Leisure & Lifestyle

We all want to make the most of our time away from work. Lifestyle benefits through myChoice are designed to help you get the right balance between work and home while saving you money along the way.

Travel Insurance

Flights? Check. Hotel? Check. Travel Insurance? Don’t forget to protect yourself against mishaps or medical costs while you are abroad. You can choose European or Worldwide cover for a 12 month period.

Please note that Covid-19 exclusions still apply to the Leisure Travel Insurance policy T&C’s. Refer to the Important Updates page for more information.

There are 6 cover options available as follows:

Option 1 - Europe excluding Winter Sports

Option 2 - Europe including Winter Sports

Option 3 - Worldwide excluding Winter Sports

Option 4 - Worldwide including Winter Sports

Option 5 - Europe excluding Winter Sports & including Car Hire Excess

Option 6 - Europe including both Winter Sports & Car Hire Excess

You can choose to cover just yourself or add your partner and/or children too.

Note: You may only buy this insurance if you have Private Medical Insurance that includes Emergency Medical Expenses cover abroad.

Cycle to Work

Stay fit while doing your bit for the environment with Cycle to Work. You can also save money on tax through this government sponsored scheme, not to mention daily travel costs!

You can select up to €1,250 for pedal bicycles and eligible safety equipment, or €1,500 for pedelecs, e-bikes and eligible safety equipment. You must agree to use the bicycle mainly for ordinary commuting or business journeys.

You then hire the bicycle and equipment from us over a 12-month period or one-off payment, making ‘payments’ via Salary Sacrifice. As the cost is taken prior to Income Tax, PRSI and USC, you save money on the cost of the bike.

Once your 12-month hire agreement ends, the provider will contact you about your End of Hire options. If you leave HPE's employment during the hire period, any outstanding Salary Sacrifice repayments will be deducted from your final salary. Refer to the Cycle to Work FAQs inside your myChoice account for policy T&C's or contact the provider for more information.

Annual Leave

You will receive one additional day of Annual Leave after completing three full calendar years of continuous service, up to a maximum of five additional days (pro-rated for part-time team members). These increments to your Annual Leave entitlement will be granted on 1 January following the anniversary date.

You have the flexibility and convenience to tailor your Annual Leave to meet your needs, whether you’re looking to extend your holiday or get some extra cash in your pocket. The holiday year is aligned to the calendar year: 1st January to 31st December. For the 2024 calendar year, you can choose to either keep your Annual Leave, or increase / decrease your entitlement (subject to limits). If you want to increase or decrease the level of annual leave it should be agreed in advance with your manager.

Please be aware that there won’t be a mid-year enrolment window during 2024, so Annual Leave selections must be made during the annual enrolment window in November 2023. You will not be reimbursed for any Annual Leave you purchase but do not use within the calendar year for which it was selected, i.e.2024.

Annual Leave Limits

Minimum leave permitted is 20 days*

Maximum leave permitted is 30 days*

*Excludes your entitlement to Bank Holidays and is pro-rated for part-time team members.

Points to consider:

Do you need extra Annual Leave due to personal circumstances or family commitments?

If you choose extra Annual Leave, will you be able to take it within the myChoice Year?

You will need to discuss the timing of your Annual Leave with your manager.

How do I request Annual Leave?

To request annual leave simply log in to the Workday system and select the Time Off link from the homepage. You can also type ‘Request Time Off’ into the search bar in the top left corner.

Scroll through the calendar, highlight the days you’d like to take as annual leave and then choose the ‘Request Time Off’ button. Your request will be passed to your manager for approval and you’ll be notified once they have done so.

As you plan your Holidays each calendar year, please remember to set aside a few days from your annual leave entitlement to cover the mandatory office closure for the Christmas Holidays at year end - typically 4 days each year, or as announced locally through HPE internal email communications.