- Industry: Legal Services
- Headcount: 75
- Goal: Help young employees feel more supported financially and make pay go further.
- Solution: Everyday financial value without increasing salaries or adding admin.
- Key metrics: 50% of employees actively using Aslan. Each employee at least £50 better off through points alone.
In the legal services sector, where competition for talent is intensifying and employee expectations continue to rise, DRS Alternative Legal Solutions recognised that offering a competitive salary alone wasn’t enough. With cost-of-living pressures affecting all employees, particularly early-career hires, the HR team sought an employee benefit solution that could deliver meaningful, everyday financial support without increasing payroll costs or administrative burden.
A strategic shift: Making pay go further, without increasing payroll
Founded in 2009 and now spanning offices in both London and Newcastle, DRS has always positioned itself as a people-first organisation. However, like many HR teams, they faced familiar challenges: financial stress among staff, growing demand for flexibility, and rising organisational costs driven by national insurance increases.
DRS needed a solution that could make every pound work harder. The Aslan platform offered exactly that, everyday financial value that employees could feel immediately.
A quick launch with immediate uptake
The January 2025 launch of Aslan set a strong foundation for engagement. The platform’s simplicity resonated across both locations, and employees quickly recognised the value of being able to earn Aslan Roarward™ points on all their spending, boosted by easy-to-access digital vouchers, instant deals and control over their earnings.
Iryna, head of finance, highlighted how easy Aslan reporting is
“Yes, the reports are easy to download. It was helpful to be able to split the files between our different pay calendars.”
— Iryna, Head of Finance, DRS
Onboarding couldn’t have been simpler. There was no change to the existing payroll process and the benefits were available almost instantly.
One year on: Tangible value and habitual use
Today, Aslan has become part of daily life at DRS. A third of all employees are spending on their rewards card month-on-month, with 50% of the whole team active on the Aslan app. These small, frequent uses compound into real financial outcomes. Each DRS employee was £50 better off last year simply through Roarward™ points on everyday purchases alone. Delivering that same value through base pay would have required a significantly larger investment.
Ruby, part of the HR team, describes the impact from both a professional and personal lens:
“About 30% of my pay goes into Aslan for daily spending, travel, coffees, all the small things that add up. It protects my savings and makes budgeting easier. I’ve already recommended it to colleagues.”
— Ruby, Office & HR Administration Support, DRS
Ruby’s experience mirrors that of many employees who appreciate both the practical budgeting support and the cumulative financial impact.
Supporting and retaining early-career talent
One of the most meaningful outcomes for DRS has been the platform’s impact on new graduates. As Ruby explains, a monthly payroll in arrears can leave early-career employees feeling uncertain about how to manage costs such as travel, meals, equipment, or clothes during their first weeks. DRS’s CEO backed up Ruby’s point when first implementing Aslan early last year.
“People want more from their pay. They want everyday value, flexibility, and to feel in control. New grads also want to get paid immediately.”
— Jonathan, Director & CEO, DRS
Aslan supports DRS in bridging this gap by providing free and immediate access to a portion of earned pay, enabling graduates to manage essentials confidently, all while earning points on what they spend. This early support reduces financial anxiety, promotes healthy money habits, and reinforces DRS’s culture of care. The result is smoother onboarding, greater independence among new hires, and a stronger foundation for long-term retention.
A differentiated employee value proposition in a competitive market
With talent acquisition and engagement increasingly tied to perceived employer support, DRS now positions Aslan as part of its enhanced employee value proposition. The platform demonstrates the organisation’s ongoing commitment to financial wellbeing and resonates with staff at every level, from graduates to senior professionals.
The partnership works because it aligns with what HR leaders value most:
- Real employee value without increasing payroll
- High engagement without administrative overhead
- Tools that support both day-to-day living and long-term wellbeing
- A benefit that is equally relevant across diverse employee groups
Looking ahead: Expanding financial wellbeing
As DRS looks to the year ahead, the team has recently introduced new Aslan features designed to deepen financial support and strengthen engagement, including:
- Set & Spend: A budgeting tool allowing employees to set aside a portion of their salary each month for controlled spending using their Aslan rewards card. Helping staff, including new graduates, manage their finances with greater confidence and predictability.
- Digital vouchers: Simple, instant and mobile-first, employees can earn up to 20× the points at major retailers like Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Adidas. Making their everyday spending go even further.
Final thoughts:
The DRS team are looking forward to introducing payroll savings with Aslan. Giving all employees the opportunity to enjoy goal-based savings with incredible returns for reaching their goals.
All the Aslan features align with DRS’s long-term vision, supporting financial resilience, promoting healthy budgeting behaviours, and offering accessible, meaningful benefits that strengthen retention and employee satisfaction.
DRS was founded by practitioners who have worked in the finance industry for many years and therefore have the first-hand experience of the challenges faced by our clients. Our key strengths – and what makes us different – are knowledge and experience. Our research experts constantly scan the regulatory horizon to ensure that we are aware of the environment within which our clients operate and the impact this has on the relationships with their counterparties. We then deliver that knowledge and capability to our clients via the DocHubTM – our outsourced contract management team based in London and Newcastle.
