Yes, up to two months ago. I'll have to ask my erstwhile colleagues about that - should cause a riot if only some of the staff get it! Fortunately I never needed it as I get unlimited free first class travel on any TOC.
I was talking to a senior manager (who had worked for TPE since '04, being a "city banker" before, so wasn't safeguarded) at Transpennine back in September, who had free first class travel on TP, however we got into a discussion about the West Highland Line, and i said "oh, I imagine you will get free travel up there too, seen as it's First". He seemed quite surprised, and said, in a rather jovial way "First have to make a profit somehow, and they wouldn't if they let all their staff get freebies!" and went onto say that he got discounts in Scotland, but
not free travel
. This seems very strange though, when talking to other people I know, who work at much lower ranks at First TOCs (who are also non-safeguarded), who get these First boxes. I did, however, speak to a Laira fitter while on holiday in Ireland, who was safeguarded, and he got the standard amount of BR boxes, however he didn't get free travel normally on FGW!- This meant, afaik, he had to buy a Priv rate season to get to work in the morning, despite travelling on "his" TOC- which his union wasn't happy about.