All articles by Debi O'Donovan – Page 17

  • Analysis

    Is video the best way to communicate flexible benefits?

    2010-11-29T00:00:00Z

    If your read nothing else, read this... Only use video if it is the best medium for your message and your staff. It typically costs £2,500 to £20,000 to make a video, but it can be done for free or cost as much as £50,000. Most videos used to communicate ...

  • Article

    Pensions Regulator statement on employer related investments

    2010-11-12T11:27:00Z

    The Pensions Regulator has set out its expectations of trustees, employers and advisers involved in making pension scheme investment decisions.Under laws governing employer related investments (ERI) not more than 5% of the current value of scheme assets may be invested in ERI (subject to certain specific exceptions). In addition, some ...

  • Article

    Dinamiks launches online employee performance management system

    2010-11-12T11:12:10Z

    Dinamiks has launched an online employee performance management system.The system, called Dinamiks, includes two modules: competencies and values.The competencies module highlights where training is required, while values aligns staff, through behaviour change, to what the brand of their employer organisation represents and how it is perceived.Shirley Barnes, client relationship director ...

  • Article

    Share scheme industry celebrates while Royal Mail heading for massive share ownership plan

    2010-11-11T10:51:41Z

    The share scheme industry celebrated major milestones for employee share ownership at the House of Commons, Westminster yesterday. The event, hosted by IFS Proshare, took place in the same week that a Parliamentary committee is discussing the bill that will lead to 10% of shares in Royal Mail going to ...

  • Article

    Ethical incentives help meet Christmas business targets

    2010-11-10T11:12:38Z

    A water powered calculator, a grow your own strawberries kit, an electric bike and white water rafting have been added to the eco-incentive scheme, Compliments Green, which is run by Edenred in partnership with Green Rewards.The range, has been extended to tie in with the festive season because this is ...

  • Article

    AWD Chase de Vere awarded top marks in benefit platform survey

    2010-11-10T10:51:09Z

    AWD Chase de Vere, the corporate advisers, achieved the highest overall score and was awarded the prestigious triple ‘e’ rating in the inaugural Corporate Adviser Benefit Platform Survey.The survey is believed to be the most exhaustive study of employee benefits technology propositions ever carried out in the UK.AWD Chase de ...

  • Article

    Three employers sign up for SchemeHub

    2010-11-09T11:38:03Z

    Mueller Europe (Wednesbury Pension Scheme), the Ruston Bucyrus Pension Scheme and the MESL Pension Scheme have signed up to SchemeHub, the virtual pensions manager and document storage tool from Atkin & Co.SchemeHub allows managers and trustees to access scheme documents immediately over the web, it also enables them to review ...

  • Article

    Value of shares held by benefits managers rise

    2010-11-05T11:58:34Z

    The recovering economic climate means the value of the shares or options held by reward and benefits managers has risen, according to the Employee Benefits Salary Survey 2010.In the 2009 survey, just 4% of respondents held options or share worth more than £50,000. in 2010 15% do so.In addition, in ...

  • Article

    Women in benefits get better pay rises than men

    2010-11-04T11:00:44Z

    The mean salary for female benefits managers has increased by £3,031 in the past year compared to £674 for men in the industry, according to the Employee Benefits Salary Survey 2010.However, the annual survey found there are still significant differences between the salaries received between men and women. The mean ...

  • Article

    Pay freezes lifted for benefits managers

    2010-11-03T12:54:06Z

    Just under two-thirds (64%) of reward and benefits managers have had a salary review in the last 12 months, according to the Employee Benefits Salary Survey 2010.In 2009 just 51% had a pay review. This rise indicates that organisations are loosening restraints put in place during the recession. Correspondingly, just ...

  • Article

    Debi O'Donovan, editor of Employee Benefits: All systems go - but be careful on tax-efficiency

    2010-11-01T10:44:43Z

    We are now just two months away from the VAT increase to 20%, and five months away from the 1% rise in national insurance.This, coupled with other incoming tax changes on benefits such as high earners’ pensions and childcare vouchers, means that any benefits manager who is on the ball ...

  • Case Studies

    Nielsen success with new childcare voucher provider

    2010-11-01T00:00:01Z

    Nielsen, the global market research company, has seen 10% of its workforce take up childcare vouchers.This follows a change of provider to one which was able to provide Nielsen with the personalised support it needed in the marketing, administration and market updates on childcare vouchers.Before switching provider, Nielsen conducted a ...

  • Article

    Busy Bees moves back into childcare voucher business

    2010-11-01T00:00:01Z

    Busy Bees, the childcare provider, has moved back into the childcare voucher market with the launch of Busy Bees Benefits.Busy Bees sold its original childcare voucher business to Computershare in 2008, and under the terms of the deal Busy Bees agreed not to offer childcare vouchers under the Busy Bees ...

  • Article

    BMI launches free staff health checks

    2010-10-22T09:16:45Z

    Hospital chain BMI Healthcare is offering free mini health checks in workplaces across the UK.The ‘Inspect Your Health’ events will start in November and be available for one year until October 2011.BMI Healthcare will dispatch nursing teams to deliver the checks which will include tests for body mass index (BMI), ...

  • Article

    Employee Benefits Live 2010: KPMG rolls out new absence management policy

    2010-10-01T00:00:01Z

    KPMG is to roll out a new absence management policy and guidance document on 1 October, following a comprehensive review into sickness absence at the professional services firm.Speaking in the health and wellbeing session Helping line managers effectively deal with wellbeing issues at Employee Benefits Live on 29 September, Fiona ...

  • Article

    PWC research: Half of workers would demand rise if pay is unfair

    2010-09-30T11:01:37Z

    Almost half (49%) of employees would ask for a pay rise or look for a new job if they found out for certain that colleagues at the same level were paid more.The finding, from a recent poll of 1,148 UK workers commissioned by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), comes as the Equality Act ...

  • Article

    Employee Benefits Live 2010: Commerzbank launches flexible benefits scheme

    2010-09-28T21:22:58Z

    Commerzbank has launched an online flexible benefits scheme to increase awareness of its benefits offering among employees.Addressing delegates at Employee Benefits Live 2010 on 28 September, Ian Davidson, head of compensation and benefits, Commerzbank, explained how a key selling point for the bank was reaching its differentiated employee base via ...

  • Article

    Debi O'Donovan, editor of Employee Benefits: Benefits professionals demonstrate their worth

    2010-09-26T23:00:00Z

    This month sees the largest-ever gathering of benefits and reward professionals from across the industry.As we go to press, we can see that, with a week to go, more than 1,100 people have booked over 5,000 conference sessions at Employee Benefits Live. And the number of people pre-registering for the ...

  • Article

    Advisers in demand but need to show their worth

    2010-09-26T23:00:00Z

    Exclusive research among 662 reward and HR professionals has found that 70% are satisfied with their corporate adviser, and 23% are extremely satisfied.The Employee Benefits/Friends Provident adviser research 2010, published this month, shows that advisers need to be on their toes. The vast majority of respondents review their advisers regularly ...

  • Article

    Matt Duffy: Are voluntary benefits just a conduit for selling products?

    2010-08-31T23:10:00Z

    This is not a subject where you will find us sitting on the fence. Good voluntary benefits programmes should not be a route to flog products or provide suppliers with commission. Equally, they should not be seen as a wonder product to cure the ills of an organisation that has ...