All Article articles – Page 653
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Telephonic support can facilitate return to work
The government has published its findings on the potential value of using telephone services to provide health and return-to-work support.Its Telephonic support to facilitate return to work: what works, how and when? report aims to provide an evidence base for the use of telephonic assessment and support to facilitate timely ...
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Flexible working critical to ease workplace stress
More than two-thirds (69%) of respondents believe flexible working is critical in easing work-related stress, according to research by global workplace provider Regus.Its research, which surveyed 4,000 employees, found that 45% of respondents believe stress is causing an increase in absenteeism.The research also found:38% of respondents are losing sleep worrying ...
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Court rules on disability and work-related stress
The Court of Appeal has overturned findings by the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in a discrimination case between an employee suffering from work-related stress and his employer, which relied on the advice of its external occupational health advisers.The issue in Gallop v Newport City Council was to determine what is ...
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Lloyds Register centralises global mobility services
EXCLUSIVE: Lloyds Register is in the process of developing a centralised global mobility service across its international locations.The organisation, which has four business streams in energy, marine, management systems and transportation, has around 200 formal expatriate employees.Selina Jones-May, head of global mobility at Lloyds Register, said: “When I joined two ...
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Danone uses health cash plan to cut PMI costs
Danone has launched a health cash plan to supplement its private medical insurance (PMI) scheme.Its 1,300 employees will have access to the benefit, provided by BHSF, through the food manufacturer’s flexible benefits platform.The health cash plan, which includes cover for low-cost treatments, therapies and eye tests, was introduced due to ...
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InterGlobal enhances cancer cover on international PMI
InterGlobal has enhanced the cover for cancer treatment available through its 2014 UltraCare international private medical insurance (IPMI) scheme.The international medical insurer has removed previous benefit limits and excesses for cancer from its plan.Its UltraCare Standard, Select, Comprehensive and Elite plans will now cover the costs of all in-patient, day ...
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Fuel duty increase cancelled
Autumn Statement 2013: The government is to cancel the fuel duty increase which was planned for 1 September 2014.The rise was expected to be 1.61 pence per litre but the cancellation means the price of fuel will be frozen until 2015.It is the second time the government has scrapped a ...
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OTS publishes details of benefits tax quick wins
The Office for Tax Simplification (OTS) has published the details of its nine ‘quick wins’, which aim to simplify the tax efficiencies on employee benefits and expenses.The ‘quick wins’, which will come in from January 2014, were identified in the OTS’ interim report on employee benefits and expenses in August ...
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Axa PPP to launch musculoskeletal health pathway
Axa PPP Healthcare is to launch a new referral approach for employees with musculoskeletal conditions.Its Musculoskeletal Health Pathway, which will be available from 1 January 2014, aims to cut the claims’ costs of private medical insurance by ensuring employees are referred quickly to suitable providers for evidence-based care.The referral approach ...
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Aviva makes changes to international PMI
Aviva has made changes to its international private medical insurance, which will come into force from 1 February 2014.The changes, which aim to provide new and existing members with clearer benefit terms, include an increase in core benefits to an annual limit of £5 million.The policy has been divided into ...
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Broadstone partners Standard Life for auto-enrolment product
Broadstone Corporate Benefits has partnered Standard Life to launch an auto-enrolment product for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that stage from January 2014.Employers will have access to the auto-enrolment product via Standard Life’s group flexible retirement plan.It includes:Online functionality for employers and employees.Unlimited switching for member’s investment funds.An actively-managed default ...
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Micros Systems to streamline pensions for auto-enrolment
Micros Systems is to streamline its six existing defined contribution (DC) pension schemes into a new group personal pension (GPP) plan to comply with its auto-enrolment duties.The service provider for the hospitality and retail industries will auto-enrol around 1,000 employees on its staging date of 1 April 2014.It has appointed ...
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Zurich launches group life assurance for partners
Zurich has launched a group life assurance product for employees’ partners.The product includes:Flexibility for the employer to set the value and number of benefit steps, up to a maximum benefit of £250,000.A simple member acceptance process that operates on a short application form.Cover up to age 75.Nick Homer (pictured), group ...
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Aspire to Retire launches pre-retirement portal
Aspire to Retire has launched an online retirement portal, iAspire, to provide information and tools for pension scheme members.The portal is designed for employees to begin planning for retirement up to five years before their intended retirement date.It aims to educate pension scheme members and engage employees earlier to help ...
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?Aegon UK to move investment platform in-house
Aegon UK is to purchase Novia Investment Services from Novia Financial.The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval, will mean the development work on Aegon’s platform, Aegon Retirement Choices, will move in-house.Novia Investment Services was set up as a separate organisation to build and administer Aegon’s platform in 2011.Tommy Young, ...
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HMRC changes company car advisory fuel rates
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced a change to its company car advisory fuel rates.The changes, which relates to some petroleum, diesel and low petroleum gas (LPG) cars, include reductions of 1p per mile in the rate paid to drivers using diesel, and 2p per per mile for employees ...
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Leasedrive Group partially acquired by HgCapital
Leasedrive Group has been 80% acquired by private equity investor, HgCapital.The fleet group’s management team has rolled 20% of their own investment and equity into the new financial structure.David Bird, managing director of Leasedrive Group, said: “This new investment, which sees the senior management team retain equity and shareholding, demonstrates ...
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91% of pension schemes charge members
The majority (91%) of pension schemes have some form of charge for their members, according to research by the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF).Its 39th Annual survey, which covered 950,000 defined contribution (DC) pension members, found that 79% of schemes have an annual management charge (AMC), while the employer ...
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DOD’s blog: Will you still need me when I'm 68?
It is rare I feel quite as excited about Autumn Statements and Budget Speeches as I did yesterday.After years of writing about the fact that sharesave limits have not been raised since 1991 (that is I, Employee Benefits and many others more influential than ourselves), I was thrilled to hear ...
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42% have never changed their DC pension investments
Almost half (42%) of respondents have never made a change to their defined contribution (DC) pension investments, according to research by AllianceBernstein.Its Defined contribution survey, which questioned 500 employees who save into a DC pension, found that 22% believe changes to pension investments are not their responsibility.The research also found:55% ...