All articles by Debi O'Donovan
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ArticleEmployee Benefits Connect, London focuses on HR, benefits and global reward
The fourth annual Employee Benefits Connect will take place in London on 4 March 2015.It is the perfect opportunity for HR, benefits and global reward managers to catch up on current trends, upcoming changes to benefits and to meet leading benefits providers.The conference will include streams on employee benefits strategy, ...
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ArticleDOD’s blog: It’s a goodbye from me
This is my final blog as editor of Employee Benefits. But is it certainly not my final employee benefits blog.After 16 lovely years at Employee Benefits and Centaur Media I am taking the plunge of working for myself.From Monday I will be setting up my own media agency for the ...
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ArticleFind out who has won an EMMA
Celebrating excellence in global mobility worldwide, the Expatriate Management and Mobility Awards (EMMA Awards) are the only international accolades that truly recognise the industry leaders, business successes and rising stars in the global mobility industry.The Forum for Expatriate Management will announce the winners for the European EMMA awards at a ...
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ArticleGovernment taskforce to assess holiday pay ruling
A taskforce is to be set up to assess the possible impact of the ruling on holiday pay from the Employment Appeal Tribunal.In the UK Employment Appeal Tribunal judgement it was decided that holiday pay should reflect non-guaranteed overtime.The taskforce, which was announced by business secretary Vince Cable, will consist ...
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ArticleEuropean Global Mobility Summit takes place on 7 November in London, UK
American Express, Deutsche Bank, and TNT Express are among the employers that will speak at the EMEA Global Mobility Summit 2014 in London on 7 November. This flagship event, run by Employee Benefits’ sister brand the Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM), brings together influential global mobility professionals, providers, consultants and ...
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ArticleDebi O'Donovan: Benefits are changing to attract young talent
But for the millennials, or Generation Y if you prefer, they probably feel they have stepped back in time when they come into the workplace.For example, the technology we use at work often falls behind that used by people at home, while the ability to upgrade, as you would with ...
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ArticleDOD’s blog: The holiday pay debacle
Unless you have been hiding under a rock this week, you will be fully aware that on 4 November the Employment Appeal’s Tribunal (EAT) has made a hugely significant ruling about how holiday pay is calculated.Every law firm in the country, along with several unions, were quick to issue email ...
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ArticleDOD’s blog: Low pay is bad for society
This week we found out that more people are on low pay than ever before. Now 22% of UK workers earn the equivalent to £7.69 an hour according to the Resolution Foundation’s annual audit, Low pay Britain 2014.This mirrors last week’s report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development ...
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ArticleFourth Employee Benefits Connect is fast approaching
It is the perfect opportunity for HR, benefits and global reward managers to catch up on current trends, upcoming changes to benefits and to meet leading benefits providers.The conference will include streams on employee benefits strategy, financial wellbeing, workplace wellbeing and global reward.The dedicated networking exhibition and roundtables will enable ...
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ArticleDOD’s blog: Time to network differently
Earlier this month I popped along to the inaugural meeting of the Independent Women in Insurance Network (iWIN).I had no idea what to expect (other than a really early morning – it started at 8am!).However, the main talk by Julia Hobsbawm, a visiting professor at Cass Business School and the ...
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ArticlePensions not suitable for 10% of SABMiller staff
Over 10% of employees at beer brewer SABMiller will have an annual pensions allowance problem within the next three years.SABMiller, which started in the UK in 1999 and has a trust-based defined contribution scheme, offers age-related contributions to pension scheme members. “I think is slightly unusual. We think we are ...
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ArticleDOD’s blog: Finger on the pensions pulse
This week the big annual pensions industry gathering is taking place – the National Association of Pensions Funds (NAPF) is meeting in Liverpool.It is always a great opportunity to take the temperature of what people (employers, trustees, suppliers, advisers and government ministers) think about the current state of British pensions.A ...
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ArticleGovernment must deliver substance says shadow pensions minister
The lack of substantial action by the government on pensions governance committees, charges caps, transaction costs and the 2014 Budget reforms all came under attack by shadow pensions minister Gregg McClymont when speaking at the annual National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) conference in Liverpool.McClymont warned that the success of ...
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ArticleDOD’s blog: What does Ebola mean for global mobility?
In the past few weeks I have had several conversations with HR people about the impact of Ebola.In particular, those responsible for expatriates are not sure how to react.One employer had expat staff out in West Africa so had to decide whether to bring them back to the UK. And ...
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ArticleDOD's blog: Long live group risk insurance
There is nothing more exciting than insurance, surely?This week has been group risk-tastic, with two events dedicated to the topic. Lucky you, I hear you all chant!Seriously though, group risk is a market ripe for innovation. It hasn’t exactly kept pace with changing workforce demographics and needs for some time ...
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AnalysisWhy pension investment lifestyling strategies need a re-style
Now that members have the freedom to access their pension funds whenever they wish (once they have reached the age of 55), it is harder to manage the default fund so that it is likely to give a good outcome for members. The default fund has been part of the ...
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Analysis
Implications of the October 2015 childcare voucher changes
If you read nothing else, read this…Tax-free childcare will be introduced in October 2015.Working parents who are not in receipt of childcare vouchers at that date will go into the new scheme.The change will have significant tax and cost implications for both employers and working parents if neither prepares for ...
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ArticleDOD's blog: Not being on social media is a risk
This week my blog comes from Employee Benefits Live – that wonderful, frenetic two-day event where over 2,000 employee benefits professionals come together to learn, gossip (er.. network) and catch up on all things benefits and reward.I always come away with dozens of new ideas, insights and friends in the ...
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ArticleDebi O’Donovan: You can't bottle time
Making time during busy working days can be tricky, as so many tasks (and emails) pile up demanding our attention. But without time set aside to think creatively, to step back and consider strategy, to stop and do things differently, we get bogged down. We are often too busy to ...
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ArticleDOD’s blog: Employment up, wages down
The good news is that Britain’s jobless rate fell to 6.2% this week.The bad news is that wage growth is just 0.7% compared to a year ago (excluding bonuses), and is a tenth down compared to pre-recession figures, adjusting for inflation.I am no economist but it is evident there are ...