The countdown has begun. Halloween is barely over before the major high street stores roll out their Christmas stock, reminding us all how little time we have left to fill those stockings.

With increasingly busy lives, many of us rely on internet shopping to take the strain out of the whole business – no queues, no crowds to battle through with heavy bags, no parking fees… and going online has an added bonus for staff across the University.

Last year, after a staff survey, the University teamed up with Motivano, a leading provider of voluntary benefits offering discounts at more than 400 high street stores, online retailers and local businesses.

Typical voucher savings include 4.5 per cent on Amazon, 8 per cent at Argos, HMV and Boots, ten per cent at Top Shop, Burtons and House of Fraser and 11 per cent at Debenhams. And you can save on the Christmas supermarket shop, with a 5 per cent discount at Asda and Sainsbury’s and up to 6 per cent at M&S.

You can also get a massive 25 per cent off an annual membership of The National Trust.

And staff can enjoy money off at local gyms, restaurants and bars, garages, sporting events and theatres, including 20 per cent off at Nottingham Playhouse – just in time for the panto,15 per cent off at 4550 Miles From Delhi, 10 per cent off tickets at Notts County and BOGOF tickets at Nottingham Rugby. The number of local organisations signing up is growing every day.

Visit www. motivano.co.uk/signin/uonstaffdiscounts and enter your username (username is UON and your payroll number, which can be found on payslips) and the password, which is ‘discounts’.

Click on ‘employee savings’ to see the full list of discounts. You can save on holidays, car hire, airport parking, theme park entry tickets, theatre breaks, home and garden, sports and fitness and much more all year long.

Register for regular updates by clicking on ‘my details’ and clicking on the ‘subscribe’ tab — tick ‘hot offers’ and enter your email address.

If you need help, call Motivano’s helpdesk on 0800 019 6666, 8.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.

Jaspal Kaur, Director of Human Resources, said: “Rewarding staff is a key element of our HR strategy. Voluntary benefits, such as high street discounts, form part of an employee’s overall package, alongside pay, holidays and pensions. I would encourage staff to take advantage of the offers on the site and to contact us if there are any specific providers they would like us to approach to seek discount from so that staff can get the most out of the scheme.”

Send suggestions to hr-enquiries@nottingham.ac.uk.