Employee Benefits

The Education Authority exists to provide a high-quality education for every child. Our people are our greatest asset in achieving this mission. We value the exceptional contributions of individuals and teams right across our organisation. 

We are committed to providing you with the resources and support you need to excel in your role and make a positive impact on the lives of the children and young people we serve.

Our Total Rewards Benefits Package offers a blend of health and wellness benefits, pension plans, professional development opportunities, flexible leave policies, and adaptable working arrangements to support staff personal and professional well-being

Here you will learn about some of benefits, rewards, support and development available to our people to enable them to successfully deliver their roles and contribute positively to our mission.

Please reach out to the teams identified throughout should you require any further information.

Under the Health and Wellbeing umbrella, our employee benefits aim to promote a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

They include health insurance plans, wellness programs, mental health support and resources for work-life balance, ensuring your overall well-being is nurtured and prioritised.

The EA HealthWell Hub is a digital solution developed to support the themes of EA’s first staff focused Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2019-22. The solution will improve EA staff accessibility to key health and wellbeing information and initiatives.

It is an interactive website which provides EA employees with support, education, signposting and information on a wide range of topics as a way of improving their overall health and wellbeing.

The hub is complimented by and helps to communicate the EA HealthWell Programme. This Programme includes a wide range of initiatives, sessions and campaigns organised in partnership with EA Health and Wellbeing Champions and others to support staff wellness.

A network of Health and Wellbeing Champions has been formed and will be further developed and supported so that individuals can get involved in driving wellbeing forward for themselves and their colleagues throughout EA.

You can also access EA HealthWell from the comfort of your home 24/7 on your phone, PC or device.

To find out more about the fantastic range of guidance and support available visit the HealthWell Hub.

The EA HealthWell Programme is available for all EA staff to avail of. This programme enables staff to be proactive about their own self-care. The programme provides staff with the latest health and wellbeing initiatives, sessions and campaigns taking place over the coming months. We will continue to add to the programme during this time and endeavour to respond to additional demand where possible. We encourage all staff to view the EA HealthWell Programme and book early to avoid disappointment.

The latest phase of the programme is available to view on the EA HealthWell Hub.

At one time or another we can all feel overwhelmed. At times like these, it may be helpful to speak with someone trained to listen who can offer advice, guidance, and a fresh approach.

The support available via Lena is fully independent and provides you with access to a range of mental health and wellbeing interventions.

Services include: 

• Free and confidential 24/7 Ireland based helpline, available 365 days per year.
• Rapid access to therapeutic support provided locally by qualifies, empathetic and experienced counsellors.
• Structured counselling delivered face to face, by telephone, or by video.

Email: support@lenabyinspire.com

Telephone: 0808 800 0002

Further information is available on the HealthWell Hub.

EA employees can now join the Benenden Healthcare scheme as a corporate member and have immediate access to all the healthcare benefits on offer.  As a corporate member, you will not have to wait the usual 6 month qualifying period to access physio, diagnostics or treatment.

Immediate access to a range of benefits including:

• GP 24/7 Helpline – GP access 24/7 for you and your immediate family.
• 24/7 Mental Health Helpline – access to a qualified counsellor 24/7.
• Care Planning and Social Care Advice – Expert advice & support to help you resolve your care needs.
• Be Healthy magazine – quarterly health & wellbeing magazine.
• Employee rewards and benefits – access to rewards & discounts on gym memberships, cinema tickets & shopping discounts.
• The Benenden Health App and Wellbeing Hub – access healthcare benefits on the go.
• Private Medical Diagnostics – up to £2,500 (if you are faced with a waiting time of more than three weeks on the NHS.
• Private Medical Treatment – full cost of any authorised treatment or surgery (if you are faced with a waiting time of more than five weeks on the NHS).
• Physiotherapy – access to a physiotherapist within a 15-mile radius of your home with no GP referral needed up to a maximum of six sessions.
• Cancer Support – access to an experienced registered nurse who will provide emotional and practical support and advice.
• Mental Health Counselling Support – short-term structured support when faced with a life stressor.

See the full list of Benenden approved procedures.

Access the Benenden Opting In Form.

You can find out more about the scheme on the HealthWell site.

Teaching and non-teaching employees who use a Visual Display Unit (VDU) screen for more 1 hour per day are eligible to apply for an eyesight screening test. 

