All articles by Ian Silvera – Page 8
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Article
Asda staff to share £61.7m sharesave payout
More than 19,000 Asda employees are to share a payout of £61.7 million under parent organisation Walmart’s three-year sharesave scheme.The payouts will vary from £3,000 to more than £15,000.The supermarket chain’s sharesave scheme allows employees to set aside between £50 and £250 of their salary per month for a three-year ...
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Article
SSE receives 3,000 requests for salary sacrifice cars
SSE has received 3,000 requests for cars from employees through a salary sacrifice arrangement since it was launched in May.The energy supplier, which has 20,000 employees, has already received orders for 500 cars.The scheme, provided by Lex Autolease, offers employees a car for a monthly fee, which includes insurance, service, ...
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Article
Staff could make equal pay claims from different establishments
Employers could face equal pay claims from staff even if they are employed on different terms and conditions, and at different establishments from male comparators, following a landmark ruling from the Supreme Court.In the case of North and others v Dumfries and Galloway Council, the court ruled that the council ...
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Article
Lifetime annuities will retain their popularity
Lifetime annuities will remainthe most popular annuity product, according to research by pensions administration firm Equiniti Paymaster.Its 2013 Annuity survey, which questioned 40 service providers, retirement planning consultants, employee benefit consultants and trade bodies, found that 85% of annuity professionals agreed lifetime annuities will retain their position as the most ...
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Article
Hardest working man...ever?
Did you wake up feeling tired, dejected and underpaid? Fear not - here is one young man to inspire you.David Day undertakes a staggering five paid positions and six voluntary posts with which he estimates he clocks up 50 hours’ work per week.The 21-year-old, who earns just £500 a month, ...
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Article
Top 10 most read stories this week
This week’s top 10 news stories on EmployeeBenefits.co.uk between 21 June and 27 June:E.On raises pensions take-up to 92% after auto-enrolmentAuto-enrolment prompts employers to review their benefits offeringEmployers launch flexible working forumMPs call for mandatory equal pay auditsChris Judge: Lifetime pension allowance limits changingUniversity of Reading launches online reward and ...
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Article
Merlin Entertainments launches restaurant and cinema discount card
EXCLUSIVE: Merlin Entertainments has launched a restaurant and cinema discount card for its employees.The Gourmet Society card, which provides employees with discounts at more than 6,000 restaurants in the UK and Ireland and gives staff discounted cinema tickets, is open to more than 8,000 Merlin employees across the UK and ...
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Article
Olympic success boosts TFL commissioner's pay by £319,000
Transport for London (TFL) commissioner, Peter Hendy, received a £319,006 boost to his remuneration package for 2012/13 as a result of two performance-related bonuses awarded in recognition of the employer’s successful service delivery during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.The two bonuses of £150,366 and £168,640 are for 2010/11 ...
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Article
Interserve employees see £1,000 increase for share save
Interserve employees are to see an average profit increase of £1,122 for their share save scheme.The support services and construction organisation’s share save scheme, which currently has more than 700 UK employees signed up and is administered by YBS Share Plans, has matured to 489.0p, up from 369.8p on maturity ...
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Article
Osborne risks backlash over public sector pay reform
The government is to axe automatic annual pay rises in the civil service as part of a pledge to make £11.5 billion worth of public sector savings in 2015/16.Chancellor George Osborne revealed the proposed legislation in the Spending Review 2013 at the same time as confirming that public sector pay ...
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Article
Parliamentary Commission lobbies for new banking remuneration code
The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards has published its fifth and final report.The Changing banking for good report, which has been heavily influenced by recent banking misconduct that took place under the former Financial Services Authority (FSA) regime, contains a package of recommendations intended to raise standards in, and transform ...
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Article
PGA launches free payroll giving 'donor passport' system
A British fundraising organisation has launched an online ‘donor passport’ system, designed to reconnect charities with lapsed donors and boost take-up of its payroll giving scheme.Payroll Giving in Action (PGA)’s free Payroll Giving Portal provides a portable digital management system for employers, charities and donors.Donors are provided with a permanent ...
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Article
University of Reading launches online reward and recognition portal
The University of Reading has introduced an online reward and recognition portal.The organisation’s Celebrating Success scheme, provided by AYMTM, is part of the employer’s commitment set out in its HR Strategy to recognise and reward achievement at the earliest possible opportunity.The system allows managers to nominate employees for awards, which ...
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Article
Janine Sparks is benefits professional of the year
Sparks has more than 25 years’ experience in the reward and benefits industry, working with organisations such as Lloyds TSB Asset Finance, Morgan Grenfell and Debenhams.She was nominated for the award by industry peers who said she was someone fellow benefits practitioners looked up to and felt they could go ...
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Article
Bikes-for-work schemes reduce staff absence
A survey published by charity Sustrans in June showed cycling to work could halve the number of sick days taken by UK employees.The survey, of more than 800 people on the National Cycle Network, found cyclists took an average of 2.4 sick days a year, compared with an overall average ...
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Article
Employers could try to avoid equal pay audits
But the paper, which follows the 2011 Modern Workplaces: equal pay consultation, could have some worrying consequences, according to one employment lawyer.Anne Pritam, an employment partner at Stephenson Harwood, said: “The government has written into the most recent consultation exercise specific exceptions to the rule when employers would be ordered ...
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Article
Compulsory retirement ‘might still be justified’
On 30 May 2013, the ET ruled on the Leslie Seldon case, which was brought because Seldon was required to retire at age 65 from the partnership of law firm Clarkson Wright and James.But Susan Fanning, head of DLA Piper’s employment team in London, said the case left a number ...
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AnalysisUpdate on company car tax rules
If you read nothing else read, this… Employers must take into account all the tax and other legislation that applies to company car schemes.Employees are liable to pay tax according to the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of the company car they use..Lower-emission cars fall into a lower tax bracket.According to ...
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Article
Buyer's guide to financial education
What is financial education?Workplace financial education involves employers, or a third-party provider, educating employees about financial benefits, such as pension and share plans, and teaching them how to use these perks to optimise their financial wellbeing. Financial education programmes typically focus on financial benefits, but can also include individual savings ...
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Opinion
Chris Judge: Lifetime pension allowance limits changing
Members’ pension administrator will only be able to tell them whether they are nearing the lifetime limit in their current scheme, but benefits from all other schemes, both workplace and personal pensions, need to be taken into account when considering the lifetime allowance, which was introduced on 6 April 2006. ...