All articles by Ian Silvera – Page 3
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Article
Top discussions from the Employee Benefits LinkedIn group
How do you use social media?I really like [the] Twitter trend #ShorterHR. The idea is to write HR policy in 140 characters or less. Below are some of the best examples, together with a number of my own contributions. This exercise also has a serious point. It would be a ...
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Article
John Lewis to repay £40m of holiday pay
The John Lewis Partnership is to spend £40 million compensating employees who were accidentally paid incorrectly and did not receive certain additions to pay, such as premiums for Sunday and bank holiday work.The organisation will make one-off additional payments to 69,000 affected employees dating back to 2006.The amount will vary ...
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Article
Government to name below-minimum-wage payers
Employers that fail to pay the national minimum wage (NMW) are to be publicly named and shamed from October 2013.The government’s announcement is part of its efforts to toughen up enforcement of the NMW and increase compliance.Under the original NMW naming scheme, employers had to meet one of seven criteria ...
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Article
Mummy's Moroccan mishap
Something for the weekend…Supporting employees with childcare, particularly in an emergency, is a perennial consideration for employers.Those that may have been tempted to save money in this area, however, may be deterred after a recent incident on Morroccan television when an employee brought their child into work.Lena Alwash, a presenter ...
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Article
No correlation between pride and pay
There is no correlation between professional pride and pay, ,according to research by recruitment firm Randstad Financial and Professional.The research, which surveyed more than 2,000 employees across 20 different sectors, found that insurance professionals, who have the most professional pride of any UK sector, receive a higher-than-average salary of £639.50 ...
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ArticleBonus payments rise to £38.6 billion
Total bonus payments across the UK economy totalled £38.6 billion between May 2012 and April 2013, up 4% year-on-year, according to research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).But employers delayed paying £1.7 billion of this total to help employees take advantage of the change to top-rate tax, which fell ...
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Article
Luke Hildyard: How should HR be more involved in high pay decisions?
Over the last decade, pay for a FTSE 100 chief executive officer has risen from 100-times that of the ordinary worker to 130-times. Comprehensive figures going back further are difficult to find, but research from the High Pay Commission suggests the ratio stood at about 15:1 in the late 1970s.This ...
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Analysis
Key points to consider about bring your own device (BYOD) to work schemes
If you read nothing else, read this:Employers need to ensure staff comply with the Data Protection Act when implementing a bring your own device (BYOD) to work scheme.BYOD schemes enable employees to be flexible, fast and productive.A big cultural change is required to implement a BYOD scheme.BYOD schemes allow employees ...
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AnalysisWhere does employee recognition fit into a development review?
If you read nothing else, read this…Employers can use peer reviews to help with the performance development review (PDR) process.New technologies offer an opportunity for employers to ask employees about their peers.A recognition scheme can be easily integrated into a PDR.PDRs can also be linked to motivation and recognition programmes. ...
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Article
Ian Hodson: How should HR be more involved in high pay decisions?
The reward manager’s role is to create a framework that can be flexible enough to support recruitment and retention, but be transparent to employees. More often than not, we see decisions taken spontaneously without the involvement of HR and without considering the longer-term impact. This can often be in the ...
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Case Studies
Peer 1 Hosting motivates staff with peer-to-peer recognition
The system enables employees and managers to spend time together and collaborate to set their promises to deliver and be accountable for the forthcoming year.Helen Ives, HR director, says: “Everything we do from a learning, recognition and performance standpoint is very collaborative and peer-to-peer led.”The organisation’s Peer Promises system has ...
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Article
Former Co-op employees fight for bonuses
Former employees of the Co-operative Group have launched legal action against the employer over unpaid bonuses worth around £1 million.The 10 employees, who worked for Co-operative Insurance Society, the mutual’s insurance organisation, which was sold to Royal London in July 2013, have launched formal grievance proceedings against the Group.The move ...
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Article
Who let the dogs in?
Something for the weekend…What do Pluto, Gnasher, Lassie and Scooby-Doo all have in common? They are all workplace productivity boosters.According to employment services organisation Parasol, our four-legged friends can have a positive impact on an employee’s work.The pooch-loving employer enjoyed its best day of results in four years when bosses ...
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Article
BBC journalists receive £800 pay rise
BBC journalists received an £800 pay rise on 1 August after settling a pay dispute.The dispute was resolved after BBC management agreed to a 1% increase on the level of minimum pay grades or an £800 increase for journalists, whichever was higher.A BBC spokesperson said: “We are pleased to have ...
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ArticleAverage weekly earnings up by 1.1%
Average weekly earnings, excluding bonuses, rose by 1.1% between April and June 2013, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).Its Labour market statistics, August 2013 revealed that, in cash terms, average weekly earnings, excluding bonus payments and before tax, were £447 in June 2013, up from £443 in June ...
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Article
Pg 14/15: Interactive page: The month in numbers
25% of employers have a comprehensive approach to Christmas incentive programmes (p31).16% of employers now offer financial education to all staff as a core benefit (p42).£180 was the average price paid for a health cash plan in 2012 (p65).
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Article
Pg 14/15: Interactive page: Most talked-about news
Birmingham City Council employees have made savings of £187,000 through the authority’s online employee discounts scheme. The programme, introduced in November 2011, is used by 8,300 of the council’s 48,000 staff.£187,000 sounds great, but that works out to just over £22.50 for each employee actually using the scheme, or less ...
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Article
ABI launches pensions calculator for employers
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has launched a pensions calculator designed to help employers select a pension scheme for their employees.The tool enables employers to input pension charges, including active member discounts and initial charges, to obtain a simple analysis of the impact charges will have on employees’ retirement ...
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Opinion
Tom Bray: European Court rules against collective pay negotiations
The ECJ found that employees cannot continue to benefit from collectively agreed pay rises once they have transferred to a new employer which is neither party or privy to the pay negotiations.This case has very real implications for employers that have acquired, or will acquire, employees to whom industry- or ...
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Article
Birmingham Council staff save £187,000 via discounts plan
EXCLUSIVE: Birmingham City Council employees have made savings of £187,000 through the organisation’s online employee discounts scheme.The programme, which was introduced in November 2011, is used by 8,300 of the council’s 48,000 employees.Since its launch, employees have spent £3 million on purchases through the scheme.Raffaela Goodby, head of organisational development, ...