All Analysis articles – Page 111

  • Analysis

    Shoot for growing returns

    2008-02-04T00:00:00Z

    In order to secure continued investment in benefits, HR must prove perks' financial return, however, this may be easier said than done, says Nick GoldingSpending money without giving it a second thought is a luxury that only the fortunate few can afford. The rest of us, however, will want to ...

  • Analysis

    Effective instant employee recognition rewards

    2008-02-04T00:00:00Z

    Kate Donovan explores the merits of using immediate rewards for exemplary staff conductRewarding employees on the spot for positive behaviour can be a cost-effective way of demonstrating the kind of values and actions that an organisation wishes to encourage among its workforce. In turn, employees who feel that they have ...

  • Analysis

    Irish perks in clover

    2008-02-04T00:00:00Z

    The Republic of Ireland might be enjoying prosperity and new investment, but a buoyant jobs market has driven up the cost of talent, forcing perks into the spotlight, says David WoodsNo longer seen as the butt of bar-room jokes, the Republic of Ireland is having the last laugh with a ...

  • Analysis

    Cancer hopes in PMI

    2008-02-04T00:00:00Z

    With medical advancements, cancer has moved from being a completely bleak diagnosis to one that has been newly defined by insurers, as HR adopts new sensitivities to these 'disabilities', says Kate DonovanSome 90,000 people of working age in the UK are being diagnosed with cancer each year, according to the ...

  • Analysis

    Unions threaten pay action

    2008-02-04T00:00:00Z

    Unions threaten strike action as Chancellor looks at moves towards long-term pay deals.Government plans to keep a tight lid on public sector pay by putting in place three year-pay deals have met with criticism from unions and threats of possible strike action.The government announced last month that it wanted to ...

  • Analysis

    Know grey safety issues

    2008-02-01T00:00:01Z

    Employees who use their own cars for business journeys are increasingly referred to as the grey fleet, and can carry a large risk if employers don't take steps to ensure their safety, says Nick GoldingThe term 'grey fleet' is one which is often bandied around the fleet industry. Put simply, ...

  • Analysis

    Weighing up fleet financing options

    2008-02-01T00:00:01Z

    Impending corporate manslaughter laws add a new layer of complexity for FDs in the sourcing and financing fleets, says Nick GoldingExecutive summary The decision on how to source and finance company cars has crucial tax and employer risk implications that need to be carefully balanced. The most common way that ...

  • Analysis

    Targeted communications can boost benefits take-up

    2008-01-07T00:00:00Z

    Segmenting employees can help employers target communications in order to boost benefits take up, says Clare BettelleyEmployees are rarely the same. What appeals to one is unlikely to have the same pull for another. Similarly, the way that staff engage with the benefits package offered by their organisation, and respond ...

  • Analysis

    Launching employee benefits from scratch

    2008-01-07T00:00:00Z

    Sarah Coles explores how employers can set about creating a benefits package with no previous track recordBusiness start-ups could be forgiven for thinking benefits aren’t a priority. If you are running a business out of the back bedroom with the help of friends and family, it’s only natural that perks ...

  • Analysis

    Construction firms are rethinking benefits

    2008-01-07T00:00:00Z

    Fierce competition for staff is forcing construction firms to rethink their benefits offering, says Victoria FurnessThese are boom times for the UK's construction industry. The housing market may not be experiencing the growth of a few years ago, but the 2012 Olympics has given a huge boost to the sector, ...

  • Analysis

    Taking flexible benefits internationally

    2008-01-07T00:00:00Z

    Offering a flexible benefits scheme internationally can help to harmonise employees’ perks, but there are a whole host of complexities that must first be addressed, says Laverne HadawayAs opportunities open up within multi-national organisations, employers may decide to transfer staff between locations. When doing so, however, they will need to ...

  • Analysis

    Additional voluntary contribution pension schemes and alternatives

    2008-01-07T00:00:00Z

    Enabling staff to make additional voluntary contributions is a good way of helping them boost their pensions savings, but with traditional schemes becoming outmoded, Ceri Jones looks at alternative optionsProviding a scheme for employees who are minded to boost their retirement savings should, in theory, be perceived as a valuable ...

  • Analysis

    Tax agenda for 2008 lacks clarity

    2008-01-07T00:00:00Z

    Employers reel from HMRC's latest questioning of salary sacrifice as tax uncertainty escalates furtherBenefits professionals are faced with fresh challenges as they enter 2008 with anticipated changes to tax-efficient benefits and increasing pressure to respond to both environmental concerns and their employer's social responsibility (CSR) agenda.Uncertainty around tax-efficient benefits looks ...

  • Analysis

    Providing on-site nursey facilities

    2008-01-01T00:00:01Z

    Providing an on-site nursery can ease employees' concerns about their child's welfare, although this can come with a hefty price tag, says Alison ColemanFor many working parents with young children, on-site nursery facilities at their workplace are considered a luxury. Being close to their children throughout the working day may ...

  • Analysis

    Focus on staff eyecare

    2008-01-01T00:00:01Z

    Access to eye assessments may be a statutory requirement for employees who use VDUs, but it can also help drivers at work maintain adequate vision at the wheel, says Stephanie SpicerAn eye test may not seem like the sexiest benefit that employers can offer to staff, but it is an ...

  • Analysis

    Should employers focus on their staff's health or wealth?

    2008-01-01T00:00:01Z

    Employers often want to ensure staff are healthy and financially secure, but they may not be able to afford to invest in perks for both, so how can they decide which of the two is most important, asks David WoodsEvery new year most of us find ourselves making the same ...

  • Analysis

    Checking driving licences is very important

    2008-01-01T00:00:01Z

    Checking driving licences is often viewed as a major administrative chore, but with incoming corporate manslaughter laws, doing so has never been more important, says Nic PatonWith the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 coming into force this April, the need to ensure that employees driving on business have ...

  • Analysis

    The fleet agenda for 2008

    2008-01-01T00:00:01Z

    Corporate manslaughter and environmental concerns will dominate the new year agenda, says Nick GoldingWhen Croatia hammered the final nail into the coffin of England's Euro 2008 football campaign and condemned the nation to a summer of potentially washed-out tennis, many fleet managers probably breathed a very quiet sigh of relief. ...

  • Analysis

    Incentives to work in Spain

    2007-12-03T00:00:00Z

    Spanish employers could benefit from the introduction of retirement laws encouraging staff to stay in work longer and the growth of flexible working, says Nick GoldingThe problem of people living longer and the impact it has on pensions is not just hitting the UK. In Spain, the government is proposing ...

  • Analysis

    How to source local discouts

    2007-12-03T00:00:00Z

    Sourcing deas from local businessses that staff use regularly to include in a voluntary benefits scheme can enchance a plan's value and make it unique, says Nick GoldingWhen it comes to the nature of the discounts offered through voluntary benefits schemes, many employers are beginning to see the value of ...