All Benefits for carers articles – Page 69
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Article
American Express and Barclays are top employers for working families
American Express, Barclays and Centrica are among the top employers that have been awarded for their benefits and policies to support working parents.The Top Employers for Working Families Benchmark, founded by charity Working Families, recognises employers that support parents, carers, flexible working, work-life balance and career development.The highest-scoring entrants are ...
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OpinionAndy Major: What would the ultimate care voucher look like?
Clearly, childcare is a key consideration, and such a voucher should include every working parent as standard. But it should also list every employee who has an elderly dependant to worry about. As flexible working becomes more commonplace, what about people who need to work flexibly in order to perform ...
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ArticlePartners given rights to attend antenatal appointments
Employees who are expectant fathers, or the partner of a pregnant woman, will have the right to take unpaid time off work to attend antenatal appointments from 1 October 2014.Employees accompanying the expectant mother to antenatal appointments will be entitled to unpaid leave for one or two appointments.The time off ...
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AnalysisWhat employers should consider around flexible-working requests
A 2011 Journal of Child and Family Studies report by Sanders MR, Haslam DM, Calam R, Southwell C and Stallman H, ’Designing effective interventions for working parents: a web-based survey of parents in the UK workforce’ (Journal of Children’s Services, 6, 3, 186-200), found that 85% of parents in employment ...
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OpinionKatherine Wilson: What would the ultimate care voucher look like?
It would be accessible, affordable and appropriate for working parents and carers.It would apply to childcare and care for a dependent adult, such as a partner, elderly parent, relative or close friend.It would be simple and flexible to use for emergency or back-up care, care search, information and advice services, ...
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OpinionSuzanne Tyrrell: What would the ultimate care voucher look like?
However, the new scheme only deals with childcare. What about carers of disabled adult or elderly family members?At present, there is no similar scheme to provide employees with other caring responsibilities with financial support. These are employees who may have had to reduce working hours or even leave employment in ...
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ArticleTax-free childcare could make wealthy parents wealthier
The government’s new tax-free childcare scheme could boost wealthy parents’ finances because of the way in which it tops up families’ spend, according to Anand Shulka, chief executive of the Family and Childcare Trust.Speaking at EB Live 2014, Shulka explained that the scheme, which will introduce a “20% top-up on ...
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Article82% will continue to offer childcare vouchers post-autumn 2015
More than eight in ten (82%) respondents will continue to provide childcare vouchers after the introduction of the government’s tax-free childcare scheme in autumn 2015, according to research by Jelf Employee Benefits.Its research, which surveyed more than 200 employers, found that just 3% will not continue to offer childcare vouchers ...
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ArticleA third of SMEs offer health and wellbeing benefits
More than a third of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do not have any health and wellbeing benefits in place, according to research by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD).Its Age diversity in SMEs: reaping the benefits research, which surveyed nearly 600 senior decision makers in SMEs across ...
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Article25% offer just statutory maternity pay to staff
A quarter (25%) of respondents only offer statutory maternity pay to staff, according to research by My Family Care.Its research, which surveyed 100 employers, found that, among respondents that do provide enhanced maternity pay, the duration ranged from three weeks to 52 weeks.The research also found that the legal and ...
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VideoVIDEO: Adam Brooke: Eldercare support is a key issue for employers
Eldercare support is a key issue for employers, said Adam Brooke, employee benefits and wellness manager at JP Morgan in an interview with Clare Bettelley, associate editor at Employee Benefits.“We are heavily looking at that at the moment, whether that’s support in the home for days when there isn’t support ...
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ArticleNS&I and HMRC to administer tax-free childcare scheme
The government has confirmed that National Savings and Investments (NS&I) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will work together to provide the new tax-free childcare scheme.Its Tax-free childcare: the government’s response to the consultation on childcare account provision follows the consultation launched in May 2014 on options to deliver the ...
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ArticleGovernment appoints Ros Altmann champion for older workers
The government has appointed Dr Ros Altmann its new business champion for older workers.Altmann, who is a former director-general of Saga and an independent expert on later life issues, will be tasked with making the case for older workers within the business community and challenging outdated perceptions.The appointment follows the ...
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ArticleArgos staff to strike over work-life balance
Around 1,000 Argos employees based at five distribution centres are to strike for 24 hours on Friday 4 July in a dispute over terms and conditions, including changes to working hours that could have an adverse impact on their work-life balance.The changes to terms and conditions are part of a ...
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Article
Northern Trust awarded for work-life balance
Northern Trust won the award for Best work-life balance strategy at the Employee Benefits Awards 2014.Read why the organisation was judged to be the best in this category.The Employee Benefits Awards 2014 were held on 27 June 2014 at the Artillery Garden at the HAC London.
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Article
Barclays and IBM awarded for work-life balance
Barclays, IBM and Marks and Spencer were awarded for their equality and inclusion policies at the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion (ENEI) Awards 2014.The awards acknowledge and celebrate employers with a commitment to good practice above and beyond legal compliance, and innovative approaches that will inspire other employers.Barclays was ...
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Case Studies
University of Lincoln invests in relationships with benefits providers
The University of Lincoln invests in building sustainable relationships with its benefits providers.Ian Hodson, reward and benefits manager at the University of Lincoln, has initiated a conversation with the organisation’s childcare voucher provider, Computershare, about its future business strategy.This is part of his efforts to understand the possible impact of ...
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ArticleGrandparents take sick leave to care for grandchildren
Some 14% of respondents have taken time off work through annual or sick leave, reduced their working hours or given up a job to provide childcare for their grandchildren, according to research by Grandparents Plus, Save the Children, and The Family and Childcare Trust.The Time to care: generation generosity under ...
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ArticleFamily-friendly policies more likely where employers consult unions
Family-friendly and equal opportunity policies are more likely to be adopted by organisations that consult or negotiate with unions, according to a report by Warwick Business School and Cass Business School.The Unions, joint regulation and workplace equality policy and practice in Britain paper, which surveyed 2,295 UK workplaces, was published ...
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ArticlePregnant Workers Directive proposals to be withdrawn
The European Commission is to withdraw its proposals to amend the Pregnant Workers Directive. Changes to the directive, which were announced in 2008, would have increased the minimum period of maternity leave across Europe from 14 to 18 weeks, and then to 20 weeks’ fully-paid maternity leave.It would have also ...