All articles by Jennifer Paterson – Page 148

  • Article

    Mercer research: Most European organisations measure the length of employee absence

    2011-05-01T00:00:01Z

    The majority (82%) of European organisations measure the length of employee absence while 35% record the causes of absence and 27% measure the costs.The Pan-European Survey on Employer Health Benefits Issues, conducted by Mercer in 14 countries across Europe with 556 employers, found that 29% of respondents in France, 23% ...

  • Article

    London Underground pay rise proposal rejected by RMT members

    2011-04-28T09:29:10Z

    London Underground’s proposed 4% pay rise for staff has been rejected by members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).The proposal, which included pay increases for the next four years of inflation plus 0.25%, would have covered the period from April 2011 to April 2016.In a ...

  • Article

    Domestic and General launches cycling challenge for staff

    2011-04-27T09:24:34Z

    Domestic and General has launched a cycling challenge for staff as part of its Wellness Wednesday initiative.Employees at the Nottingham call centre took part in the ‘Get on your bike to win a bike’ challenge for a chance to win a new mountain bike. Staff who cycled for at least ...

  • Article

    Tourism Queensland launches incentive travel competition for all employers

    2011-04-27T09:20:35Z

    Tourism Queensland has launched a competition called the Million Dollar Memo which offers organisations in any country the chance to win one million dollars (AUD) of corporate incentive travel to Queensland, Australia.The aim of the competition is to boost organisation morale and encourage teamwork. The reward can be tailored for ...

  • Article

    3663 runs one-to-one communications for voluntary benefits scheme

    2011-04-26T23:00:00Z

    To support the launch of its new voluntary benefits scheme, wholesale food distributor 3663 ran a face-to-face communications programme in March with provider Personal Group to keep its employees informed of the new offerings.The communications programme took place at 30 sites across the UK, targeting 4,200 staff. Staff were informed ...

  • Article

    Aviva research: A quarter of UK staff fear worse benefits when moving abroad

    2011-04-26T10:18:54Z

    A quarter (25%) of UK workers are worried that they might have worse benefits if they moved abroad, according to a study from Aviva.Polling 1,000 employees aged 18 to 45, the study found that over half (54%) of respondents would contemplate moving abroad.Almost half (46%) are considering a permanent move ...

  • Article

    Killik Employee Services launches online share plan service

    2011-04-26T09:16:42Z

    Killik Employee Services (KES) has launched a an internet-ready software service.The Centive service can be accessed directly via the internet, providing employers with an alternative to a manual installation of the software.Centive is already being used by organisations like Diageo and Tullow Oil.KES has also added a number of new ...

  • Article

    Morgan Price International Healthcare launches expat health product

    2011-04-26T09:14:15Z

    Morgan Price International Healthcare has launched an expatriate health insurance product called EssentialCare.At level one, it is an annually underwritten product. There is no automatic renewal or continuation of cover and the prices are pitched to reflect this. At level two and three, the products are not re-underwritten at renewal ...

  • Article

    The Pensions Regulator sets out plan to help employers prepare for auto-enrolment

    2011-04-21T09:26:54Z

    The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has set out a plan on how it will help employers prepare for automatic enrolment, improve standards in the defined contribution (DC) market, and address funding challenges within different segments of the defined benefit (DB) landscape.Its Corporate and Business Plan 2011-14 details TPR’s continued focus on ...

  • Article

    Denplan research: Employers believe dental plans enhance staff wellbeing

    2011-04-21T09:24:39Z

    The majority (71%) of employers believe that dental plans enhance employee wellbeing, according to the 2011 Dental Benefits Survey conducted by Denplan.The key factors influencing employers’ choice of dental plan is price (25%), simplicity of the product (20%), and broker recommendation (10%).For employees who already have a plan, the key ...

  • Article

    Treasury will not consider early access to pension savings

    2011-04-20T09:56:23Z

    Mark Hoban, financial secretary to the Treasury, has published the government’s response to the call for evidence on early access to pension savings, concluding that it will not be considered at the present time.The reasons for this include that there is limited evidence that allowing early access would have a ...

  • Article

    UK Coal to close defined benefit (DB) schemes to future accrual

    2011-04-20T09:34:40Z

    UK Coal has confirmed its intention to close its two defined benefit (DB) pension schemes to future accrual.The closure, which will go to consultation with staff in the first instance, is one of the proposed changes to manage a £300 million deficit in the firm’s two DB schemes.The schemes were ...

  • Article

    iGlobalFitness to donate portion of Stay Active Challenge entry fee to charity

    2011-04-20T09:30:47Z

    iGlobalFitness will donate a proportion of the entry fee to ActionAid for every employee who signs up to its Stay Active Challenge.The challenge is an employee wellness competition that provides personal activity coaching for all participants while measuring health improvements of employees.For £50 each, employees sign up in teams of ...

  • Article

    PZ Cussons appoints Mercer for defined benefit scheme de-risking service

    2011-04-19T10:01:20Z

    Food distributor PZ Cussons has appointed Mercer to provide a de-risking service for its defined benefits (DB) schemes.PZ Cussons conducted an overall review of its DB pension risks, and having identified a long-term target and agreed this with the trustees, both parties were looking for a way to implement their ...

  • Article

    Computershare Voucher Services and staff to support charity Honeypot

    2011-04-19T09:59:00Z

    Computershare Voucher Services (CVS) has pledged its support to Honeypot, a charity that offers a lifeline to young carers and vulnerable children.CVS and its employees will undertake a series of activities over the coming year, including fundraising and volunteering projects to help maintain the charity’s premises and gardens.The organsiation is ...

  • Article

    European Federation of Employee Share Ownership research: Employee ownership has increased

    2011-04-18T09:30:46Z

    Employee ownership has continuously progressed across Europe since the financial crisis, according to the Economic Survey of Employee Ownership in European Countries in 2010 conducted by the European Federation of Employee Share Ownership.The number of employee owners was nearly 10 million in 2010 in large European organisations. The number of ...

  • Article

    Morgan McKinley research: One third of financial services staff satisfied with bonus payments

    2011-04-18T09:28:28Z

    One-third (36%) of financial services staff in London were satisfied with bonus payments in 2010/11, according to the latest Bonus Satisfaction Survey conducted by Morgan McKinley.The survey found that 79% received a bonus. In addition, 39% received a higher payment in the 2010/11 bonus round compared to the 2009/10 round.The ...

  • Article

    Prudential wins pensions court case

    2011-04-15T10:13:35Z

    Prudential has won a High Court case brought by the trustees of its own employees’ retirement fund.The judge ruled that Prudential was able to change the basis on which the discretionary increases to pensions were granted to members of its final salary pension schemes.The case was brought by the trustees ...

  • Article

    London Underground proposes 4% pay rise for staff

    2011-04-15T09:46:46Z

    London Underground (LU) has proposed a 4% pay rise for staff as part of a five-year deal.LU has said employees would be given increases for the next four years of inflation plus 0.25%. It covers the period from April 2011 to April 2016.The previous pay deal expires this month. It ...

  • Article

    Punch Taverns puts £9 million into defined benefit pension schemes

    2011-04-14T09:41:45Z

    Punch Taverns has made contributions of £9 million into its Spirit and Pubmaster defined benefit (DB) pensions schemes over the last six months.The payments were agreed with trustees following the schemes’ triennial valuations. It was also agreed that additional annual contributions of £6 million will be put into the schemes ...