-for-profit financial co-operative that we've partnered with.
Here's how it works: you choose an amount (from as little as £10 a month), and it moves into your Credit Union savings account before your pay reaches your bank. You never see it, so you never miss it. You can change the amount or withdraw your savings whenever you need to.
It costs you nothing to join, your savings are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and this is entirely optional — it's simply there if it's useful to you.
To get started, visit [sign-up link] or speak to [contact name] in [team].
[Your name]
"Save as you earn — from £10 a month, straight from your pay, with [Credit Union name]. Change or stop any time. Ask [contact] or visit [link] to start."
"Pay yourself first. Join the workplace savings scheme and build a rainy-day fund without thinking about it. It takes five minutes to set up and you're always in control."
Talking points for HR and leadership
UK adults have less than £100 in savings. For many of your people, a payroll savings habit is the first financial buffer they will ever build.
of employees say money worries affect their performance at work. Financial stress shows up as absence, presenteeism and turnover — payroll saving directly addresses the cause.
APR is the legal maximum a Credit Union can ever charge on a loan — and most charge far less. Compare that with high-cost short-term credit, where APRs run into the hundreds or thousands of percent. Members with somewhere fair to borrow don't end up at payday, doorstep or illegal lenders.
cost to the organisation. Deductions run through your existing payroll cycle, and Active Choice automates onboarding, authorisations and reconciliation.
is all it takes an employee to join. No credit checks, no paperwork — they choose an amount and it happens automatically from the next pay run.
Five things every manager should know
Managers are the most trusted voice in most workplaces. A thirty-second mention in a team meeting does more than any poster. Share these five points with your managers before launch.
The scheme builds savings from pay. Members also gain access to low-cost, affordable loans — a fair alternative to payday or doorstep lenders — but nobody is ever sold a loan.
Nobody is required to join, and you will never know who has. Don't single people out — just make sure everyone knows it exists.
Savings sit with a PRA-regulated Credit Union and are protected by the FSCS. Employees can withdraw whenever they need to.
From £10 a month. The habit matters more than the amount — most members increase their saving once it's running.
Your job is one sentence: "We've launched a workplace savings scheme — details are on [link] if it's useful to you."
Share these directly with your people
Yes. Your savings are held by a Credit Union authorised and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority, and protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 — the same protection you get with a bank.
Most Credit Unions start from £10 a month. There's no obligation to save more, and you can change your amount whenever you like — just tell the Credit Union and your payroll team will be notified automatically.
Yes. It's your money and you can withdraw it whenever you need to, directly from the Credit Union. Some members keep a separate locked pot for longer-term goals, but that's always your choice.
No. Your employer only processes the deduction amount you've authorised. Your balance, your withdrawals and everything else about your account is between you and the Credit Union.
Your Credit Union account is yours, not your employer's. If you leave, your savings stay put — you simply switch to paying in directly instead of through payroll.
A not-for-profit financial co-operative owned by its members — people like you. Any surplus goes back to members rather than shareholders. Credit Unions have served UK communities for over 60 years.
Yes. As a Credit Union member you can apply for loans at low-cost, affordable rates. By law a Credit Union can never charge more than 3% a month (42.6% APR), and most charge much less — a world away from payday or doorstep lenders. Repayments can come straight from your pay too, and saving regularly often improves the rate you're offered.
No. Joining and saving with a Credit Union involves no credit check and doesn't appear on your credit file. (A credit check only happens if you later apply for a loan.)
Because it happens before your pay lands, saving becomes automatic rather than an act of willpower. Members consistently say this is the first time saving has actually stuck.
Quantify the difference — every quarter, automatically
Every employer on Active Choice receives a quarterly Social Impact Report, generated automatically from live scheme data. It turns your payroll savings scheme from a quiet benefit into measurable social value you can evidence — to your board, in ESG statements, and in Social Value commitments for public sector procurement.
How many of your people are saving, how that's trending, and how you compare to similar employers on the network.
What your people saved by borrowing at fair Credit Union rates instead of high-cost lenders — harm avoided, measured in pounds.
Total and average savings balances — the rainy-day buffer your workforce now holds that it didn't before.
Anonymised trends in scheme behaviour that correlate with reduced financial stress, such as steady saving streaks.
Download as PDF or PowerPoint, with your branding — drop it straight into board packs, ESG reports and tenders.
All reporting is aggregated and anonymised. No individual employee's savings are ever visible to the employer.
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