All Analysis articles – Page 105

  • Analysis

    Helping staff get to grips with annuities

    2008-11-01T15:38:10Z

    Despite the wide range of annuity options available on the market, many employees still fail to shop around to obtain the best deal, so should employers be obliged to help them, asks Ceri JonesThe advantages of shopping around for better annuities hit the headlines in May this year when the ...

  • Analysis

    Impact of Welfare Reform Act on absence management

    2008-11-01T15:27:10Z

    The introduction of the Welfare Reform Act could prompt employers to take a fresh look at what steps they can take to help long-term absentees return to the workplace, explains Katrina McKeeverThe Welfare Reform Act, which came into effect last month, is the government's latest move to reform the welfare ...

  • Analysis

    Cracking Christmas ideas to motivate staff

    2008-11-01T15:21:27Z

    A cheap and cheerful Christmas may be the best many employers can afford to offer their staff this year, says Sarah ColesChristmas is traditionally a time for overindulging on food and letting out the waistband. Un- fortunately, this year there will be an unseasonable amount of belt-tightening as the economic ...

  • Analysis

    Impact of economic downturn on psychological contract between employer and employee

    2008-11-01T15:15:00Z

    The currently gloomy economic environment could encourage the psychological contract to tip back in employers’ favour away from employees, explains Victoria FurnessWatching events unfold over the past couple of months in the financial services sector has been a bit like watching a soap opera. The collapse of financial institutions such ...

  • Analysis

    Total reward packages help communicate full value of perks

    2008-11-01T15:14:00Z

    Total reward packages give employers the chance to communicate the full value of benefits to staff, says Jenny KeefeWhat gets employees out of bed and into the shower on a freezing dark morning? It might be the cut and thrust of competition, the prestige attached to working at a well-known ...

  • Analysis

    Buyer’s guide to driver training

    2008-11-01T15:03:31Z

    Driver training can help to reduce fleet costs and keep employers on the right side of the legal road, says Tom WashingtonDriver training can counteract or reduce many of the risks and costs involved in having employees on the road. It is a way for employers to fulfil their corporate ...

  • Analysis

    Dealing with stress and mental health problems in the workplace

    2008-11-01T10:50:28Z

    Stress and mental health issues can be difficult to spot and deal with, so a strategy is required says Alison ColemanGiven the current climate of economic gloom, with fears over job cuts, a housing slump and rising living costs, it is hardly surprising if stress and anxiety levels among staff ...

  • Analysis

    Make sure there are no gaps in group risk cover

    2008-11-01T10:50:28Z

    Discovering gaps in group risk schemes can be damaging so steps should be taken by employers to remain on top of issues such as administration, says Edmund TirbuttMany employers rely on group risk benefits such as income protection or private medical insurance (PMI) to help deal with the issues associated ...

  • Analysis

    Interview with Willl Cavendish, director of health and wellbeing at the Department of Health

    2008-11-01T10:50:28Z

    Will Cavendish, director of health and wellbeing at the Department of Health, believes employers can improve the nation's health while also helping themselves, says Nicola SullivanEmployers can play an important role in tackling some of the UK's most prevalent health problems while at the same time improve their own financial ...

  • Analysis

    Ways to cut the cost of health and wellbeing benefits

    2008-11-01T10:50:28Z

    The economic slowdown means organisations are looking at ways to cut the cost of health and wellbeing benefits while still caring for their staff, says Tom WashingtonIdentifying how to provide attractive perks within a budget is an essential skill for any benefits professionals to master when it comes to recruiting ...

  • Analysis

    Balancing the need for both health and wellbeing perks

    2008-11-01T10:50:28Z

    The Increase in wellbeing products has made it harder for employers to work out how best to spend their healthcare budget, says Sam BarrattFor years, offering a healthcare benefits package has meant either providing staff with private medical insurance (PMI) that gives them access to treatment faster than on the ...

  • Analysis

    Sponsor’s comment by Unum: Supporting both staff and employers in stressful times

    2008-11-01T10:50:00Z

    This article is brought to you by UnumIn today’s complex and fast-changing global market it is common sense to ensure that, wherever possible, the people who make up organisations are in good health, and feel good about themselves and their working environment.Demanding times, such as the ones we face at ...

  • Analysis

    How to cut sickness absence in the public sector

    2008-11-01T10:50:00Z

    Cutting sickness absence is a priority in the public sector, but it does not have to cost a fortune, says Sally HamilltonPublic sector employees take more days off sick than their private sector counterparts, if numerous surveys on sickness absence are to be believed. For example, according to the Chartered ...

  • Analysis

    How far should employers go in providing financial education?

    2008-11-01T00:00:01Z

    The need for financial education in the workplace has been highlighted by the credit crunch, but how far should employers go, asks Laverne HadawayEven before the credit crunch began to take its toll, the concept of providing financial education for staff was rising in prominence. The publication of the Thoresen ...

  • Analysis

    Minimise your corporate tax on company car fleets

    2008-11-01T00:00:01Z

    Executive Summary New capital allowance rules come into effect next April and all cars will be taxed according to the level of carbon dioxide they emit per kilometre. Rental disallowance will be set at a flat rate of 15% for cars emitting 160g/km or less of carbon dioxide, regardless of ...

  • Analysis

    How to calculate the whole life cost of cars

    2008-11-01T00:00:01Z

    Motivated by factors such as tax changes and the potential savings on offer, employers are increasingly moving towards calculating the whole life cost of vehicles within their fleet, says Laverne HadawayAs the economic downturn continues, knowing precisely how much items cost is more important than ever, both for employers and ...

  • Analysis

    Buyer’s guide to group personal pensions

    2008-11-01T00:00:01Z

    gPPs have become the workplace pension of choice for many employers, says Tom WashingtonWith employers' continuing migration from defined benefit (DB) to defined contribution (DC) schemes, group personal pensions (GPPs) have become the workplace pension of choice for many organisations. From a new business point of view, the GPP market ...

  • Analysis

    Guide staff through share scheme maturity

    2008-10-01T14:22:00Z

    With the right information, employees can make the tax rules on share plans work to their advantage when the schemes mature, explains Sarah Coles.With any share scheme, employers are most likely to focus their efforts and attention on the launch. But the point employees want to know about, arguably the ...

  • Analysis

    Rolling out an employee share scheme internationally

    2008-10-01T14:04:28Z

    Local tax and legal regimes can complicate share schemes for multinational employers, says Sarah Coles.Some international employers think of their share scheme as "global glue". Everything else in the benefits package is related to the local market in which the business operates and has been designed to compete with rivals' ...

  • Analysis

    Promoting share schemes in an economic downturn

    2008-10-01T14:01:10Z

    It is a stormy time for share schemes, so companies might need a change of tack, says Sarah Coles.To create a buzz around a company share scheme, it helps to have two things: a buoyant stockmarket and a booming economy. At the moment, the UK is failing on both counts. ...