The Department, as an employer within the wider civil service, makes the Cycle to Work Scheme available to its employees. There have been 588 Cycle to Work scheme take-ups since the start of 2018. 2020 showed an increased number of applications to the scheme compared to the precious two years.
2018 123
2019 153
2020 230
2021 (to date) 87
The Department's HR Wellbeing Unit was established in 2020 and since then its policy in this area offers supports in terms of educational webinars and other initiatives in areas such as fitness, nutrition and motivation.
The Department recently launched a "DSP Step challenge" with the aim of getting staff active coming into Spring, with 830 staff participating. The Unit will continue to provide similar initiatives in the coming months to support staff wellbeing in keeping active, including initiatives to promote the cycle to work scheme, road safety and being visible on the road during the winter months.