All Benefits for carers articles – Page 73
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Article
EXCLUSIVE: Cisco extends flexible benefits to Spain and targets full European roll-out
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, ...
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Article
Childcare costs take up a third of annual salaries
Childcare costs now take up a third (35%) of average annual salaries, according to research by Hay Group.The PayNet UK salary tracker, which analyses salary movements across five different employee levels in more than 700 organisations, found that clerical-level workers in England will spend on average £103.19 per week on ...
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Analysis
News analysis: Who pays for childcare?
Proposals for a new government-funded childcare scheme have fuelled a debate about the future of childcare vouchers.The National Childcare Contribution Scheme (NCCS), suggested in February by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) in its report A better beginning: Easing the cost of childcare, would allow working parents to borrow money from ...
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Article
HSBC guarantees part-time roles to all new parents
HSBC is to offer all employees a part-time role on a pro-rata salary at the same level as their original position following maternity or paternity leave.The bank will offer the option to returning parents in a bid to help employees balance the demands of family life with their career development.HSBC ...
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Article
World Vision UK introduces discounts scheme and switches childcare voucher providers
Exclusive: World Vision UK has introduced an online employee discounts scheme and switched childcare voucher providers.The discount scheme, provided by Wider Plan, is available to all of the charity’s 200 UK staff.Marlene Smith, payroll and benefits specialist at World Vision, said: “We wanted to give staff more spending power in ...
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Article
Union to ballot Transport for London staff on strike action around annual leave during Olympics
Transport for London (TFL) employees will be balloted by the union for the rail, maritime and transport (RMT) industries for strike action around annual leave during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.RMT said that TFL’s plan to ban annual leave during the games in at least one department will ...
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Article
Sainsbury’s supports staff on Carers Rights Day
Sainsbury’s has joined forces with Carers UK to support employees who care for an ill or disabled loved one.Because 2 December is Carers Rights Day, the supermarket chain is distributing Carers UK’s advice guide, which offers information on juggling work and care.Sainsbury’s has also sponsored 50,000 copies of the guide, ...
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Article
Canada Life research: A third of employees want better work-life balance
More than a third (37%) of employees would like a better work-life balance, according to research by Canada Life.The Canada Life research into employee absence, which surveyed 1,226 people in August 2011, asked what incentives could be offered to prevent employees taking time off work.For most respondents, flexible working was ...
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Article
Wider Plan enhances offers to its childcare voucher users
Benefits provider Wider Plan will enhance the offering available to users of its Kiddivoucher childcare voucher service in time for the Christmas season.The full Wider Wallet discounts scheme will be on offer to the childcare voucher users among the provider’s 5,000 employers as of 1 December.The discounts scheme, which includes ...
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Analysis
Emergency childcare is worth the investment
If you read nothing else, read this... Emergency childcare gives employees access to nannies, childminders, nurseries and school holiday clubs when their regular childcare arrangements break down. Employers should determine which type of back-up care is best suited to their employee population. The service is effective in protecting productivity, attracting ...
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Article
Simmons & Simmons launches emergency carer service
Simmons and Simmons has rolled out a back-up carer service to help its 700 employees balance their work and family commitments.The law firm had received anecdotal feedback from its employee discussion groups about the increasing difficulties in attaining a work-life balance.Dan Flint, HR director at Simmons and Simmons, said: “We ...
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Case Studies
Case study: Southdown Housing builds flexibility into maternity leave
As one of Working Families’ 2011 top 10 employers, Southdown Housing Association knows the importance ofcomplying with maternity leave legislation.The organisation, which has 700 staff, continues to pay car allowances and childcare vouchers during maternity leave. It also offers a health cash plan that pays between £50 to £200 when ...
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Article
Mercer research: Meaningful benefits increase employee engagement
Meaningful benefits, such as personal car leasing schemes and student debt loans, improve employee engagement levels, according to research by Mercer.The What’s working survey, which polled 30,000 employees in 17 countries, found that these types of benefits reinforce an organisation’s appeal as an employer, are immediate and cost effective, and ...
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Analysis
Employees' benefits rights when taking maternity leave
If you read nothing else, read this… By law, employers must continue to provide non-cash benefits throughout an employee’s maternity leave. This includes benefits offered via a salary sacrifice arrangement, even if an employee is not currently earning a salary to sacrifice. Employers must pay full pension contributions during any ...
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Case Studies
Case strudy: Barclays Wealth banks on working parents
Barclays Wealth introduced an emergency childcare and carer service in June 2011, to add to a suite of benefits supporting its working parent population.Since its launch, the scheme has been taken up by 7% (260) of staff across the UK. Sarah Boddey, head of diversity and inclusion at Barclays Wealth, ...
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Case Studies
Case study: Nomura invests in back-up childcare service
When investment bank Nomura International rolled out a back-up care service in January 2011, it was the result of two years' focus on the firm's diversity and inclusion benefits for its 3,500 London-based staff.At the end of 2010, a proposal was sent to the diversity and inclusion steering group around ...
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Case Studies
Case study: Amnesty International targets gold standard policy for maternity leave
One organisation that has a lot of experience with maternity leave planning is human rights group Amnesty International UK. Its average staff age is 37 and two-thirds of its 200 employees are female.The charity pays 26 weeks’ salary at full pay and 13 weeks at the statutory maternity pay rate ...
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Article
EXCLUSIVE: NHS trust switches to online childcare vouchers
Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has switched its childcare vouchers provider, moving to an online scheme with iPhone accessibility.Take-up in the new scheme, provided by Busy Bees Benefits, has risen to 119 staff from just under 100 previously.The trust has offered childcare vouchers to its 2,500 staff for several years ...
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Article
Leicestershire County Council switches childcare voucher providers
Exclusive: Leicestershire County Council has switched childcare voucher providers.The council switched to Kiddivouchers from RSM Tenon after the latter provider discontinued its childcare services.Davendra Rana, benefits coordinator at Leicestershire County Council, said: “We have received good feedback so far. Once an employees’ payment has come out they will receive a ...
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Article
EXCLUSIVE: Mayer Brown rolls out emergency care plan in National Work-Life Week
Law firm Mayer Brown has introduced an emergency care scheme as part of a range of benefits events held during National Work-Life Week, from 26-30 September.The scheme includes emergency childcare, holiday care and care for dependent adults. In its first week, 5% of the firm’s nearly 600 employees signed up ...