All Article articles – Page 835

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Quorum Business Park rewards cyclists

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Quorum Business Park, which has 12 employer tenants and 3,500 workers, has introduced a discount and reward programme to encourage staff to cycle to work.The Newcastle park includes organisations such as Balfour Beatty, Convergys, HM Revenue and Customs, IBM and Tesco Bank.The programme, which is being trialled for six weeks ...

  • Article

    Teach First boosts pension and launches flex

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    EXCLUSIVE: Independent charity Teach First has introduced pension salary sacrifice to drive up scheme membership among its young staff, and has also launched a flexible benefits scheme.HR director Will Davies said: “Our average age is 30, so we want to try to drive up the pension membership and salary sacrifice ...

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Mishcon de Reya removes probation period on flexible benefits scheme

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Mishcon de Reya has removed the probation period for new staff joining its flexible benefits scheme.The flexible benefits scheme, which opened for 2012 enrolment on 28 November, will now be available to all staff as soon as they join the law firm. Previously, the probation period varied between one and ...

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Selex Galileo re-launches online voluntary benefits scheme

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Selex Galileo has re-launched its online voluntary benefits scheme, adding in a new interactive discounts website with over 8,000 offers, reloadable gift cards and SMS vouchers, to cater to its high-tech employee base.The defence electronics firm’s 4,000 employees all have access to computers at work. The enhanced ‘Your Xtras’ programme, ...

  • Article

    Debi O'Donovan, editor of Employee Benefits: ‘Fluffy’ perks have hard message in tough times

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    As 2011 draws to a close, I cannot help but feel it has been a thoroughly tough year, albeit one of hard work and good achievements. But against a backdrop of austerity, every pound earned has been hard won. We are all probably very tired of these tough times, and ...

  • Article

    Confessions of a benefits manager: VIP for a day

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    A series of talks is going on all day, but only one looks vaguely interesting to me. Well, let me rephrase that: it is about automatic enrolment, so perhaps interesting isn't the first word that springs to mind. However, it is something I need to gather information on while I ...

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Sandra Porter becomes consultant at Sony Europe

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Sandra Porter has been appointed interim consultant, HR business partner, at Sony Europe.She held the same role between May 2009 and February 2011 before a seven-month contract as interim senior HR consultant at BSkyB.Her previous jobs include compensation and benefits manager at Reckitt Benckiser, HR adviser at Gillette UK, HR ...

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: DenPlan launches discounted gym membership to award long service

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Denplan has introduced a discounted gym membership to award employees for long service to the company.The GymFlex scheme, provided by Incorpore, is available to the firm’s 350 staff once they have reached two years of service. It amounts to a 40% discount on membership at a local gym.Natalie Dixey, recruitment ...

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Aviva research: Return-to-work interviews most common rehabilitation support

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Return-to-work interviews (30%), occupational health support (24%) and workplace adaptations (23%), such as new chairs, are the most common types of rehabilitation support for employees that are off sick, according to research by Aviva UK.The survey, which polled 1,000 UK employees and 500 employers, also found that 34% of respondents ...

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Attwaters reduces benefits disparity and increases staff satisfaction in benefits

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Attwaters’ 2011 staff survey showed that 60% of respondents were now satisfied with their benefits package, compared with 38% back in 2009.It has made healthcare benefits fairer by introducing employer-funded cash plans for support workers. Previously, only lawyers were given private medical insurance (PMI).Also, all staff can now take advantage ...

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Santander appoints Rees-Davies as reward head

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Santander has appointed Elliot Rees-Davies head of reward.Rees-Davies has spent 15 years in the industry, having been head of reward at Aviva and head of employee benefits at Lloyd TSB.He has also held consultant roles, including consultant at Watson Wyatt, reward consultant at Ernst and Young, and reward consultant at ...

  • Article

    News analysis: Sober thoughts on parties

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Christmas parties can boost staff morale and motivation, but employers must be aware of the tax consequences of their spend, says Nicola SullivanIt's Christmas party time again, and although many employers will not want to dampen the festive spirit by being overly frugal, they will probably want to keep the ...

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Amscan to roll out employee discounts scheme

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Amscan will introduce an employee discounts scheme on 1 January.The party goods manufacturer and distributor will issue a letter, leaflet and discount card to its 126 employees, which can then be used to access the discounts website.Employees can also access offers, including high street discounts and online shopping, through an ...

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Thrussell moves to Aegis

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Aegis Group has appointed Lucy Thrussell global reward manager.Thrussell has held a range of roles over the past seven years, as UK reward manager at Danone, reward manager at Comet, compensation and benefits analyst at Trinity Mirror, and HR assistant at British American Tobacco.Read more about careers in reward and ...

  • Article

    The Big Question: What are your new year's benefits resolutions for 2012?

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Richard Higginson, head of reward at Towry:After a year of work centred on remuneration and wellbeing, in 2012 I want to focus on promoting learning anddevelopment within our total reward proposition. It is not in my immediate sphere of influence, so it tends to get neglected as a total reward ...

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Swiss Re research: 18% of employers would remove group risk to mitigate costs of auto-enrolment

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Just 18% of employers would consider removing group risk benefits from their reward package to help mitigate the costs of auto-enrolment, according to research by reinsurer Swiss Re.Its Facing life’s responsibilities report, published in November, surveyed 1,000 UK staff and 500 employers.†A fifth (20%) of the 18% that would consider ...

  • Article

    Syngenta saves £100,000 through health plan

    2011-11-28T00:00:00Z

    EXCLUSIVE: Syngenta has saved £100,000 per year over three years since switching from a fully insured private medical insurance (PMI) scheme to a self-funded health plan.The agri-science firm implemented the plan three years ago with provider Simplyhealth to save on costs, as well as to engage its 1,500 UK employees ...

  • Article

    Employees holiday with colleagues

    2011-11-25T10:15:00Z

    Most of us spend more time with our colleagues than anyone else, and we are increasingly prepared to go onholiday with them too.A study by www.sunshine.co.uk showed that 9% of full-time employees had been abroad with at least one of their work colleagues, and 4% had turned a work-related trip ...

  • Article

    KPMG research: UK turns corner on corporate tax competitiveness

    2011-11-25T10:00:49Z

    The UK has turned a corner on its corporate tax competitiveness, according to research by KPMG.The 2011 UK Tax competitiveness survey, which polled 50 large UK organisations, claimed that the improvement is driven by reforms to the taxation of foreign profits and the government’s commitment to making the UK tax ...

  • Article

    JLT research: One-fifth of employers unprepared for auto-enrolment

    2011-11-25T09:34:20Z

    Only one-fifth (19%) of employers are still not sure how they will comply with auto-enrolment, according to research by JLT Benefit Solutions.The UK pension reforms auto-enrolment and Nest employer research, which surveyed 504 employers, also found that, if organisations were to set up a new pension scheme to comply, one-third ...