All articles by Jennifer Paterson – Page 66
-
Article
Presenteeism on the rise among UK workforce
Presenteeism among the UK workforce is on the rise, with 93% of employee respondents coming into work despite being ill, according to research by Canada Life Group Insurance.Its research, which polled more than 1,000 UK workers, found that more than a third (36%) of respondents would rather use their annual ...
-
Article
Marine Systems appoints DB pensions adviser
Global Marine Systems has appointed Aon Hewitt to provide investment consulting services for its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme.The installer of sea cables for the telecommunications industry’s pension scheme has 450 members and assets of £90 million.Roy Webber, chairman of Global Marine Systems Trustees, said: “Our scheme was in need ...
-
Article
Optimism about retirement low across the globe
Only 12% of respondents globally are very optimistic that they will have enough money to live on when they retire, according to research by Aegon and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies.The Aegon retirement readiness survey 2013, which polled 12,000 workers and retirees in 12 Asian, European and North American countries, ...
-
Article
ABF and Finmeccanica shortlisted for DC investment strategy
Associated British Foods and Finmeccanica UK are among the employers shortlisted for the ‘Best defined contribution (DC) pension default investments’ at the Employee Benefits Awards 2013.For this category, the judges looked at a variety of factors, including: What types of investment make up the DC scheme’s default investment option? Is ...
-
Article
8% opt out for auto-enrolment at Dairy Crest
EXCLUSIVE: Dairy Crest has seen 8% of employees who were auto-enrolled in April opt out of its pension scheme.Around 60% (2,589) of employees have been auto-enrolled into a new compliant section of the stakeholder scheme, while 208 have opted out.Simon Cumpsty, head of employee relations and reward at Dairy Crest, ...
-
ArticleWhy employers offer employee benefits
EXCLUSIVE RESEARCH: Recruiting (stated by 84% of respondents) and retaining (stated by 83%) employees are the top two reasons that employers offer benefits to staff, according to exclusive research by Employee Benefits.The Benefits research 2013, which surveyed 561 HR and benefits professionals, found that employers are also focusing on supporting ...
-
ArticleHow the economy has impacted benefits
The economic downturn over the last five years does not appear to have deterred employers from introducing benefits, with the proportion of respondents doing so in the previous 12 months remaining relatively steady over this period.The Benefits Research 2013, which was conducted among 561 Employee Benefits’ readers, found that 48% ...
-
ArticleMost common employee benefits offered globally
Private medical insurance (PMI) is the most common benefit that UK employers offer to staff based outside the UK, according to exclusive research by Employee Benefits.The Benefits Research 2013, which surveyed 561 HR and benefits professionals, found that 86% of respondents that offer benefits to staff based outside of the ...
-
ArticleHow technology is used to deliver benefits
One-third (34%) of respondents do not use technology to deliver benefits, according to exclusive research by Employee Benefits.The Benefits Research 2013, which surveyed 561 HR and benefits professionals, found that where respondents do use technology for this purpose, 32% deliver benefits via an HR system, 32% use a voluntary benefits ...
-
ArticleTop benefits offered by UK employers
Life assurance, pension schemes and employee assistance programmes (EAPs) are the most commonly offered core employee benefits to all employees, according to exclusive research by Employee Benefits.The Benefits Research 2013, which surveyed 561 employers in March 2013, found that extra holidays for long service, income protection and additional voluntary pension ...
-
Article
Kodak pension plan acquires imaging business
Eastman Kodak Company has concluded a settlement agreement with its UK Kodak Pension Plan (KPP).Under the agreement, which will be filed with the US Bankruptcy Court, the company’s personalised imaging and document imaging businesses will be spun off under new ownership to KPP for a cash and non-cash consideration of ...
-
Article
FCA publishes rules on charging model for platforms
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published rules to ensure the way that platforms are paid for is more transparent.From 6 April 2014, platforms in both the advised and non-advised market will not be allowed to be funded by payments from product providers.Instead, a platform service must be paid for ...
-
Article
Royal Mail Pension Trustees appoints new chief executive
Royal Mail Pension Trustees has appointed Chris Hogg (pictured) chief executive.Hogg, who was previously head of funding for the trustees, will succeed Gerry Degaute, who is retiring from the role.Before joining the trustees in 2009, Hogg spent more than five years as a pensions consultant at Aon and three years ...
-
Article
Engagement is leading focus for employers
Almost three-quarters (74%) of respondents to The Benefits Research 2013 cited this as the top issue shaping their organisation’s benefits package. This figure has risen since 2009, when just under two-thirds (62%) said the same.But, when asked what action they plan to take in the next 12 months in response ...
-
Article
Roche and Random House shortlisted for work-life balance
Roche UK and The Random House Group have been shortlisted for the ‘Best work-life balance strategy’ category at the Employee Benefits Awards 2013.This award recognises the steps taken by employers to help employees achieve a strong work-life balance, whether they are working parents, carers or employees who wish to better ...
-
Article
Simplyhealth chief executive to retire
Des Benjamin, chief executive officer of Simplyhealth (pictured), is to retire after 13 years of leading the healthcare provider.He joined the organisation in 2000, and has led it through a number of mergers and acquisitions since then.Ken Piggott, chairman at Simplyhealth, said: “On behalf of the board and everyone at ...
-
Article
Asda and BMW top shortlist for Employee Benefits Awards 2013
The panel of judges, comprising leading benefits and reward professionals, considered more than 20 categories filled with high-quality entries.“I was impressed with the quality of the entries,” said one judge. “The innovation of strategy, not only to the business objectives, but the needs of their employees, was strongly shown.”Another judge ...
-
Article
Employers use technology platforms to engage staff with benefits
In April, KFC launched an online total reward platform, which includes total reward statements and online shopping discounts for all its 10,000 staff, as well as a flexible benefits scheme for its 1,000 salaried employees.It previously used a paper-based system, but was keen to offer a single platform to bring ...
-
Analysis
What are target date pension funds?
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…Target date funds are investment funds tailored to a pension scheme member’s date of retirement.Most target date funds are written to a three-year band, such as 2028 to 2030, rather than one specific date.Funds gradually de-risk, reaching their most conservative point at the target ...
-
ArticleMost common salary sacrifice perks
EXCLUSIVE: The most common benefits offered through a salary sacrifice arrangement on a voluntary basis are childcare vouchers (76%), bikes-for-work schemes (62%) and pensions contributions (60%), according to exclusive research by Employee Benefits.The Benefits Research 2013, which surveyed 561 HR and benefits professionals, found that the number of employers that ...