All articles by Jennifer Paterson – Page 110

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Just-Eat sees 60% take-up for voluntary benefits scheme

    2012-04-25T09:55:00Z

    Just-Eat has achieved 60% take-up of its new voluntary benefits scheme, since it was launched on 30 March.The scheme, Just-Treats, includes employee discounts, a health cash plan and a bikes-for-work scheme.The scheme was communicated, in conjunction with provider Asperity Employee Benefits, using a teaser campaign, with cryptic hints dropped in ...

  • Article

    Ellipse employees walk on fire for charity

    2012-04-24T09:40:34Z

    Ellipse employees walked on fire in Bermondsey Square in London for charity on 11 April.Led by the group risk insurer’s chief executive officer John Ritchie, the employees walked across 20 feet of burning coals at a temperature of 1,236 degrees fahrenheit, to raise money for charity Winston’s Wish, which provides ...

  • Article

    Friends Life launches auto-enrolment microsite

    2012-04-24T09:37:39Z

    Friends Life has launched a dedicated auto-enrolment microsite, where employers, employees and advisers can find out more about the pension reforms.The site includes news from the industry, including regulatory updates, an overview of Friends Life’s auto-enrolment product, a terminology jargon-buster, frequently asked questions, and a range of guides and checklists.A ...

  • Article

    Group risk premiums rose by 2.9% in 2011

    2012-04-24T09:31:00Z

    Group risk premiums rose by 2.9% in 2011, reversing the negative trend of the past two years, according to research by Swiss Re.Its Group risk 2012 report showed premiums increased across all product lines, including death benefits (up by 4.1%), long-term disability (up by 0.1%) and critical illness insurance (up ...

  • Article

    B&Q managers to receive £45,000 each as share scheme matures

    2012-04-23T10:31:00Z

    B&Q store managers will be able to cash in shares worth £45,000 when a £9 million sharesave scheme matures on 24 April.The 300 managers were given shares in parent company Kingfisher in April 2009 as part of a scheme designed to maintain consistently high store-operating standards.Under the terms of the ...

  • Article

    Acas publishes guide on mental illness at work

    2012-04-23T09:39:47Z

    Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) has published its first guide to tackle mental illness in the workplace.Acas has compiled the guide with NHS agency Workways, which specialises in advising on mental ill health at work.The guide shows employers and managers how to:Spot the early signs of mental ill health.Raise ...

  • Article

    Jelf Employee Benefits launches online assessment for auto-enrolment

    2012-04-23T09:37:55Z

    Jelf Employee Benefits has launched an online assessment to help employers better understand how prepared they are for pensions auto-enrolment.It provides an assessment of the key areas, including financial, organisational or administrative issues that employers will need to consider in order to comply with auto-enrolment.A microsite is being launched in ...

  • Article

    Powys County Council appoints provider to AVC pension arrangement

    2012-04-20T09:55:00Z

    Powys County Council has appointed Prudential to provide an additional voluntary contribution (AVC) pension arrangement to its 7,000 employees.The council has made the appointment to educate its staff about how additional contributions are a cost-effective, tax-efficient way to increase their pension savings. Only a small percentage of the council’s pension ...

  • Article

    Halcyon Software employees to take on Three Peaks Challenge

    2012-04-20T09:52:42Z

    Halycon Software is sponsoring a team of 10 employees who will attempt the Three Peaks Challenge on 29 June 2012.The annual challenge, a 3,000-metre climb up Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England and Snowdon in Wales, takes place over just 24 hours.Donnie MacColl, technical services director at Halcyon ...

  • Article

    The Pensions Regulator publishes details of alternative staging dates

    2012-04-20T09:48:23Z

    The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has published details of the alternative auto-enrolment staging dates available to employers.Employers with staging dates in October and November 2012 can bring the date forward to as early as July 2012. Employers with later staging dates can chose a date from October 2012.An employer’s auto-enrolment staging ...

  • Article

    Most respondents feel unsupported by their employer

    2012-04-20T09:44:00Z

    Nine out of 10 (90%) employees who have recently struggled with personal problems did not receive support in dealing with them from their employer, according to research by Canada Life Group Insurance.The research found that 45% of respondents struggled with personal or health problems over the past three years, yet ...

  • Article

    Paradigm Pensions launches online employee benefits marketplace

    2012-04-20T09:22:28Z

    Paradigm Pensions has launched an online marketplace, designed for employee benefit providers to showcase their products and services free of charge.The marketplace is available through Jargon Free Benefits, the online pension compliance and flexible benefits system developed by Paradigm Pensions founder Steve Bee.Bee said: “I set up Paradigm Pensions with ...

  • Article

    Tesco’s pension deficit rises to £1.4 million

    2012-04-19T10:12:00Z

    Tesco’s net pension deficit has increased from £992 million to £1,406 million, according to its annual report.The grocery retailer reported that the increase in its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme’s deficit is largely due to a reduction in bond yields and asset returns being lower than expected.It made a one-off ...

  • Article

    Evans Cycles to roll out summer promotion for bikes-for-work scheme

    2012-04-19T10:10:00Z

    Evans Cycles is launching a summer promotion for employees participating in its bikes-for-work scheme, Ride2Work.The promotion, from 1 May to 31 August, will award every employee participating in the scheme £25-worth of free cycling accessories when purchasing their new bike.Employers offering the scheme will also be entered into a weekly ...

  • Article

    A third of UK respondents ranked benefits as key reason to stay with employer

    2012-04-19T09:16:00Z

    Just over one-third (36%) of UK respondents ranked the benefits package as the key reason for staying with their employer, according to research by Mercer.The What’s working survey found that one-third of all European respondents, which includes France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and the UK, are considering leaving ...

  • Article

    FirstGroup rolls out virtual roadshows to help employees understand pension changes

    2012-04-18T10:22:00Z

    FirstGroup has rolled out virtual roadshows to help its 10,000 UK employees understand the changes to the pension scheme.Employee Benefits first broke the news in October 2011 that the transport giant was complying with the 2012 pension reforms by using both its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme and a new ...

  • Article

    Ink to introduce performance-based incentive scheme for global sales staff

    2012-04-18T10:19:05Z

    Inflight media firm Ink is to introduce an incentive scheme for its global sales staff that will guarantee commissions based on key performance indicators (KPIs) rather than traditional revenue and sales targets.The scheme will address the behaviours that lie beneath each sale rather than just rewarding the end result. Employees ...

  • Article

    NHS staff to strike over pension changes

    2012-04-18T10:11:20Z

    NHS employees are to stage protests and industrial action on 10 May over changes to their pension schemes.The majority of members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union and Unite, which include health visitors, pharmacists and paramedics, voted in favour of industrial action.Concerns regarding the NHS pension scheme changes ...

  • Article

    Pensions and holiday are top benefits for job applicants

    2012-04-18T09:39:00Z

    Pension provision and holiday entitlement were ranked as the top benefits considered by individuals when applying for a new job, according to research by MetLife Assurance.The 1DB Legacy research, which surveyed 765 employees, found that, where respondents were offered defined benefit (DB) pension schemes, over half (53%) said pension provision ...

  • Article

    Tube Lines' staff vote to strike in dispute over pensions and travel perks

    2012-04-17T10:22:00Z

    Tube Lines staff have voted to strike for 72 hours in a dispute over their pension scheme and travel concessions.Members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) will strike from 4pm on Tuesday 24 April and return to work from 4pm on Friday 27 April.Tube Lines, ...