All articles by Debbie Lovewell-Tuck – Page 34
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AnalysisThe impact of an ageing population on employee benefits
Improving longevity is unquestionably a global trend driven by major improvements in health and medical advances.The greying workforce is particularly pronounced in the developed economies of Europe, the US, Australia and Japan. For the emerging economies of India, Mexico, Brazil and Indonesia, it is much less of a concern.But is ...
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ArticleDebbie Lovewell-Tuck: Balancing pay expectations with pension costs
All employees naturally want to achieve the best standard of living possible, and human nature dictates that many will base this on what they can afford to buy and do with their take-home pay.However, by focusing on their short- or even medium-term future, some employees could be overlooking the bigger ...
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ArticleNeil Morrison: Should employers use social media to communicate benefits?
If an employer wants to communicate effectively, it is best to use the channels that people are on, not try to create new ones.There is an interesting additional dynamic that comes up when we start to look at organisations’ internal use of external social media channels, such as Twitter and ...
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OpinionWill flexible benefits technology be free in the future?
Lawrence Sutton, senior manager, EMX solutions at KPMG, says yes:Flexible benefits technology has evolved significantly in just 20 years. When it first arrived on the scene, it was a luxury for even large, wealthy organisations. Today, flex technology is ubiquitous, even in small and medium-sized businesses. In the future, I ...
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ArticlePensions research 2014: Key findings
The survey, which was carried out in September 2014 among readers of Employee Benefits and users of www.employeebenefits.co.uk, received 216 responses.Key findings78% of respondents now offer a group personal pensins plan as their primary pension scheme 24% offer a master trust 32% of respondents contribute 6-10% of salary for the ...
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Article
Total reward is dead
Total reward is dead, according to Duncan Brown, head of the UK performance, reward and talent consulting practice at Aon, and Martha How, partner, reward and benefits at Aon.Speaking in a session on ‘The demise of total reward’ at Employee Benefits Live on 24 September, Brown explained that the impact ...
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ArticleThree-quarters of parents rate flexible working as very important
Nearly three-quarters of parents rate flexible working as very important when they are looking for a new job, according to research by Workingmums.co.uk, sponsored by BBC Future Media.The survey of more than 2,000 parents also found that homeworking is the most popular form of flexible working among employers, but few ...
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ArticleDefault investment strategies must have flexibility to deal with uncertainty
Default investment strategies must be robust enough to be able to deal with uncertainty and the evolution of pensions, according to Tim Banks, managing director of sales and client relations at AllianceBernstein.Speaking in a session on ‘Defined contribution (DC) investment – do we need to think again?’ at the National ...
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ArticleScottish Power, BNY Mellon and IHG awarded for pensions quality
Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), BNY Mellon and Scottish Power have been awarded the Pensions Quality Mark (PQM) for their defined contribution (DC) pension schemes, while Lloyd’s Register has been awarded the PQM Plus.The organisations were all presented with their awards by pensions minister Steve Webb at the National Association of ...
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AnalysisKey issues to consider around financial education
Our rapidly changing financial world creates the need for better financial education and support.With the implementation of auto-enrolment upon us, is the responsibility for providing a pension shifting from the government to the individual and the private sector?From next April, savers will be able to use their pension fund as ...
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ArticleMembers to be able to take multiple tax-free lump sums from pensions
Pension scheme members are to be given greater flexibility over how they take tax-free lump sums from their pension pots.From April 2015, members over the age of 55 will be able to withdraw a series of lump sums, dipping into their pension pot whenever they wish. A quarter of each ...
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Article62% of male cancer patients feel supported by employers
Just under two-thirds (62%) of male respondents who have completed cancer treatment felt they received good support from their employer during and after treatment, according to YouGov research commissioned by Unum in partnership with cancer charity Maggie’s.The research, which surveyed more than 1,000 adults who currently have or have had ...
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Article
Employee Benefits Live returned for 16th year
Employee Benefits Live, which took place at Olympia, London, offered an extensive editorial-driven conference programme alongside an exhibition packed with leading industry suppliers, advisers and consultants.Topics covered in this year’s conference programme included total reward, benefits communication, pensions, healthcare and wellbeing, global benefits and flexible benefits.The event provided the perfect ...
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Case StudiesCafcass puts health and wellbeing at heart of business strategy
As the UK’s largest employer of social workers, Cafcass has recognised the pressures its employees are under. The organisation, which works to represent the interests of children involved in family proceedings, has put staff wellbeing at the heart of its business strategy. One of its primary organisational objectives is to ...
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ArticleMervyn Dinnen: Should employers use social media to communicate benefits?
According to the study of 2,300 global employees, only about four in 10 feel they can confidently explain to others what their organisation does or what its goals are. The same report also found that 88% of staff use a social media site for personal use, and 50% of them ...
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AnalysisHow to ensure benefits data remains secure
If you read nothing else, read this…Employers should ensure data security measures are clearly set out in service-level agreements with benefits providers.Internal people risks to data security should not be overlooked.Under EU data protection laws coming into effect in 2016, the maximum fine for non-compliance has been set at €100 ...
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AnalysisIdeas for alternative work Christmas parties
If you read nothing else, read this…Work Christmas parties may not suit organisations on a budget, with large numbers of shift workers or for which Christmas is their busiest time of the year.Holding events out of season or on Sunday nights can be more cost-effective.Fitness-based events can tie in to ...
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AnalysisKim Stephenson: Why offer Christmas incentives?
The Christmas bonus, be it a cash or non-cash incentive, once a year in addition to usual compensation, is not linked to improved performance or a profit share. Nor is it designed to focus employees on objectives or behaviours. It therefore does not establish a link between pay and performance ...
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AnalysisBenefits must appeal to all generations of the workforce
Each generation has its own concerns and priorities and being able to select and tailor their benefits to meet these needs has significant value. Ensuring that every pound is appreciated rather than being spent on benefits that may have little or no value to a particular employee, helps the individual ...
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ArticleDebbie Lovewell-Tuck: Education to engage staff with savings
Although the government has now confirmed how its guaranteed pensions guidance will be provided to all defined contribution (DC) scheme members, there are questions over whether this will be sufficient to engage staff and help them make appropriate decisions.Last month, research by consultancy Mercer found that 62% of the 300 ...