Analysis
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AnalysisHow to boost engagement with men’s health support
Benefits to support men’s health include health screening, flexible working and counselling through an employee assistance programme.
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AnalysisHow to overcome the disconnect between benefits on offer and what staff really want
Source: Shutterstock Need to know: Many employers are seeing a gap emerge between the benefits they offer and what employees actually want. Work-life balance, wellbeing and financial support are especially valued by employees. Employers need to talk to staff, offer them a degree of choice ...
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AnalysisHow to maximise benefits communication with employee involvement
Source: Shutterstock MetLife’s 22nd annual US employee benefit trends study, published in March 2024, found that employees who understand and use their benefits were 88% more likely to feel cared for by their employer, compared to 34% of those who do not. This highlights the importance of ...
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AnalysisHow to take an inclusive approach to festive celebrations
To support a diverse workforce during the festive season, employers should foster an accepting environment that includes everyone. Providing choice regarding annual leave is key to ensuring all employees’ beliefs and cultural holidays are recognised. Gifts should not be restrictive towards any lifestyles or abilities. ...
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AnalysisWhat are the priorities for public sector reward agendas?
Credit: tete_escape/ Shutterstock Need to know: In the public sector, financial constraints, benefit guidelines and stakeholder scrutiny can make reward more challenging. Years of reforms mean public sector employees often perceive their pensions as offering poor value: creative communications could help to change this misconception. Highlighting ...
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AnalysisWhat could the Labour government mean for employers' reward and benefits strategies?
Credit: Mistervlad/Shutterstock Need to know: The Labour government’s Employment Rights Bill will enhance employee rights but there are concerns that proposals could have unintended consequences, adding cost, disadvantaging some businesses and their employees, and affecting recruitment strategies. Extending pay gap reporting to ethnicity and disability may ...
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AnalysisBuyer’s guide to total reward statements
Credit: Pickadook/ShutterstockWhat are total reward statements?Total reward statements are personalised communications that show employees the total value of their compensation package beyond just salary. This can help people to recognise the entire value of the employment deal beyond their pay, making total reward statements a potentially powerful tool in communicating ...
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AnalysisHow far can a reward and benefits strategy truly impact recruitment and retention?
Employers should identify issues affecting existing and potential employees when creating their reward and benefits strategies. Tailoring benefits to meet employees’ needs can attract talent and maintain retention levels. An organisation should regularly communicate its benefits to current and potential employees if it wants to promote ...
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AnalysisHow effective is strike action in pay and benefits disputes?
Employees often take strike action over issues such as pay, health and safety, pensions, benefits, changes to terms and conditions, and union recognition. The UK has strict laws regarding strike action and it cannot take place if certain requirements have not been met. Employers should consider ...
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AnalysisDoes a green benefits strategy motivate employees?
Green benefits can include bikes-for-work schemes, discounts on solar panels and rewards for using energy saving items.Employers can create a green agenda to motivate employees to choose more sustainable consumer options.Highlighting green benefits choices as part of an employee value proposition can increase attraction and retention.Research by The Electric Car ...
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AnalysisAre we moving away from paternalism in employee benefits?
Credit: tomertu/ShutterstockNeed to know:Benefits strategies have evolved because of influences including employee expectation, cost and the pandemic.Flexible benefits, voluntary benefits, and allowances or pots offer the potential for greater personalisation.A robust communications programme delivering frequent messaging in different formats helps employees know what is available, increasing the value of the ...
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AnalysisHow to design a flexible benefits scheme for today’s workforce
Employers should communicate with employees to understand what they need from a flexible benefits package.Benefits that are offered as part of a flex scheme need to add value.As employees’ needs can change throughout the year, more frequent benefits enrolment windows can provide greater flexibility and choice.Following the impact of recent ...
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AnalysisWhat can employers offer to improve employees’ fitness journeys?
Fitness benefits include discounted or subsidised membership to gyms, health clubs and studios partnerships, providing an annual employee fitness and wellbeing budget and on-site exercise classes.Employers should provide equal access to benefits for all employees, regardless of their work locations.By listening to employees and providing options based on needs and ...
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AnalysisFiscal drag: how can employers offset the challenges of a difficult economy?
The frozen tax thresholds could see some employees ‘dragged’ into paying more tax and have less disposable income as a result.Employers should ask employees about their financial pressures to understand how to support them.A salary sacrifice arrangement can support employees who are dealing with the impact of fiscal drag.In his ...
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AnalysisWhat does a benefits package for seasonal workers look like?
Credit: branislavpudar/shutterstockNeed to know:A strong onboarding and induction programme will help seasonal workers understand their benefits package and feel valued.Benefits should be tailored to the sector and the type of seasonal worker the organisation wants to attract.Introducing seasonal workers to permanent employees and including them in recognition schemes and social ...
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AnalysisCan technology help to offer a unified global benefits proposition?
Credit: metamorworks/shutterstock Cloud-based platforms can enable employees across the globe to access benefits through a unified proposition. Availability of benefits will differ between countries. Employers should ensure that their benefits technology and chosen provider are able to support varying needs in multiple countries. Benefex’s Evolution ...
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AnalysisDo employers have a role to play in overcoming the UK childcare crisis?
Employers can offer onsite nurseries, workplace nursery schemes, and subsidised and emergency care provisions to help with childcare.There are a variety of different flexible working options that employers could offer those who are struggling.Support for working parents can help with attraction, retention, skills shortages and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.The ...
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AnalysisHow to structure a total reward strategy
An employer's total reward strategy should be a combination of all the reward, benefits and development components that it offers to staff.Collecting employee feedback is key to structuring a total reward strategy and offering benefits that appeal to an entire workforce.There are multiple ways to communicate a strategy, such as ...
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AnalysisHow to support employees' financial wellbeing on a budget
To support employees with their financial wellbeing, employers should review the benefits they already offer and check whether staff know how they can help.Implementing financial wellbeing services that include education and coaching is cost-effective.Financial wellbeing support can be tailored to match an employer’s budget and employees’ needs.Close Brothers Asset Management’s ...
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AnalysisPodcast: Kindness in the workplace
In this episode of the Employee Benefits podcast, in association with Lifestyle Business, Nick Dempsey, revenue director at Lifestyle Business, discusses the concept of kindness in the workplace.During the discussion with Employee Benefits' editor Debbie Lovewell-Tuck, Nick addresses the following questions:How would you define the concept of kindness in the ...