All articles by Jennifer Paterson – Page 175
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Article
Veolia launches voluntary benefits scheme
Veolia Transport UK has launched a voluntary benefits scheme for its 1,300 staff.Details of the perks, which include retail vouchers, leisure discounts, personal financial and mortgage advice, and a hospital cash plan, are set out in a benefits book, issued in partnership with provider Personal Group.Tracie Paul, HR and communications ...
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Article
Scottish Power extends total reward statements to all staff
Scottish Power has extended total reward statements (TRS) to all of its 6,000 employees.The company previously offered paper-based statements to 120 senior managers, but withdrew these in 2008 after eight years. Jenny Brown, senior reward consultant at Scottish Power, said: "We stopped the paper TRS for senior managers when we ...
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Buyer's guide to cycle-to-work schemes (August 2010)
Key factsWhat are cycle-to-work schemes?These are tax-free loans and can be operated under a salary sacrifice arrangement. Employers buy the bike for an employee and the amount is deducted in equal instalments from their gross salary. Staff make savings off the retail price of a new bike and safety accessories ...
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Analysis
Benefits in Abu Dhabi
If you read nothing else, read this….Abu Dhabi makes up 85% of the total land mass of the United Arab Emirates and 92-95% of its oil and gas reserve.Its state pension programme is a defined benefit scheme, typically funded by government, employee and employer.Local employees have access to free state ...
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Analysis
National employment savings trust (Nest) update
If you read nothing else, read this....National employment savings trust (Nest) is a low-cost pension scheme designed to help employers meet new legal duties, such as auto-enrolment and compulsory contributions, that will be introduced in October 2012.Employers can either change their existing pensions to comply with the reforms, or use ...
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Article
Boots reduces staff absences with one-off recognition scheme
Boots has reduced absence levels by awarding an Advantage Card up to the value of £50 to employees with 100% attendance over the past year.The vouchers were sent to 26,000 employees from the retailer's 60,000-strong UK workforce. The value of the vouchers were pro-rated for part-time staff.The one-off recognition scheme, ...
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Pensions Research 2010: Attitudes
A quality pension is still a vital recruitment and retention tool, says Jennifer PatersonOver the past 10 years, respondents' view of employer-provided pensions has not changed much. The top three statements with which employers identify most has not changed in this time, although the order in which they appear has ...
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Expedia replaces group personal pension scheme with group Sipp
Expedia is to close its group personal pension (GPP) scheme and introduce a group self-invested personal pension (Sipp), with staff able to make contributions via salary sacrifice.The change, which happens this month, will affect 900 staff in the UK, including those in two of Expedia's other businesses, TripAdvisor and Egencia.The ...
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Article
PwC research: One fifth of employers intend to reduce fleet choice
One fifth of organisations intend to reduce the choice of car available to employees, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) Company Car UK report.While the number of organisations offering a car benefit has remained fairly static over the last five years, increasing limits are being placed on vehicle choice and replacement timeframes.Restrictions ...
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Article
Herbert Smith extends emergency childcare offering
Herbert Smith has extended its emergency childcare service to include school holiday cover.The law firm initially launched its childcare service through provider My Family Care in early 2008 and added school holiday cover last month.Michelle Bassett, benefits analyst at Herbert Smith, said: “The idea was for employees to access the ...
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Article
Lees Solicitors rolls out employer-paid health cash plan
Lees Solicitors has introduced an employer-paid health cash plan for its 110 staff.The plan offers employees and their families a range of healthcare benefits such as optical and dental treatments, and discounted gym membership. Staff can also gain a second medical opinion through the Best Doctors service, through plan which ...
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Article
Doosan Power Systems launches salary sacrifice scheme for company cars
Doosan Power Systems has launched a salary sacrifice fleet scheme for 2,500 employees as a voluntary benefit.The power utilities firm previously had a company car scheme in place but has added the salary sacrifice element to encourage low-cost car ownership through low CO2 vehicles.Launched this month through Zenith Provecta, the ...
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Article
Discovery Channel introduces back-up care service
Discovery Channel has introduced a back-up care service giving all its 550 UK-based staff free emergency childcare, eldercare and school holiday cover.The scheme, provided by My Family Care, adds to the firm's offering of childcare vouchers and discounts at a local nursery, to provide more flexibility around care arrangements. Jane ...
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Article
IASB aims to improve financial reporting on vehicle leasing
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) have published joint proposals to improve the financial reporting on vehicle leasing contracts.The aim of the proposals is to provide a consistent approach to lease accounting for both the lessees and lessors, bringing all leased assets ...
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Article
Wolfson Microelectronics adds sharesave and group personal pension salary sacrifice
Wolfson Microelectronics is launching a sharesave (save-as-you-earn) scheme and introducing a salary sacrifice arrangement for contributions to its group personal pension (GPP) for its 350 UK employees.Through sharesave, staff will be able to invest £5 to £250 a month for three years. They will then be able to take their ...
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Article
Ashurst adds emergency childcare service
Law firm Ashurst has brought in an emergency childcare service for its 1,200 employees.The service, provided by My Family Care, enables staff to book an emergency childminder, nanny or nursery place if their regular care arrangement has broken down. Staff pay for the childcare, but Ashurst covers the service's registration ...
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IPP research: One in five employees discuss their salary with colleagues
One in five (18%) employees discuss their salary with their colleagues while more than half (53%) talk about how much they get paid outside of the workplace with family and friends.In addition, more than one in six (15%) said they would read a colleague's payslip if they found it on ...
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More than half of older generation of employees will work longer
More than half (55%) of the UK’s older generation of employees never anticipate ceasing work completelyAccording to a survey by HSBC, conducted among 2,000 of the UK’s over 50’s, 60% intend to do continue working to compensate for the shortfall in their retirement income, with 55% of 50-60 year olds ...
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Article
Marks and Spencer signs for international relocation service
Marks and Spencer is one of 22 organisations that Hamptons International has signed on to its corporate services offering in the first three months of 2010.The international residential agents offers relocation for existing employees, relocation for new recruits and granduates, short-term rentals, and employee benefit schemes.Adam Hozaifa, a strategy and ...
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Article
Audit Commission report: Local government pension scheme needs reform
The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) needs reform, says a newly published report from the Audit Commission.The report, Local government pensions in England, states that the cost of providing council pensions is rising in absolute terms and as a proportion of the total pay bill.Looking at whether LGPS benefits are ...