All articles by Debbie Lovewell-Tuck – Page 31
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AnalysisExcepted group life policies: the devil is in the detail
Key pointsFrom April 2016, the lifetime allowance limit will reduce to £1m, meaning more employees will exceed the allowance and become liable to a potential 55% taxEmployers may be considering excepted group life policies to mitigate the effects of the reductionWith their 10-year anniversary approaching, it is critical employers review ...
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AnalysisIt is time to rebrand pensions
Key pointsEmployees are still confused about pensions, the new freedoms and how they apply to themOrganisations that strive to be an employer of choice need to go beyond merely complying with the new changes and use strategic communications to educate their workforcesPensions should be positioned as part of lifestyle choices, ...
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OpinionLovewell's Logic: Will we ever see an end to workplace gender inequality?
The list, which is compiled in partnership with the gender equality campaign from Business in the Community, Opportunity Now, identifies and celebrates employers that can demonstrate best practice in improving attraction, retention, progression and engagement in relation to their approach to gender equality, diversity and inclusion.Employers that made this year’s ...
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ArticleEmployee mental health needs to be top of the agenda
One in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year, with depression affecting around three in every 100 people and anxiety approximately five in every 100 people.This means that, at any one time, most employers will have members of their workforce suffering from mental ill-health ...
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OpinionFreedom and choice: finding the right voice
Key pointsEmployers retain a bond of trust with employees: staff will go to their employer for advice.Anticipate their needs to create a strategy to offer valuable support at a critical time, especially defined contribution (DC) scheme members approaching retirement.The pension revolution has only just begun. The after-annuities era will continue ...
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OpinionLovewell's Logic: Does charity begin at work?
But these days does this really hold true? Or is it now more of a case that charity begins at work?Many employers now offer employees opportunities to support charities through the workplace, be it through fundraising, workplace giving or volunteering initiatives.Here at Employee Benefits, we’re no different. Every year, Centaur ...
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ArticleTop 10 most read stories this week.
The most-read stories between 15-22 April on employeebenefits.co.ukHow will the changes to childcare vouchers affect staff?Arup boost benefits take up among generation Y staffA guide to tax-efficient benefitsEmployers not reuqired to create ideal job for returning employeeWaitrose staff motivate with song at AGMScottish Power increases benefits engagementNext pledges 5% pay ...
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AnalysisShilling industry insight: Freedom and choice - X marks the opportunity
If you read nothing else, read this…Latest reforms present opportunity to, and requirement for, employees to take ownership of retirement planning.Generation X is at risk of falling between the cracks and needs to be educated now.Effective governance can identify employees at risk much earlier.A long-term communications strategy that uses personalisation ...
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OpinionLovewell's Logic: The rush for Lamborghinis?
After a relatively quiet start – well, it was Easter Monday after all – many pension providers are reporting higher than average call volumes from customers, suggesting employees are engaging with the new freedoms and, at the very least, are interested in finding out more about their options.And, as far ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: The psychology of reward
But should employers be applying the same principles of behavioural science to motivating staff?According to a report published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) this week, a better understanding of the science behind the impact of pay and reward on employee behaviour could help employers to significantly ...
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ArticleBenefits can be a risky business
But in doing so, benefits themselves can pose a variety of risks to an organisation. Company cars, for example, can be the cause of multiple risks to employee health and safety if appropriate controls and measures are not put in place to manage them.As long as employers are aware of ...
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OpinionLovewell's Logic: Should saving for retirement always be top priority?
But, in among the flood of press releases that we inevitably receive after such events, I spotted a couple which presented the government’s new Help to Buy Isa as an opportunity for employers.These suggested that employers could include this new type of Isa in their remuneration packages and facilitate employer ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: It's good to talk
Despite having, what I would consider to be, a relatively sociable job, these days I seem to spend more time communicating via email, Twitter and LinkedIn rather than in person, or even by phone. But, despite this, I really do feel there is no substitute for meeting someone in person, ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Could communication be more effective?
In the last couple of weeks, the issue of benefits communication has once again risen up the agenda as two separate pieces of research suggested that employees’ understanding of benefits is not as good as employers may like.First, The Voucher Shop’s survey of NHS staff found that more than half ...
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ArticleDebbie Lovewell-Tuck: Employers primed for financial wellbeing
This question came to the fore again last month when the government rolled out a new interest-free loan scheme across the UK.The scheme, which was previously piloted in London, works in the same way as a season ticket loan, enabling employees to take out a loan for a house rental ...
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OpinionTom Gaynor: Not just looking at the risk in group risk
When I first set foot in the group risk market in 2008, it struck me how often I’d hear the phrase: “It’s a small world, group risk.” “Great!” I thought. “I’ll get to know everything and everyone in no time.” Forget the 90-day plan — in fact, halve it. As ...
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OpinionLovewell's Logic: New ideas for staff support
The scheme, which works in a similar way to interest-free travel loans, offers employees an interest-free loan to pay for a tenancy deposit when they move into a privately-rented home. Repayments are then deducted from their monthly salary over a period of time until the loan has been repaid.This is ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: The need to care for carers
How many employees in your workforce are also carers? And how many carers have you lost from your workforce because they felt unable to continue to juggle their work and caring responsibilities?With the public expenditure costs of carers who feel unable to keep working estimated to exceed £1 billion, it ...
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OpinionLovewell's Logic: Are we suffering from communication overload?
It involved a group of individuals discussing the number of communications they received from one of their employer’s benefits providers. While they didn’t dispute the value of the benefit they received in any way, they felt that the volume of messages received was excessive and led to them, at times, ...
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ArticleMaking the case for a good benefits proposal
In many cases, this will result in benefits professionals identifying the need to introduce new initiatives, either to replace an existing benefit or as an addition to their package. Either way, ensuring they get the go-ahead for their plans will be the next crucial step.This is where an engaging business ...