All Analysis articles – Page 125
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Analysis
Will RBS cash for pensions cause others to follow?
†If you read nothing else, read this ...Employers everywhere are looking to limit the future liabilities on their final salary schemes.Offering cash to employees puts the onus on them to make responsible choices.The value of the cash on offer depends on the individual circumstances of the employee, including their age ...
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Analysis
Buyer's guide: Outsourcing occupational healthcare
As employers increasingly outsource occupational healthcare, Sam Barrett analyses the market's growth and influencesCase study: Leisure LinkArticle in fullGetting someone else to look after employees' health is becoming increasingly popular with more and more employers turning to the healthcare professionals for everything from sickness absence management to rehabilitation services.The growth ...
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Analysis
Macro economic indicators and the impact on employee benefits
Macro-economic indicators, changes in the labour market and personal debt levels, can all influence the perks offered to staff, says Victoria FurnessCase study: Robert Gordon UniversityArticle in fullWhen the Bank of England unexpectedly raised interest rates from 4.5% to 4.75% in August, most people will have wondered what effect it ...
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Analysis
Focus on international: Benefits in Japan
If you read nothing else, read this ...To help alleviate the pensions crisis, the Japanese government has increased the retirement age from 60 to 65 years and slashed state pension benefits by 5%.Historically, companies have provided housing and family allowances for staff.Statutory guidelines on holiday state 10 days after six ...
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Analysis
Benefits advertising
Employers could be missing a trick by not publicising their benefits package, says Vicki TaylorCase studies: Carillion, LogicaCMGArticle in fullOn a recent trip to the US, a colleague spotted a poster on the window of all Starbucks coffee shops advertising the benefits the chain gives its staff. On the face ...
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Analysis
Guest Opinion. Cultural alignment. By Irene Cowden, group HR director, Group 4 Securicor
Cultural alignment is always a big hurdle for merged entities, and providing opportunities for training and development is just one of many ways to help lock in senior managers and key staff.All too often, employee development is seen as a right rather than a benefit but the reality is that ...
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Analysis
How to deal with difficult employees
Driven by better perks offerings from rivals and previous employers,troublesome employees who bleat about their reward package need to be isolated and calmed down, says Vicki TaylorCase study: GlaxoSmithKlineArticle in fullMost managers have to deal with the odd staff complaint, but while you might expect benefits managers to be shielded ...
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Analysis
Judgement highlights importance of duty of care for fleets
A landmark ruling in June saw a Cambridge-based catering company fined £30,000 after an employee died behind the wheel of a car after working 76 hours over four days. As a result, more pressure than ever is being placed on fleet managers to secure an adequate duty of care for ...
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Analysis
Working families get support with the Work & Families Act
Given the high profile of new age discrimination laws, the most significant legislation in support of working families for almost a decade is somehow failing to register, says Amanda WilkinsonCase study: BTArticle in fullOver the last few months, the legislative spotlight for HR and benefits practitioners has been focused on ...
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Analysis
Preparing for flex
Many employers have used flex to recognise the needs of a diverse workforce, but unless HR is ready and staff understand what is actually on offer, these good intentions are sure to be lost, says Jamin RobertsonCase study: Rushcliffe Borough CouncilArticle in fullThe opportunity to upgrade a standard company car ...
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Analysis
International flex schemes
Case studies: AstraZeneca, VancoArticle in fullOrganisations operating across more than one country could gain significant advantages from rolling out the same or a broadly similar flexible benefits package to staff in each location. Those considering such a move, however, should be aware that it is not a task for the ...
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Analysis
The future of flex
Looking to the future, flex is likely to evolve so that employees are not given a pot of money to spend but instead use their salary to buy perks, says Vicki TaylorArticle in fullThe number of flexible benefits schemes in the UK is anticipated to continue increasing as employers without ...
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Analysis
Feature - Special report: Employment law - Pensions
With many employers reeling from the compliance deadline of A-Day, Nick Golding says May's pensions white paper must get proactive treatmentArticle in fullIt's been a tough year so far for pension managers. If pensions simplification changes in April were not enough to keep them occupied, the white paper on pensions ...
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Analysis
Feature - Focus on pensions: Emerging pension fund options
If you read nothing else, read this ...Defined contribution (DC) pension plans are increasingly offering equity funds that invest 50% in UK equities and 50% globally.The emerging markets have been performing well of late but could be hit by rising interest rates around the world.Employers with schemes offering investment funds ...
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Analysis
Focus on healthcare: The value of onsite doctors
If employers are prepared to look beyond the seemingly high costs of providing an on-site doctor, there may be a real return on investment, says Nick GoldingIf you read nothing else, read this …The cost of an on-site doctor varies depending on the frequency of visits that they make to ...
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Analysis
Segmenting the workforce for benefits provision
Breaking a workforce down into specific segments may help employers get the best from their benefits package, as targeting marketing at these groups could significantly boost buy-in, says Vicki TaylorCase study: Friends ProvidentArticle in fullHistorically, employee benefits have been provided as a one-size-fits-all solution. Now there is an increasing awareness ...
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Analysis
Low cost motivation benefits
It is worth thinking through motivation techniques, rather than simply showering staff with unwanted gifts says Nick GoldingCase study: Hugh Symons CommunicationsArticle in fullAlthough thousands of Chelsea Football Club supporters may well disagree, it is generally understood that money can't buy happiness. And although it may be a wonderful experience ...
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Analysis
Feature - Focus on international: International attempts to secure pensions
Pensions provision is in trouble around the world, so Vicki Taylor looks at solutions to funding issues and ponders which strategies have the best chances of successIf you read nothing else, read this ...An increasing number of retirees combined with declining birth rates have helped to cause pension shortfalls worldwide. ...
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Analysis
Age discrimination: the effect on benefits
HR practitioners faced with new, unclear age laws will have to wait for precedents to be set, says Vicki TaylorCase study: PricewaterhouseCoopersArticle in fullPensions are one of the trickier areas covered by the age discrimination legislation. Although many exemptions exist, for example, around minimum and maximum entry ages and waiting ...
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Analysis
Employee Benefits flexible benefits supplement 2006 - Feature: Tax
While the complexities of taxation can seem more than a little off-putting to HR professionals, it is worth getting to grips with the law as the tax-saving advantages of flex are too great to dismiss, says Debbie LovewellCase study: National Grid WirelessArticle in fullNineteenth-century American novelist Ralph Waldo Emerson is ...