All articles by Kate Donovan – Page 10

  • Article

    Novell employees increase pension contributions

    25 July 2007

    Employees in Novell UK's group personal pension (GPP) have increased their pension contribution rates following a pensions communication drive by the software company.†Back in May, the company, which employs 160 in the UK replaced its four GPPs which were run by three different providers with a single GPP.It then embarked ...

  • Analysis

    Gender equality still years away

    24 July 2007

    Gender equality is still generations away with significant gaps remaining in areas such as pensions savings, pay and flexible working.Completing the Revolution, the final report from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) before it is absorbed into the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights on 1 October, has identified a ...

  • Article

    Royal Mail claims leaked pension changes are outdated

    24 July 2007

    Royal Mail has claimed that a leaked document proposing plans to increase the retirement age and make cuts to its defined benefit pension scheme is out of date.The document, leaked to the Mirror, detailed various proposals, including the closure of the final salary pension scheme to new members from next ...

  • Article

    Procurement International acquires OC Tanner's incentives division

    23 July 2007

    Procurement International has acquired OC Tanner's incentive fulfillment and distribution business.OC Tanner will continue to offer a merchandise distribution service from its warehouse facility in Essex, however, this will now be more targeted to providing a range of product lines that meet the needs of its corporate reward and recognition ...

  • Article

    London Borough of Ealing pension scheme appoints new transition manager

    23 July 2007

    The London Borough of Ealing pension scheme has appointed BNY Global Transition Management as transition manager for assets totalling £550m.The London Borough of Ealing pension scheme replaced two balanced mandates with three specialist mandates for both equity and fixed income following a review of all managers.Nigel Watson, head of strategic ...

  • Article

    Staff need more guidance on AVC investment options

    20 July 2007

    Members of pension scheme that offer additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) may not be receiving enough guidance to ensure they understand the investment options available to them.According to Hewitt Associates' 2007 AVC survey, a third of the AVC schemes surveyed automatically allocate members to a default fund rather than requiring them ...

  • Article

    Corus signs learning agreement to improve staff skills

    20 July 2007

    Corus has signed a learning agreement with unions to establish a framework for increasing its employees' skills.The agreement, which has been signed between the steel producer and unions Community and the Amicus section of Unite will establish a framework for increasing employees' skills levels through workplace learning.Bob Guildford, director of ...

  • Article

    Taking holiday increases stress

    18 July 2007

    Taking holiday from work can drive up employees' stress levels, with more than half working extra hours in the run up to their annual leave.Among owner managers, one in seven (14%) said they could work an extra 16 or more hours - the equivalent of about two working days - ...

  • Article

    Staff lack benefits understanding

    18 July 2007

    More than three-quarters (76%) of employees do not understand their benefits package, least of all dental perks, income protection, childcare vouchers and critical illness cover.More than 70% of respondents to the Oval Insurance ReWard Employee Benefits Survey carried out by YouGov, meanwhile, said they do not understand how creative benefits ...

  • Article

    Norwich Union boosts payroll giving take-up

    18 July 2007

    Norwich Union has increased the number of its employees registered in its payroll giving scheme by 32% since May.A week-long campaign across Norwich Union offices in the UK in May resulted in 413 new donors, supporting 500 charities. The total number of employees involved has now risen from 1,287 to ...

  • Article

    HSBC to create employee climate champions

    16 July 2007

    HSBC is to create 2,500 employee climate champions as part of its five-year climate partnership.The bank’s employees will play a key role in the HSBC’s five-year, US$100m partnership created in response to worldwide climate change.Online learning facilities, which will educate staff about climate change, are currently under development and will ...

  • Article

    InterContinental Hotels UK appoints Hewitt Associates as investment advisers

    16 July 2007

    The InterContinental Hotels UK Pension Trust has appointed Hewitt Associates as investment advisers to its pension scheme.The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) operates over 3,700 hotels wordlwide, including 227 in the UK, where it has a £280m pension fund with over 4,000 lives, split between defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution ...

  • Article

    Gazelle Travel launches healthcare cash plan

    13 July 2007

    Gazelle Travel has introduced a healthcare cash plan for its 18 Bradford-based employees.The Yorkshire corporate flight and travel centre's 18 staff members based at Bradford are now covered by a plan provided by Sovereign Health Care, which aims to help employers recruit and retain staff and manage absence.The plan provides ...

  • Analysis

    Pensions and employment simplification on Brown's agenda

    12 July 2007

    Gordon Brown's new agenda for the Labour Party will include an employment simplification bill and a pensions bill.The prime minister has reiterated intentions to proceed with the government's plans to create a pensions bill which will provide low-cost personal accounts with mandatory contributions from employers. As a result, employers will ...

  • Article

    JLT Benefit Solution acquires Portland Pensions

    11 July 2007

    JLT Benefits Solutions has acquired Portland Pensions.The third party pensions administrator, which employs approximately 70 people and has offices in Bristol and Redditch, will be fully integrated in to JLT's administration division.Duncan Howarth, managing director at JLT, said: "This move brings benefits for all involved, we look forward to supporting ...

  • Article

    Marks & Spencer criticised for bonus inequality

    11 July 2007

    Marks & Spencer has been criticised by a private investor for paying executives large bonuses while those given to shop floor staff have been regarded as disappointing.Speaking at the retailer's annual general meeting yesterday, Anthony Lytham, said: "Everything so far is good and I'm pleased with the bonus that you've ...

  • Article

    Vodafone UK acquires Flexphone

    10 July 2007

    Vodafone UK has acquired Flexphone.Flexphone, which provides the tax-efficient mobile phone perk Mobile Salary Saver, will continue to operate from its base in Ealing, retain its current staff, exist as a separate subsidiary and be managed by current managing director Russell Horton.Flexphone has been an business partner of Vodafone since ...

  • Article

    New pensions trust to reduce cost of deferred money purchase pensions

    10 July 2007

    Spinnaker Master Trust is launching a UK pension trust to decrease the cost and complexities of deferred money purchase pensions.The product, for deferred money purchase members only, has an annual management charges of just 0.25% for members. It also eliminates annual charges or takes on the fees for employers with ...

  • Article

    Babcock shipyard staff to ballot on strike over pensions

    10 July 2007

    Employees at Babcock International's shipyard at Rosyth will hold a strike ballot tomorrow over planned pension changes.Some 1,200 workers at Rosyth Royal Dockyard will ballot on industrial action. Last month work at the yard stopped when the workforce walked out because Babcock management intended to impose a 4.5% increase in ...

  • Article

    City lawyer brings age discrimination case before tribunal

    9 July 2007

    A former senior City lawyer has brought an age discrimination claim against his former partners in an employment tribunal, which starts today.In the first case involving a senior City employee to go to trial since age discrimination legislation came into effect last October, former insolvency partner Peter Bloxham, has made ...