All articles by Jennifer Paterson – Page 84
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Auto-enrolment spurs increase in benefits spend
One in five (20%) of respondents increased their spend on employee benefits packages in the 12 months leading up to auto-enrolment, according to research by Group Risk Development (Grid).The Group risk employer research study, which polled 500 employers in October 2012, found that one-third (36%) of respondents said they believe ...
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Nedbank staff reduce carbon footprints
Nedbank Private Wealth has given each of its employees a pedometer to encourage them to reduce their carbon emissions by walking more as part of its sustainability forum’s latest campaign.Staff had two months to venture out in their local surroundings and use their pedometer to its full potential. They then ...
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CIPD elects two new vice presidents
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has elected two vice presidents.Janet Cooper (pictured), partner and director of professional services firm Tapestry, has been elected vice president, performance and reward, and Deborah Baker, director of people at Sky, has been elected vice president of organisation, resourcing and talent planning.The ...
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CIC launches Arabic counselling service
CIC has launched an employee assistance programme (EAP), specifically aimed at British-Arabs or those relocating to the UK for work.Its Arabic Counselling Support Service will provide confidential therapeutic services and emotional support. Individuals can access a free helpline to speak with an Arabic-speaking counsellor.Kate Nowlan, chief executive at CIC, said: ...
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Tax support for employee owners
Autumn Statement 2012: The government is considering options to reduce income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs) that arise when employee shareholders receive shares from their employer.The options include deeming that the first £2,000 of shares received under the employee-shareholder status would be free from income tax and NICs.As previously ...
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State pension will rise to £110.15 per week
Autumn Statement 2012: The government has announced that the basic state pension will increase by 2.5% to £110.15 per week from April 2013.As a result, pensioners will see a £2.70 increase in the basic state pension in 2013/14, which the government said is in line with both average earnings and ...
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Royal Mail pension deficit reduced by £28bn
Autumn Statement 2012: The transfer of assets from the Royal Mail Pension Plan to the Treasury has reduced public sector net borrowing by £28 billion in 2012/13.It was announced in the the Budget in March 2012 that the liabilities of the scheme, which were around £37.5 billion, would be transferred ...
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DWP to consult on pension deficit recovery plans
Autumn Statement 2012: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will consult on providing The Pensions Regulator (TPR) with a new statutory objective to consider the long-term affordability of final salary pension scheme recovery plans on employers.The government also said it recognises that volatility in measures of pension scheme deficits ...
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Greene King closes DB schemes
Greene King has closed its three defined benefit (DB) pension schemes to future accrual.During the period covered by its half-yearly report, Interim results for the 24 weeks to 14 October, the pub retailer and brewery consulted with the remaining active members of its DB schemes.The schemes were then closed to ...
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John Lewis launches holiday benefit
EXCLUSIVE: The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) has launched a discounted holiday and travel benefit for its 80,000 employees.Employees can access a dedicated website through John Lewis’ company intranet site that links to discounts from Tui Travel.Since the perk was introduced in mid-November, 1,000 employees have registered on the site. These ...
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Employee-owner scheme given go ahead
The government has announced it will go ahead with its plans for an employee-owner scheme.The scheme, which was announced by Chancellor George Osborne on 8 October, would require employees to give up employment rights, such as wrongful dismissal, the right to redundancy pay and the right to ask for flexible ...
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Autumn Statement summary to come
The Employee Benefits’ team will be reporting on the Autumn Statement this afternoon.Stay tuned for breaking news and an email alert summarising all announcements that impact on reward and benefits.
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Starbucks makes changes to staff benefits
Starbucks’ employees have been asked to sign revised employment terms, which include the addition of a contributory pension scheme, the removal of paid lunch breaks, and changes to sick leave and maternity benefits.The changes will affect around 7,000 staff at 750 UK coffee shops.A consultation with peer-selected employees from across ...
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UK pay stagnates for entry-level and clerical roles
Average pay for UK employees in clerical and entry-level professional roles stagnated in 2012, while more experienced professionals saw average pay rises of 6%, according to research by Towers Watson.Its Global 50 remuneration planning report provided a breakdown of pay movements by job level, looking at the pay and benefits ...
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Aon Hewitt adds to flexible benefits team
Aon Hewitt has appointed Andrew Woolnough client development director, benefits administration, in its flexible benefits team.Woolnough moves to the consultancy from his previous role as head of flexible benefits at Enrich Reward. He has worked in reward and flexible benefits for more than 10 years.Prior to Enrich, he was partner ...
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Employers adopt real-time information early
Business software provider M-hance has run real-time information (RTI) pilots with five employers to prepare them for the incoming regulations.The early-adopter organisations are A. Andrews and Sons, AD Group, Edburton Contractors, Norking Alluminium and Randall Orchard.M-Hance has also updated its payroll software to ensure it is compliant with RTI, ensuring ...
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William Grant and Sons raises staff engagement
EXCLUSIVE: William Grant and Sons has increased employee engagement with its reward package over the past two years.The majority (86%) of the distillery’s 1,600 staff participated in its employee engagement survey, provided by Towers Watson.In the reward category, William Grant and Sons’ results have risen six percentage points since 2010. ...
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Blue Arrow selects plan for auto-enrolment
The Blue Arrow Group has appointed a provider for its auto-enrolment pension scheme.The recruitment firm, which has 30,000 employees, will provide eligible staff with the multi-employer trust from Now: Pensions from its staging date in January 2013.Mark Manaton, managing director at the Blue Arrow Group, said: “Now: Pensions’ Trust is ...
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Executive pay increases while other salaries stagnate
Executive pay has increased by an average of 12%, while the pay of British workers has stagnated across the economy, rising by an average of just 2.8%, according to research by the High Pay Centre.In its research, The state of pay, the independent think tank said the deals were part ...
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Scottish Life launches auto-enrolment product
Scottish Life has launched its auto-enrolment product, which is based around three core phases: the design, the implementation and the ongoing running of an auto-enrolment-compliant pension scheme.The design element includes the assessment and modeling of options for pension scheme design; the implement element includes project planning and support with implementation; ...