All articles by Ian Silvera – Page 4
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Article
UK employers not proactive on health issues
Almost half (42%) of respondents do not have, or do not know if they have, a programme in place to help employees maintain their health, according to research by consultancy JLT Employee Benefits.Its 250 Club report, which questioned 250 private sector employers with at least 500 full-time employees, also found ...
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Article
Employees would consider using dental plans if available
Just under two-thirds (63%) of employee respondents without a dental plan would consider taking up one if their employer offered it, according to research by Denplan.Its 2013 Dental benefit survey, which questioned 503 benefits professionals and more than 4,000 UK adults, found that 42% of employer respondents in the process ...
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Analysis
Interview with Neil Morrison, group HR director, UK and international, Penguin Random House
The University of Sheffield graduate wanted a change from the theoretical and research-orientated world of academia, and so moved into the role of personnel services officer at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust.Morrison explains: “I really wanted to do something that was applied, and I really enjoyed doing something where you ...
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Article
Holidays wreak havoc among colleagues
Something for the weekend…Unscrupulous staff deliberately book time off to scupper their colleagues’ holiday plans, according to research by OfficeBroker.com.Its anonymous poll of 480 employees revealed that one in 20 (5%) respondents had strategically booked their days off to spite a co-worker.The research also found:13% of respondents kept quiet about ...
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Article
Private sector pay increase expected in second quarter
Private sector pay growth is expected to increase in the second financial quarter of 2013 despite a volatile year, according to the Bank of England.Its Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) August Inflation report revealed in the first financial quarter of 2013, real income was still below its 2007 peak. In comparison, ...
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Article
Gold, always believe in your weight-loss goals
Something for the weekend…Dust off those Spandau Ballet vinyls, plunder Fort Knox and pull out those gold fillings, because the precious metal may help to fight obesity.At least, that is, according to a new health scheme that has been launched in the oil-rich emirate of Dubai.The Your weight in gold ...
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Article
Zenith launches greenhouse gas emission tool
Zenith has launched a reporting tool to help employers document greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in their company car fleet and comply with new reporting regulations coming in from October 2013.The product shows GHG emissions across a whole fleet, by car, by manufacturer and split out by types of greenhouse gas.From ...
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Article
Lack of competition raises PMI prices
A lack of competiton in the private healthcare market at a local level has led to higher private medical insurance (PMI) premiums, according to the Competition Commission.Its Provisional findings on privately-funded healthcare services report, which sets out the independent public body’s initial findings, also found that private hospital operators have ...
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Article
DHL consults on DB pension closure
DHL is consulting on the closure of its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme to future accrual.The scheme, which covers around 3,500 employees, is scheduled to be closed at the end of 2013.Its Voyager defined contribution (DC) pension scheme, which covers 16,000 employees, will not be affected by the consultation. Employees ...
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Article
Warrington Wolves launches health cash plan
Warrington Wolves has launched a health cash plan for its office-based staff at the rugby team’s Halliwell Jones stadium.The plan, which is provided by health cash plan provider Paycare, enables 34 administrative employees to reclaim 100% of the money they spend on healthcare services, such as dental, optical and specialist ...
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Article
Hill Dickinson launches salary sacrifice car scheme
Hill Dickinson has launched a salary sacrifice car scheme for around 1,000 eligible UK employees.The law firm’s scheme, which was launched in July and is provided by Zenith, has capped CO2 emissions at 140g/km, to encourage the selection of lower-emission cars and maximise employee savings.Eligible employees can also use Zenith’s ...
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Video
VIDEO: Tim Wells: The traditional expat benefits package is dying out
The traditional employee benefits package for expatriates is dying out, according to Tim Wells (pictured), former group global mobility manager at Britvic Soft Drinks, in an interview with Debi O’Donovan, editor of Employee Benefits.He added: “Employers are moving more towards giving their employees a locally-based compensation approach.”Wells attributed the shift ...
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Article
Hitachi launches fleet apps
Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions has launched a mobile phone application (app) to help manage end-of-life damage and reduce costs for company cars.The application, which works with BlackBerry, Android and iPhone devices, features an end-of-life contract damage manager.An employee using the system will be prompted six weeks before they are due ...
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Article
Best and worst pension annuity providers revealed
The Association of British Insurers’ (ABI) Annuity Window comparison tool has found that there is a 31% difference between best and worst conventional annuity rates.The tool, which is compulsory for all ABI members selling annuities to the public, also found (based on a level annuity for a 65-year-old man, living ...
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Video
VIDEO: Anne Teggart: Communicating benefits during tough times
Sapient has used internal resources to communicate employee benefits during tough economic times, said Anne Teggart (pictured), European compensation and benefits lead at the outsourcing firm, during an interview with Debbie Lovewell, deputy editor of Employee Benefits.She added: “We have an EU-[wide] benefits mailbox that we send all of our ...
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AnalysisCapita launches health and wellbeing analysis tool
Capita Employee Benefits has launched a health and wellbeing analysis tool designed to help employers make better decisions about their health and wellbeing strategy in order to potentially reduce insurance costs.. The Corporate Health Analysis Tool (Chat) analyses data from all benefits offered by an employer, generating specific information on ...
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Video
VIDEO: Irene Stark: Employee engagement provides commercial advantage
Employee engagement provides employers with a commercial advantage by encouraging high productivity levels and boosting morale, said Irene Stark (pictured), HR director at ATS Euromaster, during an interview with Debbie Lovewell, deputy editor of Employee Benefits.She added: “[A culture of engagement can be created] by looking at the right things ...
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Article
Employers spend little time administering childcare vouchers
The majority of employers (77%) spend less than 30 minutes a month on childcare voucher administration, according to research by the Childcare Voucher Providers Association (CVPA).Its Making childcare work survey, which questioned 1,618 employers between June and July 2013, also found that:94% of respondents believe they play an important role ...
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Article
Barbon adds childcare vouchers to flex
EXCLUSIVE: Barbon Insurance has added childcare vouchers to its flexible benefits scheme.The scheme, which has been in place since 2009, also includes dental insurance, private medical insurance (PMI) and a holiday purchase scheme.Employees can now use their 2% flexible benefits allowance to purchase childcare vouchers, which were previously offered to ...
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Article
Zenith adds salary sacrifice option to staff car scheme
Zenith has added a salary sacrifice arrangement to its company car scheme for its own employees.The fleet management provider’s Driven scheme is available to 180 eligible employees at its offices in Leeds. The cars available are from a range of manufacturers and have CO2 emissions capped at 130g/km.Employees can also ...