All articles by Ian Silvera – Page 14
-
Article
Daily Mail plans for pensions auto-enrolment
The Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) will use provider Staffcare’s middleware product to manage its auto-enrolment duties.DMGT, which employs 11,500 employees globally and owns publications such as The Daily Mail, The Metro and The Mail on Sunday, has multiple staging dates, the first of which is 1 August 2013. ...
-
Article
Buzz for the Employee Benefits Awards
I fully appreciate just how hard and how much time it has taken for you to come this far. There are so many good organisations and professionals within the employee benefits industry.You are a finalist for a very good reason and, having been a former judge for these awards, I ...
-
Article
Unison wins legal pay case against London Fire Brigade
The union was challenging the LFEPA’s decision not to honour the third year of a pay deal that would have given fire and rescue staff a 2.5% pay rise in April 2009. The claim could be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds because the increase is payable for four years ...
-
Article
Fit note guidance clears up outstanding issues
Getting the most out of the fit note: guidance for employers and line managers explains what employers should do if they are given a fit note by an employee, what different sections of the fit note mean, and how it can be used most effectively.Richard Baker, a solicitor at Shoosmiths, ...
-
Article
Real-time information reporting update and guidance
Ruth Owen, director general of personal tax at HMRC, said: “HMRC appreciates that some employers might be daunted by the change, but they don’t need to be. HMRC is on hand to offer help and support, and we are taking a pragmatic approach, which includes no in-year late filing penalties ...
-
Article
Government consults on pensions auto-enrolment legislation
Issues include streamlining the process for assessing which staff are eligible for pensions auto-enrolment. The government plans to allow employers to assess eligibility using information already collected by payroll systems.The government has also suggested lifting the requirement for staff to be auto-enrolled if they voluntarily left their workplace pension in ...
-
Article
Top discussions from the Employee Benefits LinkedIn group
There’s a world of difference between being supportive of employees who wish to become more active (which I think we should) and putting pressure, however well-intentioned, on employees to take up activities that might not be suitable for their level of health and fitness.Maria Padley, reward manager, GetronicsFacilitating employees to ...
-
Article
Top 10 most visited stories on the web
1. Employee Benefits Awards 2013 shortlist announced2. GSK wants staff to plan their future3. Minimum wage to increase from 1 October 20134. Employer tax relief introduced on health benefits5. Government pledges to make savings through progression pay reforms6. Employers want default retirement age reinstated7. £2,000 national insurance allowance for employers8. ...
-
Analysis
Is mobile technology suitable for share schemes?
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…Employers are moving away from paper-based share plan applications.Share plan communications technology should be tailored to each employer.Mobile applications are gaining popularity.Perhaps the most tech-savvy tool to use is mobile technology, which enables staff to sign up to share schemes using SMS text messaging ...
-
Case Studies
Pentland Brands scraps ‘free fuel’ and saves thousands
The organisation behind global brands such as Speedo, Mitre and Berghaus used The Miles Consultancy’s (TMC) system to gather the data it needed to make the change, which resulted in Pentland reducing fuel usage by 16% and cutting thousands of pounds from its fleet budget.Pentland Brands estimates that withdrawing the ...
-
AnalysisPrivate fuel provision loses its appeal
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…Private fuel provision is decreasing in popularity among both employees and employers.By using a fuel card, employers can make greater savings and cut administrative costs on their fuel management.The high cost of fuel and company car taxation are among the reasons why private fuel ...
-
Article
The Monarch Group launches bikes-for-work scheme
The Monarch Group has launched a bikes-for-work scheme, following requests from its employees.The airline, and its provider Evans Cycles, hosted nine roadshows around the country to present the scheme to staff in February 2013, with a pop-up shop at its Luton hub where crew, engineers and ground staff were able ...
-
Article
I'm a journalist...Get me out of here!
Something for the weekend… What do you think is the worst job of 2013? Kitchen porter? No, surely something more dangerous. What about working as a deep sea fisherman, like those featured on television’s the Deadliest Catch? Well, according to a recent survey, the answer is a little more surprising. ...
-
Article
Government's employee ownership proposal passes
The government’s employee ownership proposal has passed in the House of Lords.The Growth and Infrastructure Bill, commonly known as ‘rights for shares’, passed by 275 to 168, a majority of 107, after Chancellor George Osborne made a key concession.The legislation means that employers will be able to allow employees to ...
-
Article
Legal and General appoints chair to mastertrust
Legal and General has appointed an independent chair to its WorkSave mastertrust.Paul Trickett (pictured), who joins from investment bank Goldman Sachs, said: “I am very pleased to be appointed as the chair of the board of trustees.“This structure reinforces benefits of independent trustee governance and I firmly believe this is ...
-
Article
Corporate adviser warns about 'deluded consequences' of auto-enrolment
The current auto-enrolment model may not encourage employees to make sufficient pension savings for their retirement, according to Thomosons Online Benefits’ chief executive officer (CEO).Michael Whitfield (pictured) said that auto-enrolment, the government-enforced reforms aimed at ensuring more people save into a workplace pension scheme, will not give people the savings ...
-
Article
Cyclescheme partners Paralympian Sarah Storey
Cyclescheme has partnered with multiple gold medal-winning Paralympic cyclist Sarah Storey.The four-year partnership will see Storey promoting the bikes-for-work provider’s Challenge Yourself campaign, which encompasses a number of cycling initiatives, such as the first National Cycle to Work Day on 12 September 2013. The event has been created to highlight ...
-
Article
BBS Consultants and Actuaries publishes pensions auto-enrolment guide
Pensions consultancy BBS Consultants and Actuaries has published a guide designed to highlight the key practical steps around pensions auto-enrolment.The free Managing auto-enrolment: a practical guide for employers focuses on what employers need to do to prepare for, implement and manage pensions auto-enrolment, rather than detail the legislation behind it.Michael ...
-
Article
Tesco's pension deficit rises to £1.8bn
Tesco’s net pension deficit increased from £1,407 billion in 2011 to £1,839 billion in 2012. The retailer attributes the change, revealed in its Preliminary results 2012/13, to a reduction in real corporate bond yields leading to a fall of 0.3% in the discount rate used to measure the organisation’s liabilities. ...
-
Article
Next chief to share £2m bonus among staff
Next chief executive Simon Wolfson is to share a £2.4 million bonus awarded through a share-matching plan (SMP) with the organisation’s staff.The payout will be shared among 19,400 of the retailer’s 55,000 employees who have been with the retailer since June 2010.The award will be equivalent to 1% of an ...