All articles by David Woods – Page 7
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Article
William Russell provides emergency assistance to ex-pats in Indonesia
International health insurance provider, William Russell appointed Global Assistance & Healthcare to provide emergency medical assistance to its expatriate clients in Indonesia.The service which will improve the insurer's clients' access to medical services throughout the country.Nigel Harris, chief executive of Asia Pacific at William Russell, said: "Indonesia is a highly ...
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Article
DHL UK appoints HR Trustees
DHL UK has appointed HR Trustees as professional trustee to three of its pension schemes including the DHL UK Executive Pension Scheme.HR Wallingford has also appointed HR Trustees as professional trustee to its Hydraulics Research Pension Scheme.HR Trustees is a member of the Xafinity Group.
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Article
WS Atkins moves to eliminate pension deficit
Engineering firm WS Atkins is to pay funds into its occupational pension plan in a bid to eliminate its deficit by 31 March 2014.According to the firm's latest trading statement, the scheme's actuarial deficit was estimated at £215m at 1 April 2007. As part of the recovery plan, Atkins has ...
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Article
M-Real corporation chooses to sell pension fund
Paper supplier, M-real Corporation has chosen Legal & General to buyout its UK Paper Employee Benefits scheme.The transaction involves the transfer of approximately £180 million worth of assets and 2,000 scheme members. Legal & General will provide insurance for all current and future pension payments, including covering all data errors ...
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Article
Tesco to offer employees retail foundation degree
Tesco is to offer its retail managers a foundation degree to equip them with knowledge and core skills relating to the sector.The foundation degree, which will be awarded by the University of the Arts, London, and Manchester Metropolitan University, will be launched on 23 April. As it will be validated ...
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Article
Pensions Regulator may be given stronger powers
The government plans to increase the Pensions Regulator's powers to require employers to provide contributions to a pension scheme if their actions could threaten the security of members' pensions.This would enable the regulator to reduce members' risk by changes to pension schemes or corporate transactions. This would apply to the ...
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Article
Micro Focus implements flexible benefits
Professional services provider, Micro Focus has implemented a flexible benefits programme for its UK based staff.The firm, which provides innovative software that allows companies to improve the business value of their enterprise applications, hopes to engage employees by giving them a wider choice of benefits and more value.Micro Focus is ...
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Article
Kingfisher introduces group Sipp
Kingfisher has launched a group self invested personal pension (Sipp) to accommodate employees' maturing shares and additional voluntary contributions (AVCs).The scheme will run alongside the retail firm's existing closed defined benefit (DB) pension scheme and open defined contribution (DC) plan.The Sipp, which is being provided by Hargreaves Lansdown, will be ...
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Article
TNT Post offers staff carbon calculator through mobiles
TNT Post has provided staff with a WAP-enabled mobile phone carbon calculator to allow them to measure their carbon emissions and offset these if they wish as part of its bid to become the lowest carbon emission mailing company.The device will question employees about their lifestyle, such as how much ...
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Article
Three-year pay deal for health workers
Trade unions, National Health Service (NHS) employers and the Department of Health for NHS staff have agreed a pay package for health workers worth 7.99% over three years.The deal includes a 2.75% increase in pay for NHS staff in 2008/09, and would also include a rise of 2.4% in 2009/10 ...
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Article
HMRC extends tax concession on health screening
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is extending the concession not to collect the tax that is due on employer-provided health screening for the 2008-2009 tax year.HMRC is still deliberating how to tax employer-provided health screening in the long term, following its consultation on the issue.see Lack of clarity on health ...
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Article
Xafinity acquires Hazell Carr
Xafinity has acquired Hazell Carr in a bid to strengthen its position within the market.Xafinity is a provider of pensions software, employee benefits consultancy and pensions administrator, while Hazell Carr primarily focuses on pensions administration, self-invested personal pensions provision and business process outsourcing.The combined group will have about 1,500 UK ...
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Article
Treasury report fuels tax row
The Treasury Select Committee has voiced its disapproval of the changes to income tax and removal of the 10% rate.In the Select Committee on Treasury Ninth Report, released today, the committee stated that the removal of the 10% and 22% tax bands and replacement with a 20% band is unreasonable.The ...
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Article
Novartis prepares for flex
Pharmaceutical firm Novartis is preparing to implement a flexible benefits scheme early next year after carrying out a series of employee opinion surveys and focus group studies.The company carried out the surveys to gauge staff opinion and ascertain what it could do to boost engagement. Jeanette Piorkowska (pictured), head of ...
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Case Studies
Employer Profile: Penguin Books
Penguin Books mixes benefits provided by parent company Pearson with locally-negotiated perks to cater to workforce needs, says David WoodsA comforting way of spending a cold rainy night is to curl up on the sofa with a good book. However, the idea of turning the pages of a paperback may ...
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Analysis
Dame Carol Blacks review lacks substance
Practitioners declare Dame Carol Black's review of workplace health and wellbeing lacks substanceDame Carol Black's Review of the health of Britain's working age population: Working for a better tomorrow has met with a lukewarm reception.The report highlights the need for employers to invest further in the wellbeing of their staff ...
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Article
Interview with Paul Bissell, head of reward at Nationwide Building Society
nic PatonPaul Bissell, head of reward at Nationwide Building Society, believes simplicity is the key to a successful reward plan, as long as it is communicated wellA number of reward professionals find they never intended to work in the field but instead migrated into it from a variety of directions. ...
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Article
Buyers Guide to Pensions administration
David Woods examines the options that employers have around pensions administration and the duties that should be coveredPensions administration is the business of managing the everyday workings of pensions schemes.It is the job of a pensions administrator to protect employees' records, make sure contributions are received on time and invested ...
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Article
BDO Stoy Hayward acquires Wolanski Checkley Fisher
BDO Stoy Hayward Investment Management has acquired Wolanski Checkley Fisher (WCF), which will be integrated into its Corporate Pensions and Benefit Services division.The acquisition will enable BDO Stoy Hayward to further develop its pensions advisory service as well as its work in related areas such as employer covenant work.WCF's 30 ...