All Article articles – Page 816

  • Article

    GlaxoSmithKline increases voluntary benefits take-up to 94%

    2012-03-05T00:00:00Z

    EXCLUSIVE: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has increased take-up of its voluntary benefits scheme to 94% by providing continuous communications to its 13,000 UK staff.The pharmaceutical firm’s employees can sign up to receive news alerts, which flag up offers on either a daily or weekly basis. For its next round of communications, GSK ...

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Adactus Housing Group sees 60% take-up of voluntary benefits

    2012-03-05T00:00:00Z

    Adactus Housing Group has achieved a 60% take-up of its voluntary benefits scheme since its launch through the use of tailored and continuous communications.The independent housing group introduced a new employee discounts scheme and recognition programme, which it integrated with its bikes-for-work scheme in November 2011, under a single site ...

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Virgin Media sees 270 staff take up bikes-for-work scheme

    2012-03-05T00:00:00Z

    Virgin Media has seen 700 employees register their interest and 270 employees take up its bikes-for-work scheme since it was launched in November 2011.The benefit had been requested by staff through employee surveys, which showed that bikes for work were the most popular choice among potential new benefits.The Ride2Work scheme ...

  • Article

    DWP report: Take-up for Fit for Work service lower than expected

    2012-03-02T11:04:37Z

    Take-up for the Fit for Work service has been lower than expected, according to a report published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).The Evaluation of the fit for work service pilots – first year report, published on 1 March 2012, found that, by the end of March 2011, ...

  • Article

    Unilever opens onsite hair salon for employees

    2012-03-02T11:01:00Z

    Unilever has proven that during these austere times the word ‘cuts’ does not always have negative connotations.The consumer goods supplier has opened a hairdressing salon at its UK and Ireland head office in Leatherhead, Surrey. The salon, stocked with Unilever products, is staffed by two qualified hair stylists, offering employees ...

  • Article

    Helm Godfrey launches HR consultancy

    2012-03-02T10:59:01Z

    Employee benefits adviser Helm Godfrey has launched an HR consultancy, aimed at providing tailored services to suit different sizes of organisations.The consultancy will be led by Elizabeth Cook, who has worked for multinational organisations in various HR roles.The key areas of focus for the consultancy are: Organisational design: Formalising organisation ...

  • Article

    Aviva to launch auto-enrolment and workplace savings services

    2012-03-02T10:25:34Z

    Aviva is to launch an auto-enrolment service alongside two new workplace savings services in 2012.The pensions provider will offer an online compliance and monitoring tool to help employers manage the regulatory requirements of auto-enrolment with the advantage of being able to do so across multiple provider schemes.When it is launched ...

  • Article

    Mercer completes acquisition of Norwegian pensions firm

    2012-03-01T10:54:50Z

    Mercer has completed its acquisition of Pensjon and Finans, a Norwegian-based financial investment and pension consulting firm.The acquisition was first announced at the end of January.This strengthens Mercer’s position in the provision of pensions and investment advice in the Nordic region and gives employers working with Pensjon and Finans access ...

  • Article

    Cigna enhances benefits for mental illness and depression treatment

    2012-03-01T10:48:14Z

    Provider Cigna has extended its healthcare offering to treat mental illness and depression, with an extended psychiatric benefit, online computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and an alternative detox and rehabilitation programme.The psychiatric benefit will offer a full refund on outpatient psychiatric care and up to £15,000 for inpatient and day ...

  • Article

    The Pensions Regulator publishes its approach to auto-enrolment

    2012-03-01T10:42:59Z

    The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has published its approach to maximising employer compliance with auto-enrolment duties and supporting the pensions industry to deliver defined contribution (DC) schemes with the characteristics necessary for good outcomes. TPR’s strategy, Delivering successful automatic enrolment: The Pensions Regulator’s approach to the regulation of employers and schemes, ...

  • Article

    A third of employees do not have time for a proper lunch break

    2012-03-01T10:27:00Z

    Almost a third of employees (30%) do not have time for a proper lunch break, and instead eat lunch at their desks while working, according to research by Canada Life.More than a quarter (27%) tend to eat at odd times due to the stresses of work, and one in five ...

  • Article

    Steria looks to improve online pensions platform

    2012-03-01T00:00:01Z

    Steria is looking to improve its online pensions platform, to enable staff to view the total value of their defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) benefits.This would help deferred members of the IT-enabled business service provider’s DB scheme, which closed to future accrual in April 2010, get a more ...

  • Article

    Jelf launches online health and wellbeing service

    2012-03-01T00:00:01Z

    Jelf Employee Benefits has partnered Health Assured to launch a health and wellbeing service that includes an interactive online assessment, employee assistance programme and absence management system.The service, Jelf Protect, provides support if staff or their family members are diagnosed with a serious health condition, a long-term disability or are ...

  • Article

    Less than half of respondents offer group income protection

    2012-03-01T00:00:01Z

    Less than half (47%) of organisations offer group income protection to their staff, according to research by Jelf Employee Benefits.Conversely, the research found that life assurance was offered by 82% of respondents, even though employees are three times more likely to be off work with a long-term illness than die.Nearly ...

  • Article

    Expacare introduces international PMI for small employers

    2012-03-01T00:00:01Z

    Expacare has launched an international private medical insurance (PMI) product for small employers.The scheme, called Choices, is designed for organisations with between five and 29 employees.It is a fixed, core plan to which additional optional benefits can be added, allowing employees to tailor the plan to their needs.The core plan ...

  • Article

    Kent County Council closes PMI scheme for senior staff

    2012-03-01T00:00:01Z

    EXCLUSIVE: Kent County Council is to withdraw its private medical insurance (PMI) scheme for senior staff in April to save costs.The PMI scheme, provided by Simplyhealth, is available to about 1% of the council’s 40,000 staff.The change is part of a more practical approach to health and wellbeing by the ...

  • Article

    Low take-up of salary sacrifice car schemes

    2012-03-01T00:00:01Z

    Cars provided under a salary sacrifice scheme accounted for 5.5% of the combined fleet, according to research by ACFO.The ACFO salary sacrifice survey, which polled organisations collectively operating almost 27,000 company cars, found that 1,464 were being operated via a salary sacrifice arrangement.A fifth (20%) of respondents already have a ...

  • Article

    Buyer's guide to contract-based defined contribution pensions

    2012-03-01T00:00:01Z

    Focus on factsWhat is a contract-based DC pension?Contract-based defined contribution (DC) schemes are based on contributions from employers and staff. Unlike defined benefit (DB) pensions, DC scheme benefits correlate to the investment fund built up over an employee’s working life, which is typically used to buy an annuity at retirement. ...

  • Article

    Employee Benefits financial education supplement

    2012-03-01T00:00:01Z

    Download a PDF of the Employee Benefits financial education supplement 2012†Sponsor’s comment: Jonathan Watts-Lay of Wealth at WorkInterview: Stuart Bailey of the Money Advice ServiceBack-to-basics guide on financial educationThe employer’s role in financial educationWhat employers need to consider in terms of corporate branding

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Cisco extends flexible benefits to Spain and targets full European roll-out

    2012-03-01T00:00:01Z

    Cisco has extended its flexible benefits scheme to its 350 employees in Spain, which included the introduction of a new pension plan and the country’s equivalent childcare voucher scheme.The company now intends to roll out the scheme, provided by Thomsons Online Benefits, to its other European sites in Norway, Italy, ...