All articles by Kavitha Sivasubramaniam
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ArticleGoldman Sachs banker wins case over paternity leave dismissal
A former Goldman Sachs employee who was fired after returning from paternity leave has won his sexual discrimination case.
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ArticleDisney agrees $43.3m gender pay settlement
The Walt Disney Company will pay out $43.3 million (£34.3 million) as it settles a gender pay lawsuit concerning around 9,000 women.
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ArticleHalf of workers hope for seasonal bonus or gift from manager
More than half of workers (53%) are hoping for a seasonal bonus, while a similar proportion (48%) are expecting a gift from their manager.
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ArticleKavitha's keynote: Acknowledging employees’ hard work
This week, we’ve reported on some of the rewards employers have given to staff to acknowledge their hard work throughout the year.Toymaker Lego, for example, offered its 20,000 employees around the world three extra days of holiday on top of their annual allowance, as well as a bonus in April ...
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ArticleKavitha Sivasubramaniam: Supporting carers at work
As our Benefits for Carers Week, in association with Aon, draws to a close, it is time to reflect on some of the trends and issues currently shaping this area of the benefits market.According to research published by Carers UK in November 2020, the number of employees with caring responsibilities ...
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OpinionMark Witte: Employers should take note of an ageing workforce
Across the world, people are living longer. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 is set to almost double from 12% to 22%, according to the World Health Organization.In Aon’s recent report, The aging population: why it’s time to take notice, it noted that life ...
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ArticleKavitha’s keynote: Celebrating excellence at the Employee Benefits Awards
Last Friday (12 November), hundreds of industry professionals came together to celebrate the achievements of reward, benefits and HR teams across the country at the Employee Benefits Awards 2021.I was honoured to open the event, held at Old Billingsgate London, which was our first live awards ceremony since June 2019. ...
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ArticleConfessions of a benefits manager: Candid attends a trustee meeting
If there is one thing guaranteed to put me on a downer, it is going to the quarterly trustee meeting. I was flattered when Big Bad Boss first sent me in his place. The consultants we use for our defined benefit (DB) plan hold the trustee meetings at the Shard, ...
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ArticleKavitha’s keynote: Employers can protect the planet
As this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) continues, now seems like as good a time as any for employers to look at the role they can play in protecting our planet.In recent years, a growing number of industries and businesses have been pledging to reduce their effect on ...
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ArticleEXCLUSIVE: 36% of employers offer no fertility support
More than a third of UK businesses have no plans to offer fertility support to their employees, despite growing recognition of its benefits.Research from Peppy, the digital health and wellbeing platform, showed that 36% of employers do not provide this support and have no plans to do so in the ...
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ArticleKellogg’s provides paid leave for fertility treatment
Kellogg’s is to offer support, including paid leave and manager training, for staff experiencing menopause, fertility treatment and pregnancy loss.The cereal giant, which employs 1,500 people in the UK, has launched a raft of measures to “break the silence” on issues often avoided in workplace conversations.Staff experiencing the menopause at ...
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ArticleKavitha’s keynote: Financial struggles continue despite NMW rise
The Budget 2021 announcement on Wednesday (27 October) confirmed an increase to the national minimum wage (NMW), which has been welcomed by many employees who have been facing financial struggles during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.Indeed, with the NMW rate rising from £8.91 to £9.50 next April, many low-paid workers are ...
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OpinionPolly Neate: What employers need to know about the housing emergency
The housing emergency is real. Just ask your colleagues.Right now in the UK, working families are being evicted from their homes. Working people are living in hostels and working parents are going without food just so they can pay the rent. This is the housing emergency. How much do you ...
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ArticleKavitha Sivasubramaniam: A totally rewarding approach to benefits
As our to Total Reward Week, in association with Aon, draws to a close, it is time to reflect on some of the trends and issues currently shaping this area of the benefits market.The Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic forced many organisations to make difficult decisions regarding their future. While some implemented ...
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ArticleKavitha’s keynote: Supporting World Menopause Day
With World Menopause Day taking place on Monday (18 October) and the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee due to report on its menopause in the workplace inquiry, now is an ideal time to look at what policies and provisions are already being offered in today’s workplaces.This week we ...
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ArticleKavitha Sivasubramaniam: Reaping the rewards of a diverse workforce
As our to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Week, in association with Aon, draws to a close, it is time to reflect on some of the trends and issues currently shaping this area of the benefits market.The Black Lives Matter movement and the mandatory reporting of gender pay data, not to ...
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OpinionAvneet Kaur: How to focus on health equity and improve employee resilience
Over recent years, diversity has increasingly become a topic organisations want, and need, to engage with. Stakeholders, including governments, prospective and current employees are asking to see a more proactive approach by organisations, and the proof of progress.Indeed, in Aon’s recent Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) in the Workplace report, ...
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ArticleKavitha’s keynote: Flexible working requests back under the microscope
The government published its consultation on making flexible working requests an employee right from their first day of employment on Wednesday (22 September), bringing the issue back under the microscope.While some representative bodies, such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, have welcomed the move, others have said that ...
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ArticleKavitha’s keynote: Pensions awareness is a work in progress
This year’s Pensions Awareness Day took place on 15 September, with an aim of highlighting the importance of saving for retirement.Research carried out by HR and payroll services provider MHR, to tie in with the day, however, found that as many as one in four employees have no pension at ...
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ArticleKavitha’s keynote: Benefits can empower employees
This week, I think it’s time to focus on the positives and celebrate employers that have introduced benefits to empower employees and improve their overall wellbeing.Retailer Halfords, for example, launched a platform for staff that helps with financial budgeting, savings and education. Because it is built around a flexible pay ...