All Analysis articles – Page 71
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AnalysisIn-house doctors can help reduce sickness absence
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…An in-house doctor service may reduce short-term sickness absence by offering staff earlier GP intervention.An in-house doctor service is particularly useful for employees who have long commutes to work.Good communication between employers and local doctors can positively impact sickness absence levels.Job cuts and recruitment ...
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AnalysisReward can help unlock business potential
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…The economic climate, global expansion and talent management are key issues for chief executives in 2013.HR departments are instrumental in supporting employees to help deliver their organisation’s business strategy.Employee reward and benefits programmes play a key role in boosting strategic performance.Businesses have been sorely ...
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AnalysisFlexible benefits for older workers
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…Employers are reviewing the way in which they offer and fund benefits for older workers.Benefits for older staff may include flexible working, sabbaticals and retirement planning seminars.Most organisations offer benefits to all employees and allow them to self-select according to their needs.The traditional stereotype ...
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Analysis
Choosing a provider for auto-enrolment
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS …Employers need to identify their pension scheme requirements before researching the market.A beauty parade should typically involve two or three pension providers.Switching pension provider typically takes between 12 and 18 months.If an employer is dissatisfied with its pension provider, there is an extensive ...
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AnalysisStep-by-step guide to auto-enrolment compliance
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…Employers should identify their staging date as soon as possible.A project team should be appointed to manage systems and processes.Any systems developed or redesigned for auto-enrolment purposes should be future-proofed.Auto-enrolment communications must be clear and easy to understand.1. STAGING DATEEmployers must first ascertain their ...
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AnalysisNew look for long-service awards
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…The cost to employers of providing long-service awards will increase as employees work longer.Recognition for one or two years’ service is increasing as the UK workforce becomes more transient.The value of long-service awards increases with employees’ length of service.Gold watches, carriage clocks and lunch ...
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AnalysisLegal issues around auto-enrolment
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…Employers cannot agree to provide alternative benefits on the understanding an employee opts out of a pension scheme.Qualifying earnings include various components of pay, including salary, wages, commission and bonuses.Employers must ensure they identify workers correctly under auto-enrolment.Ian Curry, associate, Wragge & CoQ: I ...
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AnalysisKnow the facts on auto-enrolment
There are key facts that all employers planning for auto-enrolment should know. Gillian McNamara, policy lead, employer compliance regime at The Pensions Regulator (TPR), says: “There is one crucial figure to know even before developing a plan to comply with the new duties, and that is the number of people ...
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Analysis
Employers' legal and moral obligations to their drivers
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…More than a quarter of all traf?c accidents involve people driving in a work capacity.Employers have a moral and legal obligation to protect employees on the road.Telematics technology helps employers monitor their drivers on the road.More than a quarter of fatal road accidents involve ...
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AnalysisHealth cash plans are booming
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…The number of company-funded health cash plans increased by 13.5% in 2011.Employers using cash plans to cover PMI excesses is a new trend.Dental and optical remain the most popular treatment areas for health cash plan claims.The number of employers funding health cash plans rocketed ...
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Analysis
Pros and cons of absolute return funds
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…Absolute return funds (AFRs) have grown in popularity on the back of volatile equity market performance.ARFs are relatively expensive and, despite their name, can still lose money.Employers tend to use ARFs in conjunction with a more passive fund for their default investment option.Absolute return ...
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Analysis
Ferdinand Lovett: Typical legal queries from HR
Ferdinand Lovett, solicitor at Sacker and Partners, and legal expert at Employee Benefits Live 2012, tells Debi O’Donovan, editor of Employee Benefits, the common questions he and his law firm are being asked by HR and benefits managers with regards to pensions auto-enrolment.Lovett flags up the common legal areas that ...
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Analysis
Total People wins Court of Appeal case
Dave Jennings is a senior manager in the tax team at Grant Thornton, the firm involved in the Total People case against HM Revenue and Customs.What did the courts say? Following a number of years of negotiations by Grant Summers and me with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) national ...
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Analysis
Flex communication must include auto-enrolment
Employers that will reach their auto-enrolment staging date next year are facing one of the last opportunities to adapt their flexible benefits schemes for pensions auto-enrolment and communicate changes to employees to avoid extra costs, said Mark Baker, senior associate at law firm Pinsent Masons.The most common time of year ...
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Analysis
Denmark well served with pensions
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…More than 75% of Denmark’s working-age population aged between 15 and 64 have a paid job.A number of employers offer private medical insurance and company cars.Danish employers now face hefty fines for the incorrect or untimely reporting of wages, salaries and employee benefits to ...
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AnalysisSocial media plays growing role in recognition schemes
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS …Employers are increasingly using social media as an internal communications tool.Popular sites include online billboards, such as Chatter, Jive and Yammer.The low-cost, instantaneous nature of social media-based recognition programmes makes them attractive tools for employers to use, particularly during the economic downturnRecognising and ...
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AnalysisBeware of tax and legal anomalies in benefits
YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS …Employers must be aware of all the tax and legal implications of benefits.Bikes-for-work schemes are often misunderstood. The bike is owned by the employer and must be used by the employee to get to and from work.Certain flexible benefi ts can require changes to ...
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Analysis
Take care with tax on bikes for work
Guidance produced by tax information provider Tolley, in partnership with Philip Rutherford, senior tax director for Molson Coors Brewing Company, says there is a general exemption from tax and reporting for the employer when providing bikes and associated safety equipment, but this only covers the use, loan or hire of ...
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AnalysisBe sure of data requirements for auto-enrolment
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…Employers with early or imminent staging dates say they underestimated the complexities of auto-enrolment.A first step is to define qualifying earnings, and it is up to the employer to take a view on each component of pay.Opt-out forms must be issued by the pension ...
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AnalysisHealth and safety strategy is essential
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…Employee benefits packages should be designed to support employers’ health and safety policies.Health and safety policies should consider both the physical and emotional wellbeing of employees.Rapid access to physiotherapy can help to prevent workplace injuries from becoming chronic.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report ...