All Benefits for carers articles – Page 76
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Case Studies
Case study: Ford drives up number of returning mums
Ford Motor Company offers maternity leave of 52 weeks at 100% of pay. All employee benefits, including pension contributions and company car, continue throughout that period. The company, which has 12,000 staff in the UK, won ‘Best for maternity’ in Working Families’ Top Employers awards 2010.Ford operates a buddy system ...
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Article
The Big Question: What effect could shared parental leave have on benefits?
Dr Caroline Gatrell, senior lecturer, management learning and leadership, Lancaster University Management School:Employers still tend to organise working practices around the idea of dads as full-time income earners, with limited responsibility for childcare, but this just does not reflect the reality for many of today’s families. Once mums and dads ...
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Analysis
Benefits can ease mothers back to work
If you read nothing else, read this… Employers can offer a range of perks to entice parents to return to work after a period of parental leave. These benefits include: childcare vouchers and back-up emergency provision; onsite nurseries and discounts at offsite nurseries; ante- and post-natal workshops, sessions or classes; ...
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Case Studies
Case study: NHS Bradford and Airedale District Support Service seeks a work-family balance
NHS Bradford and Airedale District Support Service has a number of schemes that are tailored to support its17,000 staff in achieving a healthy balance between work and family.Its Childcare Support Services won ‘Most effective benefits strategy for working parents and carers’ at the Employee Benefits Awards 2010.Since its programme was ...
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Article
Edenred offers advice on childcare voucher changes
Edenred has put together a downloadable white paper, a podcast and articles to support employers ahead of changes to childcare voucher legislation.From 6 April 2011, only basic-rate taxpayers will receive tax and national insurance relief on up to £55 a week on childcare vouchers. Tax relief will be restricted to ...
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Article
Government to launch consultation on flexible parental leave
The Department for Business Innovation and Skills will launch a consultation which will explore proposals for the design of a more flexible system of parental leave.Speaking at an event on contemporary parenting, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said the government wants the changes to embody:Any new arrangement must absolutely maintain ...
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Article
Workplace Options launches mobile phone app
Workplace Options is launching iFindCare, a mobile application that offers a GPS-enabled childcare locator for staff to find and evaluate daycare centres and nanny agencies in their area.The app, which will be available for UK employers in February, has been in use in the US since October 2010 and will ...
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Article
Working parents urged to take advantage of childcare vouchers
Working parents should take advantage of childcare vouchers offered by their employer, before the Government's tax changes affecting the benefit come into effect in April 2011, according to Origen Financial Services.Origen's annual employee benefits survey found 70% of employers offer childcare vouchers.The changes to childcare vouchers announced in the June ...
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Article
Finance Bill 2011: Change to qualifying conditions for childcare vouchers
The government has confirmed the change to qualifying conditions for employers that provide childcare schemes through salary sacrifice or flexible benefits arrangements.The legislation ensures that employers can continue to offer childcare schemes that rely on salary sacrifice arrangements without compromising tax relief for employees.The tax exemptions and national insurance contributions ...
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Article
Finance Bill 2011: Government confirms restriction on tax relief on childcare vouchers for higher-earners
The government has confirmed it will introduce a restriction on the level of tax relief available to higher-rate and additional-rate taxpayers who receive childcare vouchers or directly-contracted childcare.The legislation, announced in the Finance Bill 2011 consultation draft, is due to come into effect from 6 April 2011 and will bring ...
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Case Studies
Nielsen success with new childcare voucher provider
Nielsen, the global market research company, has seen 10% of its workforce take up childcare vouchers.This follows a change of provider to one which was able to provide Nielsen with the personalised support it needed in the marketing, administration and market updates on childcare vouchers.Before switching provider, Nielsen conducted a ...
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Article
Government issues guidance on changes to employer-supported childcare
As a result of the changes to employer-supported childcare schemes due in April 2011, HM Revenue and Customs has issued guidance on changes that employers and employees should be aware of.Under current arrangements, employees on higher earnings receive a greater tax saving than those who pay tax at the basic ...
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Article
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer introduces emergency care
Law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has introduced up to 10 free back-up care sessions a year for every London-based employee.The sessions, which cover childcare, eldercare, dependent adult care and school holiday cover, enable staff to search for and book a qualified nanny, childminder, nursery place or local back-up domiciliary homecare ...
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Article
Santander launches benefits for working parents
Santander has increased its maternity and paternity leave for employees as part of a package of benefits designed to cater for the needs of working parents.The bank's package Passport to Parenting will provide most employees 14 weeks maternity pay followed by 25 weeks' statutory pay. Fathers-to-be will also be entitled ...
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Analysis
Benefits to support working parents
If you read nothing else, read this...Childcare vouchers and on-site nurseries are flexible, tax-efficient ways to cover staff childcare costs.Emergency childcare is a back-up service that can be offered as a core benefit, a voluntary benefit or as part of a flexible benefits package.Flexible working encompasses part-time working or flexible ...
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Article
Busy Bees moves back into childcare voucher business
Busy Bees, the childcare provider, has moved back into the childcare voucher market with the launch of Busy Bees Benefits.Busy Bees sold its original childcare voucher business to Computershare in 2008, and under the terms of the deal Busy Bees agreed not to offer childcare vouchers under the Busy Bees ...
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Case Studies
Case study: Parenting network adds up for KPMG
KPMG offers its 10,200 staff a variety of childcare and flexible working options, including childcare vouchers and emergency childcare.In 2009, the professional services firm formed the KPMG Parenting Network to offer information through a dedicated website, networking events, training seminars and an opportunity for parents to offer each other advice.Gaynor ...
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Article
European Parliament votes for increased maternity rights
The European Parliament will draft legislation to extend minimum maternity leave in the European Union from 14 to 20 weeks with full pay, with some flexibility for countries which already have a form of family-related leave.An entitlement to paid paternity leave of at least two weeks was also approved by ...
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Article
Somerfield staff offered childcare voucher transfer
Somerfield staff have been given the option of transferring from their existing childcare voucher scheme with KiddiVouchers to a scheme offered by the supermarket's parent company, the Co-operative Group, through Imagine Co-operative Childcare.The Co-op wrote to Somerfield staff advising of its scheme and how to transfer. One option was to ...
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Article
One in three working parents struggle with childcare costs
More than a third (36%) of working parents have considered staying home because they feel unable to cope with childcare costs.According to a survey by Computershare Voucher Services (CVS), which polled 1,000 working parents, 71% of respondents who use childcare vouchers also spend less than one hour each week planning ...