All Article articles – Page 746

  • Article

    Ince and Co raises GPP take-up

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    EXCLUSIVE: Ince and Co has seen a 24% increase in employees enrolled in its group personal pension (GPP) plan since it switched providers in preparation for auto-enrolment.The international law firm, which has a staging date of February 2014, replaced its GPP in October 2012 as part of its strategy to ...

  • Article

    Review targets childcare and pensions

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The government has issued its Mid-Term Review, which takes stock of the progress made in implementing the Coalition agreement signed in May 2010.The review, which was published on 7 January by prime minister David Cameron and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, reiterated reforms put forward in the Coalition agreement and ...

  • Article

    Childcare vouchers influence return to work

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The provision of a childcare voucher scheme may influence employees’ decision to return to work following parental leave or to remain with a current employer, according to a survey by Busy Bee Benefits.The survey, carried out among the organisation’s customers, found that 32% of respondents said childcare vouchers had influenced ...

  • Article

    Mums work four months to cover childcare costs

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Mothers working full-time in the South West and West Midlands need to work for 18 weeks and 15 weeks a year, respectively, before they break cover childcare costs, according to research by Family Investments.This found that UK mothers work up to four months of the year just to pay towards ...

  • Article

    Childcare workers caught in low pay cycle

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Low pay for employees in the early years profession is being caused by current regulations that limit the number of children each staff member can look after, according to a government report.More great childcare: raising quality and giving parents more choice by the Deprartment for Education aims to help parents ...

  • Article

    Simplyhealth launches new cash plan

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Simplyhealth has launched a new employer paid health plan.This includes free child cover for up to four children under 18 years old, discounted gym membership, online health risk assessments and a dental accident benefit as part of the new plan.Alongside the core plan, employers can also choose from six additional ...

  • Article

    My Family Care launches guide for working fathers

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    My Family Care has launched a new section within its online Work and Family Space, which is designed to help fathers stay engaged with their workplaces, while dealing with family life.Branded Just for Fathers, the section of its website, which was developed in partnership with the Fatherhood Institute, is aimed ...

  • Article

    Peugeot Citroen harmonises car scheme

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    EXCLUSIVE: The PSA Peugeot Citroen Group has harmonised its car scheme so that employees from both its Peugeot and Citroen brands are offered the same number of cars.Previously, Peugeot offered staff at least one leased car as part of its benefits package, while Citroen offered employees up to six cars, ...

  • Article

    Bupa partners Jubilee Insurance in Kenya

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Bupa International and Jubilee Insurance, an east African insurance group, have entered into a partnership to offer Bupa’s health insurance products in Kenya.These products include Bupa’s emergency treatment plan, Vital Africa, which enables staff to access emergency treatment anywhere in Africa.Wayne Close, managing director at Bupa International, said: “This partnership ...

  • Article

    Kingston upon Thames appoints investment consultant

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames’ Pension Fund has appointed an investment consultant via a framework agreement.The local government pension scheme is around £430 million in size and has 11,000 members.The framework agreement aims to deliver greater savings and efficiency in the public sector through shared services and joint ...

  • Article

    Capita appoints head of investment consulting

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Capita Employee Benefits has appointed Bobby Riddaway head of investment consulting.Riddaway was previously principal in the investment team at Buck Consultants.He has also worked at Hewitt Associates as a senior investment consultant to corporate and trustee pension schemes in the UK and the US, and spent eight years as head ...

  • Article

    NAPF appoints investment lead

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has appointed Helen Roberts as lead to work on investment issues across defined contribution (DC) and defined benefit (DB) pension schemes.Roberts’ work will include engaging in debates around low gilt yields and the impact of the current economic climate on asset allocation strategies, ...

  • Article

    TomTom launches mileage claim app

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Navigation product and service provider TomTom has launched an application (app) that allows employers to manage mileage claim administration.Its Webfleet logbook app is designed to produce reliable journey logs to help employers with tax compliance. The app works with Android phones and iPhones, in combination with an employee’s in-car TomTom ...

  • Article

    Regulator publishes contract-based pension analysis

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Analysis by The Pensions Regulator (TPR) shows the Financial Services Authority’s (FSA) contract-based pension rules and guidance align in many ways with its defined contribution (DC) quality features.The analysis was published to coincide with TPR’s consultation on DC standards for occupational trust-based pension schemes, which was launched on 10 January.A ...

  • Article

    Absence management is top priority

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Absence management is the top priority for employer respondents, according to research by Best Doctors.The annual Best Doctors/Canada Life survey found that, with regards to workplace health, respondents are also prioritising communications (18%), cost mitigation (15%) and return on investment (6%).The main objective for respondents’ workplace health benefits programmes was ...

  • Article

    Government to tackle long-term absence

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The government is to implement a new independent assessment and advisory service aimed at getting people back to work and away from long-term sickness benefits.The scheme, which was announced by the minister for welfare reform Lord Freud, is intended to save employers up to £160 million a year in statutory ...

  • Article

    Survey: Does HR care about default funds?

    2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The next big scandal could be the lack of knowledge and interest that benefits and human resources teams have in the pension investment choices offered to staff.Increasingly, employees are expected to choose their own funds when they join a workplace pension. Most opt for the ‘default fund’ and the assumption ...

  • Article

    Wolverhampton College given payroll accreditation

    2012-12-21T10:30:00Z

    City of Wolverhampton College and Dataplan have been awarded the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals’ Payroll Quality Partnership (PQP) accreditation.The PQP recognises organisations that apply best practice in developing their payroll professionals.The CIPP has also re-accredited Carillion, Mouchel, Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust, the University of Lincoln, West Midlands Fire ...

  • Article

    Red carpet treatment

    2012-12-21T06:00:00Z

    Something for the weekend…When starting a new job, it is always nice for employees to find out where they are going to be sitting, who they will be working with and what benefits their new employer offers.One new staff member at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Grand Rapids, Michigan, however, ...

  • Article

    Men could lose pension income in rule change

    2012-12-20T11:09:00Z

    Under the European Union (EU) Gender Directive men will see pension annuity rates fall, while women will see rates rise, according to PricewaterhouseCooper (PWC).The EU directive, which comes into force on 21 December, will ban the use of gender as a factor in pricing for insurance products and annuities.According to ...