All Benefits for carers articles – Page 80
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Article
Benefits for the family
Many benefits packages are still tailored to suit the traditional nuclear family but as social norms change, should employers look to benefits that have a broader appeal, asks Victoria Furness. Family life has changed dramatically in the past few decades. The number of single-person households has risen, cohabitation has increased ...
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Supplier article
Anthony Arter, head of pensions at Eversheds: Keep pace with maternity law changes
The laws governing maternity leave and benefits have come under the spotlight after the adoption of new regulations. As this area of the law continues to evolve, it is important for employers to keep pace.Benefits entitlement during maternity leave is set to change for women with babies due on or ...
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Article
Abbey launches emergency care for staff
Abbey has introduced an an emergency care service for its 16,000 staff to access carers for children and elderly dependents at the last minute.The bank, which is part of the Santander group, will provide staff with access to a twenty-four hour database of contacts through which they will be able ...
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Article
Herbert Smith offer workshops for staff to help them improve their kids’ writing skills
Herbert Smith has run an in-house parent support workshop for staff, focusing on helping employees to encourage their children to develop their writing skills.The sessions were run by Ready To Learn, and involved an ex-teacher visiting the office and explaining to parents how children are taught to write at school ...
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Article
Buyer's guide to emergency childcare
Employer-funded childcare has become an increasingly popular and valued benefit for working parents. Employees' childcare arrangements, however, can fall apart suddenly and without warning, for example, if a childminder or nanny is taken sick, or the child is too ill to attend nursery.Employers can help by offering back-up emergency childcare ...
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Article
Employers warned to adhere to revamped maternity rules
Employers are being urged to re-examine their maternity policies around payment of pension contributions and provision for childcare vouchers in the run-up to new sex discrimination legislation.Under the new legislation, due to come into effect on 5 October, employers will be required to make the same non-cash contractual benefits to ...
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Article
Employers prepared to offer flexible working even if not obliged to do so
Most employers offer flexible working and would do so even if there were no legal right for employees to request it, according to research from the Institute of Directors and Unum.The Flexible Working - the new world of work survey of 500 business leaders shows 86 percent operate flexible working ...
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Article
Court rules carers must not be treated less favourably than other staff
The European Court of Justice has ruled that carers must not be treated less favourably than other employees whose circumstances are not materially different, for example those with childcare responsibilities. The case of Attridge Law v Coleman, in which Mrs Coleman alleged she suffered direct discrimination and harassment by association ...
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Article
Unequal maternity and paternity rights need to be reviewed
Recently-extended maternity rights are having the unintended consequence of limiting the career prospects of women and creating inequality for fathers, says the chief of the new equalities watchdog.Nicola Brewer, chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission says that there is a case for reviewing unequal maternity and paternity ...
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Case Studies
Newcastle City Council scores with football imagery
Newcastle City Council uses football-themed communication materials to promote its childcare voucher scheme to male staff.It revamped the way it promotes the benefit at the beginning of this year after the scheme, which launched in 2006, received a lower-than-average take-up. The HR team worked with its provider, Accor Services, to ...
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Article
A network of support for working parents and carers
In the war for talent, employers must carefully consider the way in which they support working parents and carers, who often represent a significant proportion of the workforce. The ageing population means this could become even more of an issue, as increasing numbers of employees find themselves caring for both ...
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Article
Communicating paternity benefits to male staff
Male staff may not be aware of their entitlement to childcare benefits or might feel awkward about claiming them, so employers should ensure they know the facts, says Nicola SullivanIn the first few months of their children's lives, some men may feel they are forced to play a secondary role, ...
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Article
Court rules against discrimination of carers
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that carers must not be treated less favourably than other employees whose circumstances are not materially different, for example those with childcare responsibilities.In the case of Attridge Law v Coleman, the ECJ ruled in favour of Sharon Coleman, a single mother of ...
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Article
Crawley Borough Council adds bikes and childcare vouchers
Crawley Borough Council has launched a cycle-to-work scheme and plans to introduce childcare vouchers by the end of July. The council currently provides an on-site nursery but this has limited places and only takes children aged between two and five years. It hopes the childcare vouchers will supplement this service. ...
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Article
EAT rules emergency month off to care for children 'too long'
Case Study: Month off to care for children 'too long'A company fined for sacking an employee because he took a month off work in an emergency to look after his family, has won its appeal against an Employment Tribunal decision.Cortest, a materials testing firm, had been fined £7,243 by the ...
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Analysis
Buyer’s guide to childcare
Of the four main options employers have when providing childcare for staff, vouchers and emergency childcare have seen the strongest growth in the past year, says Alison ColemanFlexibility is often said to be the key to an engaged workforce, so it is perhaps not surprising that the more flexible childcare ...
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Article
Government to extend right to request flexible working
Prime minister Gordon Brown has announced that the government will extend the right to request flexible working arrangements to parents of older children.During Prime Minister's question time, Brown said the government would move forward with recommendations contained in Imdela Walsh's review, which is due to be published tomorrow. The government ...
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Article
Herbert Smith provides care
Herbert Smith has launched a fully-funded emergency childcare and eldercare service to help staff balance their work and home life.The service assists the law firm's staff in locating and paying for nursery places, childminders and nannies at short notice. They can also source emergency care for elderly dependants to help ...
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Article
Childcare Choice and HR4UK form strategic alliance
Childcare voucher company, Childcare Choice, has formed an alliance with online HR systems provider, HR4UK, that will enable employers to its personnel administration solutions.HR4UK, which can provide a virtual HR department for small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMEs), will now be available to Childcare Choice customers. Employers using HR4UK, meanwhile, will be directed ...
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Analysis
Providing on-site nursey facilities
Providing an on-site nursery can ease employees' concerns about their child's welfare, although this can come with a hefty price tag, says Alison ColemanFor many working parents with young children, on-site nursery facilities at their workplace are considered a luxury. Being close to their children throughout the working day may ...