We will reimburse the full amount of the eye test and contribute £55 towards the cost of lenses.  Please note that claims can only be made every 2 years.

Application forms can be accessed through the links below.

• Non-Teaching DSE Eyesight Test Application Form:
• Eye Tests/Glasses can be reimbursed via EA One Self-service or through this form.
• Teaching – Information & Application Form:
• Teaching staff can access information and the application form.

We continue our partnership with Halfords in a new and improved Cycle2Work Scheme. 

To promote healthier journeys to work and to reduce environmental pollution, the 1999 Finance Act introduced an annual tax exemption which allows employers to loan cycles and cyclists safety equipment to employees as a tax-free benefit.

You can sign up at Halfords, using your name, email address and employer code which is EA12C2W. Note this is for 52-week contracted staff.

Please note: if you are a term time/retainer fee paid employee, the application process will open in June and close in August. 

Cycle 2 Work Scheme

The Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme for all EA staff (Teaching and non-teaching) enables eligible EA staff to make tax and national insurance savings whilst driving a new, fully maintained and fully insured vehicle. This scheme has been accessed through the CPC Drive National Framework. Through CPC Drive and their partner Tusker, a range of vehicles will be available (subject to affordability).

What is the eligibility criteria? 

• Be an EA teacher (on DENI Payroll) or a non-teaching employee (on EA payroll).
• Have 6 months continuous service.
• Have a contract in place longer than the term you are applying for.

What is included? 

• Fully comprehensive motor insurance.
• All routine servicing, MOT and fair wear and tear maintenance.
• A home charging point and standard installation with electric and plug-in hybrid cars (Subject to eligibility)
• Replacement tyres
• Annual Road Fund Licence
• Full Breakdown and Recovery assistance

More information on the scheme can be found on the HealthWell site.

EA employees have access to a new EA Employee Lifestyle Savings Benefit Scheme.

This arrangement is in partnership with Vivup and hosted on a dedicated platform.

Here is just a selection of the exciting savings available to you*

• 7% savings at Currys
• 5% off groceries at Sainsbury’s
• Save 4% at Tesco, Asda, plus 6.5% at Marks and Spencer
• Discounts on fashion including 7% off Primark, 7.5% off ASOS, 7% off River Island and 9% off H&M
• 5% off your DIY essentials at B&Q
• Save on sportswear with 10% off Adidas, 10% off Footlocker and 4% off Sports Direct…. plus much more!

*Correct at time of writing Savings and offers subject to change

Don’t wait another moment to make your wellbeing a priority both in and out of the workplace.

To register for the Lifestyle Scheme visit the Sign Up section on Vivup website. 

More information on the scheme can be found on the HealthWell site.

Learning & Development Portfolio 2025-2026: Learning and Development opportunities for all staff.

Shared Education Hub: The Shared Education hub has been developed to:

• Promote cross-sectoral partnership working;
• Develop an understanding of Shared Education;
• Build the capacity of the school system to deliver highly effective Shared Education;
• Share best practice from teachers, school leaders and academics;
• Explore new approaches which can improve outcomes for children and young people;
• Establish the link between Shared Education partnership working and School Improvement; and
• Facilitate teachers with a range of resources and materials that can be used to deliver Shared Education.

Supporting Learning Website: Learning website for teaching staff. 

EA Learn: New Learning Management System, EA Learn, is available for corporately managed staff.

All corporately managed staff should now use EA Learn to complete their core statutory and mandatory training that can be found in the ‘My Learning’ tile and any other training currently available on the system.

Role specific statutory and mandatory training will continue to be added to EA Learn as it becomes available, and staff should complete this via EA Learn or book into any face-to-face sessions that may also be available.

So, keep an eye on new courses and events becoming available on EA Learn.

As an organisation we strongly believe in the importance of equality and diversity and have policies and initiatives to support this.

The Equality and Human Rights Service is committed to making sure our workforce is as diverse as our society, and is responsible for many schemes, initiatives and networking groups that support and provide equality of opportunity for all our staff.

Find out more below or contact the team at equality.unit@eani.org.uk 

It is important to note that, since the implementation of the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, Equality Monitoring information should be completed by all staff – including teachers and non-teaching staff members.   

Please take 5 minutes to complete, or update, their Equality Monitoring information via Oracle Self Service at their earliest convenience.  

Why is it important to provide Equality Monitoring Information? 

