How Southeastern saved over £500,000 in National Insurance - and built a culture where everyone goes the Extra Mile 

What they needed

Southeastern is a major UK rail operator with a workforce that's three quarters frontline - colleagues who aren't at desks, who need to access benefits and recognition on the go, and who can be harder to reach through traditional HR systems. 

The People team had a clear ambition: to give every employee the best possible experience, regardless of role or location. But with a dispersed workforce, no centralised benefits platform, and recognition happening inconsistently, they needed a solution that could bring everything together - discounts, benefits, reward and recognition - in one place, accessible from a mobile phone. 

They also needed to demonstrate real business value. A platform that could generate measurable savings, reduce HR admin burden and build a stronger culture. 

How we helped

Southeastern partnered with Reward Gateway | Edenred to build and launch Extra Mile - a fully centralised employee engagement system designed with the frontline worker in mind. 

Mobile access was a foundational requirement, and the solution was built to deliver everything - discounts, benefits, recognition - directly to colleagues' phones while out on the job. 

The ongoing partnership has been a genuine collaboration. With the Reward Gateway | Edenred team available via email, chat and phone whenever needed, they work as an extension of the Southeastern People team rather than a standalone supplier.

What they achieved

The numbers tell a compelling story. With 94% active users, Extra Mile has become embedded in daily working life at Southeastern. 

 In the last year alone, colleagues spent £1.5 million through the discounts programme, generating £83,000 in savings - backed by £112,000 in vouchers and 7,500 eCards issued. The SmartTech scheme has covered over £1 million in tech and white goods purchases, and the electric vehicle scheme has processed £3.7 million in orders. 

The business impact is equally significant. Southeastern has saved £500,000 in National Insurance contributions through salary sacrifice and has reinvested 75% of that saving back into the scheme, further extending the benefit to employees. 

Beyond the financials, Extra Mile has driven genuine culture change. Recognition is now visible to everyone, morale has improved, and managers have a practical tool to reward effort and exceptional service in real time.