Multi-Benefit Pass Will Enhance Productivity And Optimize Resources: Sodexo

Sodexo has launched Multi-Benefit Pass with an aim to enhance the employee experience. Suvodeep Das, VP- Sales and Marketing, Sodexo BRS India talks about the new offerings and the changing benefits industry.

Tell us more about the Sodexo Multi-Benefit Pass. What all benefits will be included under this?

Sodexo Multi-Benefit Pass is a one-stop solution for all employee benefits. It’s a unique solution where a magnetic stripe can be used to avail meal benefits across Sodexo’s 100,000+ strong merchant network, and the chip can be used across Rupay’s network of 36 lakh+ outlets pan-India. It brings varied employee benefits like fuel, gift, meal, uniform, books & periodicals, etc on one card that makes the management of employee benefits easy for clients and delightful for the employees.

What need of the market led to the launch of this solution? What was the vision behind launching the Multi-Benefit Pass?

Consumer experience is at the heart of everything that Sodexo does. This solution will significantly enhance the way consumers will avail benefits that are offered by their organizations, eliminating the need to store paper & file reimbursements on paper – they can manage all their employee benefits using a state-of-the-art mobile app, also enhancing their productivity. From the employer’s perspective, in addition to enhanced employee productivity & engagement, they will also be able to optimize resources required to process all these claims every month.

Given that the competition is offering such “Multi-Benefit” solutions, how is the Sodexo Multi-benefit Pass different from other solutions?

Sodexo Multi-benefit pass is a 100 percent compliant and the most-innovative solution that enables employees to avail their meal benefits at Sodexo – affiliated outlets as well as non– meal benefits like a gift, fuel, telecom and many more across Rupay’s vast network of 36 lakh outlets across India. It gives employees the freedom to do more with just one card.

Besides compliance, a key differentiator for Sodexo is a state-of-the-art consumer mobile app. With the app, consumers do not need to remember their card PIN and can generate a dynamic PIN to instantly to make purchases. Employees can also make mobile payments, view transaction history on-the-go, find nearest meal outlets and discover exclusive deals and discounts.

What are the advantages of using this card? Is this solution Tax compliant?

Sodexo Multi-Benefit Pass eliminates the hassles of managing paper-based claims, adding to better workplace productivity and greater efficiency at work. Organizations have the option to choose between reimbursement model or allowance model as per their requirements/ norms. The solution comes with a next-gen portal where clients can log-in to place card orders, load cards and manage benefits for their employees according to their company policies. The dashboard also gives them insights into usage patterns of the employees.

The Sodexo Multi-Benefit solution is a 100 percent tax compliant solution. The meal pass can only be swiped by employees at Sodexo-affiliated outlets for the purchase of food and non – alcoholic beverages. While the multi-benefit pass can be used for non– meal benefits like paying telecom bills, fuel, etc. as directed under company policies.

The fully – digital nature of the solution makes this solution highly personalized as per employee as well as company needs. In fact, it comes with a next-gen mobile app where employees don’t need to carry their card and simply use the mobile app to view transaction history on the go or find nearest meal outlets, avail deals and discounts and much more.

How do you see the employee benefits industry developing? What are Sodexo's plans for 2019?

2019 is the year of employee experience. With more and more millennials and gen Z getting a foothold into the corporates, they are seeking solutions that complement their lifestyle. Hyper-personalisation of employee benefits will be the key to deliver a superior experience. In fact, the recent study by Kantar TNS commissioned by Sodexo in late 2018, demonstrates the preference of non – financial, new-age benefits over financial benefits among the country’s millennials. And, that is exactly where Sodexo Multi-Benefit Pass, the one-stop solution for all employee benefits on one card fits in.