As an organisation that values diversity, EA is committed to ensuring that we fulfil our duties under Section 75 and Schedule 9 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (the Act) and under the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998. As a large public sector organisation, we will continue to drive a culture that promotes inclusion and respects difference. ‘Equality’ is one of the Education Authority’s key values, and as a values led organisation, respect for diversity and promoting inclusion is central to all of the work that we do. 

The collection and monitoring of equal opportunities information helps us to analyse the demographic of our workforce across schools and EA services in relation to the protected categories such as disability, age, gender, and ethnicity, as well as community background. This analysis will help us highlight any potential inequalities, investigate the underlying causes of those inequalities, and seek to redress any unfairness or disadvantage. 

Staff are not legally obliged to provide the information and where staff do not wish to declare their status under any of the protected categories on the Equality Monitoring Information, it is advisable that they still complete the form with the “Prefer Not to Say” option that is available. 

You can find more information on how to access the Equality Monitoring Form.

Joint Declaration of Protection

EA values all its employees and works to create an inclusive environment where individual differences are respected and valued - and this ethos is set out in our Joint Declaration of Protection.

The Disability Employment Support Service | EA Staff Hub which supports our staff in schools and offices who have or acquire a disability.

DESS makes sure staff have access to additional support and equipment whenever needed in addition to supporting those with disabilities with career advancement opportunities as well as making sure line management is suitably equipped to support them directly as well.

GLEAM is a staff network designed to promote a better understanding of LGBTQ+ Inclusion and make LGBT experiences more visible in the organisation through a programme of activities and the co-ordination of staff attendance at related events. GLEAM also works with other employers to share best practice and provides valuable networking opportunities for members including informal mentoring and coaching.

LINK is our Disability and Carers staff network which promotes a positive culture around disability across the organisation and provides peer to peer support to members.

The Menopause Workplace Policy

The Menopause Workplace Policy recognises that women may need additional consideration, support and adjustments during the time of change before, during and after the menopause.

The Education Authority values the contributions all our employees make to delivering better outcomes for children and young people and will support staff in work by having a positive attitude to the menopause, working proactively to make adjustments where necessary to support women experiencing the menopause and to ensure the workplace does not unintentionally make their symptoms worse.

For more information see our Menopause Workplace Policy.

Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse Workplace Policy

The EA is committed to promoting a workplace culture with zero tolerance for abuse that recognises that the responsibility for domestic and sexual violence and abuse lies with the perpetrator. Our ‘zero tolerance’ position on domestic and sexual violence and abuse is committed to ensuring that any employee who is the victim of domestic and sexual violence and abuse has the right to raise the issue with their employer in the knowledge that they will receive appropriate support and assistance.

For more information see our Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse Workplace Policy.

The EA Equality and Human Rights Service has a range of equality related modules available to EA staff. This includes a mix of mandatory and optional modules on EA Learn.

From covering the basics of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, to additional thematic bitesize training modules, there is a wide range of information available to support EA Staff.

For Equality training, if you are a corporately managed member of staff, please go to the EA Learning Library tile and filter for the Equality and Diversity category or click on the links below to find out more about the training.

If you have any enquiries in relation to Equality Training, please email: equality.unit@eani.org.uk

• Introduction to Equality - Mandatory for all EA staff
• Active Bystanders – Manager Version
• Active Bystanders – Team Version
• Equality Screening Modules 1 & 2
• Disability Inclusion in Practice – Manager Version
• Disability Inclusion in Practice – Team Version
• Sexual Harassment at Work
• Neurodiversity Inclusion in Practice – Manager Version
• Neurodiversity Inclusion in Practice – Team Version
• LGBT+ Inclusion In Practice - Manager Version
• LGBT+ Inclusion In Practice - Team Version
• The Uncomfortable Conversation about Race Inequality
• The Uncomfortable Truth about Race Inequality

We are committed to working positively with Trade Union (TU) colleagues for the good of EA staff with a range of well-established structures in place to maximize the employee voice.  We actively encourage staff to consider Trade Union membership as the Trade Unions have an important role to play in making EA a great place to work.  

Access contact details for the relevant TUs recognised by the EA.

Non-teaching

• NIPSA
• Unite the Union
• Prospect
• Unison
• GMB Union
• AEP

Teaching

• NASUWT
• NAHT
• UTU
• INTO
• NEU