All articles by Alison Coleman
-
-
Case StudiesPerfomalis provides group risk perks to support staff wellbeing
Group risk benefits are available to organisations of all sizes, from small firms with just a handful of employees to large corporates. Digital marketing agency Perfomalis employs a team of 18 but offers group risk protection covering income during treatment, as well as lump-sum payments for more ...
-
AnalysisHow employers can support staff through critical illness
Credit: Chumakov Oleg / Shutterstock Need to know: While the focus of group risk benefits was previously on the claim aspect and the monetary payout, now it is more about the crucial support and wellbeing benefits included in many policies. Communication of group risk benefits through ...
-
AnalysisAre reward professionals ready for the 2026 P11D changes?
Credit: Hyejin Kang/Shutterstock Need to know: Employers should start planning now for the P11D changes to the reporting and paying of tax and Class 1A national insurance contributions (NICs) on benefits in kind, to ensure a smooth transition to the new system in April 2026. Potential ...
-
ArticleBuyer's guide to motivation voucher schemes
Credit: Black Salmon/ShutterstockWhat are motivation voucher schemes?Motivation voucher schemes are an effective means of engaging employees, particularly when pay rises are few and far between. The vouchers carry a monetary value that can either be spent at a single store or at multiple retailers.Motivation vouchers have been a popular way ...
-
ArticleTEST: Motivation vouchers
Motivation vouchers have been a popular way for organisations to incentivise their employees for many years, from rewarding loyalty and recognising long service, to saying a simple thank-you for a job well done. In return, staff who feel recognised and valued are likely to be more engaged and productive, and ...
-
ArticleBuyers’ guide to off-the-shelf voluntary benefits schemes
Credit: Achira22/ShutterstockWhat are off-the-shelf voluntary benefits packages?Voluntary benefits are additional benefits that employers can offer to their employees alongside their salary. Employees pay for the voluntary benefits they choose but usually receive these benefits at a lower price due to group discounts.Unlike bespoke voluntary benefits packages that are tailored to ...
-
Case StudiesMoneypenny's motivation strategy covers remote, hybrid and office-based employees
Motivating remote and hybrid workers has its own challenges, and is something that Moneypenny, a provider of call answering, live chat and bespoke customer communication services, has acknowledged in its motivation strategies.The organisation employs over 1,000 people in the UK and the US, where it offers hybrid working. It also ...
-
AnalysisWhat will employee motivation look like in 2024?
Credit: Artem Oleshko/ShutterstockNeed to know:Employee motivation strategies need to factor in cost-of-living pressures and the increasing need for personal development.Motivating people to return to the office must be carefully balanced with the motivational aspects of the flexibility of remote and hybrid working.As skill shortages continue, reskilling and upskilling staff, particularly ...
-
Case StudiesBT boosts employees' pension knowledge with financial education programme
For the last 11 years, BT has rolled out a programme of financial education for its employees to help them plan for retirement. So far, it has been delivered to approximately 80,000 of its UK employees.Kerry Shiels, pension and benefits director at BT, says: “It is very important that employees ...
-
AnalysisTop tips for boosting employees’ pensions knowledge
Need to know:Employers can tailor content and communication channels to different employee groups to help with their pensions knowledge.Losing the jargon will make the language of pensions easier to understand and more relevant to staff.They could invest in financial coaching for a more personal approach to pensions education.Workplace pensions are ...
-
AnalysisHow employee feedback can inform a benefits strategy
Need to know:When gathering feedback, striking a balance between anonymity and usefulness of the data is key, as is being transparent with how this balance is achieved with employees.Whichever feedback method is used, questions must reflect the workforce, based on all segments of the demographic, but also on their working ...
-
Case StudiesAster Group ensures its benefits align with employees' needs
Housing association Aster Group employs more than 1,900 people across a range of roles including development, planning, marketing, customer liaison and sales. The organisation uses focus groups, anonymous feedback and regular pulse surveys to ensure that its benefits scheme applies to everyone.Lyndsay Nickerson, transformation director, people and communications, says: “While ...
-
ArticleBuyer's guide to critical illness insurance
Nothing in life is certain, and being diagnosed with a critical illness such as a heart attack or cancer is a reality that many individuals have to face. Having access to critical illness insurance cover provided by their employer helps to alleviate some of the financial worry ...
-
Case StudiesApplifting promotes a fair reward system with pay transparency
Transparent pay strategies can entail openly disclosing employee salaries to other employees and potential recruits. The logic behind this is that it places everyone on the same page regarding expectations for salary and creates a fair conversation for employees that want to discuss pay rises. Founded in 2014, software development ...
-
AnalysisHow can pay transparency manage employees’ expectations around salary?
Need to know:In challenging times, it is important to foster trust in the workplace. Transparency around pay levels and salary capabilities helps to avoid frustration and misunderstandings and instead provide clarity and reassurance.When it comes to asking for a pay rise, knowing what those in a higher position are earning ...
-
ArticleBuyer's guide to share incentive plans
What are share incentive plans?Share incentive plans (Sips) were introduced in the UK in 2000 as a type of employee share scheme aimed at helping employees, who can purchase shares or be awarded free shares in the company, to save in a tax-efficient way. By promoting employee ownership and participation, ...
-
AnalysisWhat impact will CDC pensions have on employers’ retirement provisions?
Need to know: Collective defined contribution (CDC) pensions potentially offer a more sustainable way of funding pensions and reducing pension liabilities for some employers. Their potential to provide a more secure and predictable retirement income for employees could help to close the retirement savings gap that ...
-
AnalysisHow have pension freedoms impacted retirement planning?
Need to know:Increasing education about pensions is key to helping employees make the right decisions about accessing their pension savings early.The ability to access pension funds early could prompt changes to the way that pension providers invest for their members.New initiatives, such as the Living Pension, provide an opportunity for ...
-
Case StudiesFlaunt Digital raises awareness of retirement planning through pensions communication
Pensions are not usually at the forefront of the minds of young employees, yet early engagement with the subject could make accruing sufficient retirement funds much more likely.Digital marketing firm Flaunt Digital provides pensions education and information for its 30-strong workforce whose average age is 30. The Leeds-based firm recently ...