All Analysis articles – Page 121

  • Analysis

    Size of company shouldn't limit the number of voluntary benefits

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    This article is brought to you by MARSH, sponsors of the financial education channel.The size of an organisation should not limit the type of voluntary benefits that employers are able to provide in any way, says Jacqueline Shaw, business leader, voluntary benefits at Marsh.There is no doubt that employers, both ...

  • Analysis

    An exchange of ideas will enhance delivery of benefits

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    Employees will also self-segment the exchange within the staff-employer relationship and will measure the value of what is offered to them, says Stephen Perkins, professor of human resource management, London Metropolitan University.There's no shortage of ideas on techniques for the design and delivery of benefits. But more reflexive employers and ...

  • Analysis

    Flexible benefits supports environmental and charitable causes

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    Flex has till got boundaries to cross but a high-growth area for these schemes concerns the environment. Initiatives extend from the popular bikes-for-work scheme, to offerings such as carbon trading, says Liz Ellis, HR director at Danone UK.Flexible benefits schemes seem to have been with us for a long time ...

  • Analysis

    Flexible benefits match employees' flexible lifestyles

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    This article is brought to you by Prudential.Employees are looking to their benefits packages to give them greater control of their personal finances and wellbeing by allowing them to buy cover according to their needs, says Martyn Phillips, director of employee benefit solutions at PrudentialTo remain fresh and exciting requires ...

  • Analysis

    Group insurance can benefit staff who might otherwise struggle

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    This article is brought to you by Friends Provident.Simplified admin and minimal underwriting requirements mean that employers usually insure more cost effectively than their staff can individually, but the big bonus may be that they can also protect those who might otherwise find it difficult to get similar insurance, says ...

  • Analysis

    Employers are beginning to realise benefits of training

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    While there are clear advantages in offering training, employers have been slow to communicate it as a valuable benefit says Nick GoldingWhenever workplace training is mentioned, there will always be a group of employers that believe staff equipped with new-found knowledge will show their gratitude by going off to work ...

  • Analysis

    The pensions war will be waged as distinct battles

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    This article is brought to you by Scottish Life.The 2006 pensions simplification push did little in assisting the navigation of saving for retirement, as the system is still so complex that it acts against encouraging people to put money aside, says Steve Bee, head of pensions strategy at Scottish Life.To ...

  • Analysis

    Justice scales tip amid failing gender pay gulf

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    Despite decades of progress, the latest figures suggest that gender inequality persists. Causes include the sex stereotyping of occupations and the lack of part-time jobs at a senior levelEighty years ago the courts held that it was unlawful and 'eccentric' for a London Borough to pay the same to men ...

  • Analysis

    A revamp of ailing tax laws would help the sick

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    Occupational health has been used as a support for unwell employees and helps in speedier returns to work, but it has suffered from adverse tax conditions that continue to limit investment in human capital, says Richard Walsh, head of health, the Association of British InsurersGroup risk products range from those ...

  • Analysis

    Forward thinkers remain competitive by staying ahead of game

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    Employers have to adapt to a constant stream of new research, laws and trends, but they also need to innovate in order to gain any competitive advantage, says Jenny KeefeWorking in employee benefits is like painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge: no sooner have you mastered one new scheme or idea, ...

  • Analysis

    Treating sickness absence as purely medical is short sighted

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    This article is brought to you by UnumProvident.Sickness absence may be tied to elements of medicine and occupational health, but it encroaches on management issues and HR, so to treat it as purely medical can be short sighted, says Joy Reymond, head of rehabilitation services at UnumProvidentSickness absence is an ...

  • Analysis

    Involving staff in decisions about their jobs will help motivate

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    When staff are actively involved in decision making that affects their job, they will be more motivated and satisfied than when exposed to a command and control regime.Research has conclusively shown that the greater job satisfaction employees have, the healthier and more productive they will be. This is a phenomena ...

  • Analysis

    With total reward, it's not just about what you do, but how you do it

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    Research that shows total reward helps meet organisational goals is a little thin, but there is a strong suggestion that high-performing firms use perks to help generate a positive environment that feeds through to customer service.When the author JB Priestley travelled on his English Journey in the mid-1930s, he was ...

  • Analysis

    Filling in P11Ds can be complicated

    2007-03-05T00:00:00Z

    Completing P11Ds can be a considerable headache and requires much liaison, says Kate DonovanTax is rarely the most riveting or straightforward of subjects, but, with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) expected to clamp down more heavily on employers for delivering incorrect P11D forms, there are financial benefits to getting it ...

  • Analysis

    How to manage working parents

    2007-03-01T00:00:01Z

    Why should employers consider the needs of working parents? What should be covered in a strategy for working parents? What benefits are available to assist working parents? How do childcare vouchers work? What are the implications of providing nursery care? Preparing for an emergency How to help working parents achieve ...

  • Analysis

    What could extended flexible hours mean for employers?

    2007-03-01T00:00:01Z

    Extensions to the overall mechanics of flexible working are a daunting possibility for employersJust as employers are preparing for next month's extension of the right to request flexible working to carers of adults, under the terms of the Work and Families Act 2006, children's minister Beverley Hughes has come out ...

  • Analysis

    Financial education powers staff

    2007-03-01T00:00:01Z

    This article is brought to you by JPMorgan Invest.David Cassidy, chief executive officer at JP Morgan Invest, says that financial education leads to more focused and confident employees who have greater control of their affairs, which in turn positively enhances their professional outputWhile companies are under no compulsion to do ...

  • Analysis

    Face up to it, group financial education sessions don't disappoint

    2007-03-01T00:00:01Z

    Written material or an intranet will for the most part not suffice as financial education, staff often need to talk and ask questions, and face-to-face education - not advice - in group sessions can often be effective, says Harper Wright, financial education service manager, MBNANo business is an island. Yes, ...

  • Analysis

    Can eco-friendly LPG cars succeed?

    2007-03-01T00:00:01Z

    Lack of government support and a paucity of infrastructure investment from fuel firms is dashing the hopes of eco-friendly LPG vehicle users, says Nick GoldingIf you read nothing else, read this ...LPG has not taken off in the popularity stakes due to limited backing by the government, manufacturers and fuel ...

  • Analysis

    Is it the board's responsibility to steer fleet management?

    2007-03-01T00:00:01Z

    Historically the company car, indeed personal business mobility, have not always been regarded as a board issue, but that may be about to change, says professor Peter Cooke, head of the Centre for Automotive Industries Management, Nottingham, Business School.Economist Sir Nicholas Stern's recent report that stated that global warming could ...