Lawyers at Stephenson Harwood will be able to configure a new electric car, complete with road tax, insurance, replacement tyres, routine servicing, and breakdown cover, for a fixed monthly fee from next year. The initiative will be available to Stephenson Harwood’s lawyers through salary sacrifice, whereby an employee of the firm can choose to reduce their salary in exchange for a non-cash benefit.
Stephenson Harwood said that the initiative will be better value for its staff than a normal private lease agreement, due to the income tax and national insurance savings which apply under the scheme. Furthermore, any money saved on the firm’s own national insurance contributions will go toward other sustainable initiatives.
The idea for the electric vehicle perk came from chief operating officer Axel Koelsch, who joined Stephenson Harwood from Addleshaw Goddard in January. Koelsch believes that offering staff an accessible and affordable option for leasing an electric vehicle is a great benefit to provide as the firm pushes toward greater sustainability.
In 2019, Stephenson Harwood achieved carbon neutral status in its London office and is currently working towards achieving net-zero and reducing its carbon emissions by 50%.
