Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals has a dedicated compensation and benefits team as part of its HR department.
Alison Maitland, director of compensation and benefits at the US-owned drugmaker, which markets drugs to help those suffering from conditions such as HIV and cancer, says: "All benefits for employees in the UK are managed by the UK compensation and benefits team, which is part of a global compensation and benefits structure." The firm, which employs 2,000 staff in the UK, offloads some of the burden by outsourcing its pension, healthcare and fleet administration to third party organisations.
Maitland believes having a specialist benefits team has its advantages. "The compensation and benefits team provides expertise and support for staff in complex and specialist areas such as pensions, healthcare and cars. We are able to negotiate costs with third-party suppliers, which is obviously of great benefit to the company." Its benefits include a pension, childcare vouchers, company cars, concierge service, flexible working arrangements, on-site gyms and discounted Bristol-Myers Squibb products.