All articles by kscott
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ArticleEXCLUSIVE: Majority of employers use in-house teams to provide at-retirement support
EXCLUSIVE: Despite the increased sense that it is a pension provider’s responsibility, the primary source of at-retirement support continues to be HR, benefits, reward, and learning and development teams (34%), and in-house pensions teams (13%), according to research by Employee Benefits.The Employee Benefits/Wealth at Work Pensions research 2019, which was ...
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ArticleEXCLUSIVE: Almost half of employers offer at-retirement support
EXCLUSIVE: The value of providing at-retirement support is becoming gradually more apparent to employers, with 46% of HR decision-makers stating that their organisation helps staff with this life stage in 2019, compared to 39% of employers in 2018 and 40% in 2017, according to research by Employee Benefits.This increasing interest ...
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Case StudiesPolice Scotland harmonises pay and benefits for 6,000 staff
Three years ago, national police force Police Scotland embarked on a project to harmonise its employee benefits, as well as its employment terms and conditions, for its 6,000 non-officer staff.Known internally as the Staff Pay and Reward Modernisation Programme (SPRM), the project aimed to introduce equality and fairness to the ...
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Case StudiesThe benefits offered by Police Scotland
The benefits offered by Police Scotland:PensionsThe Local Government Pension Scheme, a career average revalued earning (Care) scheme, is available for all staff; employee contributions vary dependent on salary and Police Scotland contributes around 19% of an employee’s salary.PayOvertime pay of time and a half, and double time for working on ...
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OpinionSally Orton: Protecting the mental health of staff in the construction industry
At surface repair and restoration organisation Plastic Surgeon, employee-focused initiatives are at the heart of our organisational culture, to ensure all staff are aware of the various methods of help available to them, both during and outside of work hours.Our philosophy is to support employees without them feeling like they ...
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OpinionPhilomena Price: Employment law changes to watch out for from April 2020
April 2020 sees some key changes coming into force that employers need to be aware of. As with any employment law matter, it is beneficial if employers start thinking about how these changes may affect their businesses now, and plan accordingly, rather than waiting.First, all workers, including employees starting work ...
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AnalysisRetirement income: Pensions in numbers
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OpinionPhil Spary: Testing times for master trust pension schemes
It is no surprise that considerable emphasis on governance standards and regulatory expectations have continued to be a focus in the minds of those responsible for running master trust pension schemes. Having been taken through a rigorous authorisation process, trustees and their advisers will have considered the suitability of their ...
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AnalysisInfographic: Key dates surrounding GMP equalisation
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AnalysisWhat do employers need to know about the GMP equalisation process?
Need to know:Following the Lloyds Banking Group case, organisations must explore how to equalise historical guaranteed minimum pensions (GMP) between men and women.Employers can opt to convert into a non-GMP pension scheme, or they can use dual records to calculate the correct amount of pension benefit on a year-by-year basis.Although ...
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OpinionDaniel Parker: The commuting gap - a long way from equality
Research from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) titled The commuting gap: Men account for 65% of commutes lasting more than an hour, published in November 2018, provides an important insight for employers entering what may be their fourth annual round of gender pay gap reporting.The ONS looked at the ...
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OpinionHelen Ball: What does the future hold for defined contribution pension schemes?
Until the publication of the recent Pension Schemes Bill, confirmed during the Queen's Speech in October 2019, defined contribution (DC) scheme trustees and providers had been suffering from planning blight, namely the reduction of activity due to expected future development. However, we now have some important proposals affecting DC pensions ...
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OpinionCarolyn Brown: A new employment status tool is urgently required
Determining employment status can be a minefield for employers, and the risks of getting it wrong are growing.There is currently a three-category system for employment legal status; individuals are employed, self-employed, or have worker status. These determine whether employment rights, like sick leave, paid annual leave, protection from discrimination and ...
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ArticleMajority of 22 to 29 year-olds saving for retirement due to auto-enrolment
More than four-fifths (84%) of employees working in the private sector and aged between 22 and 29, saved for retirement via auto-enrolment in 2018, compared to the 24% who did so in 2012, according to research by The Pensions Regulator (TPR).Automatic enrolment – commentary and analysis: April 2018-March 2019, which ...
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ArticleJM Smucker Company enhances paid leave benefits for 7,000 staff
US-based food manufacturing business The JM Smucker Company, also known as Smucker’s, has enhanced its paid leave benefits for more than 7,000 employees, effective 1 January 2020.The package of enhancements includes providing all new parents, whether by birth, adoption or fostering, with up to 12 weeks of fully paid leave; ...
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ArticleMerseyside-based Matalan staff vote to accept 4.6% pay increase
Around 500 staff employed by retailer Matalan, working at its northern distribution centre in Knowsley, Merseyside, have voted to accept a 4.6% pay increase.Matalan extended the pay offer, negotiated with the trade union GMB, on Friday 18 October 2019 to mitigate scheduled strike action. GMB members employed at Matalan voted ...
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Article
Poll: 70% of organisations do not help employees improve sleep habits
Employee Benefits poll: Seven in 10 (70%) Employee Benefits readers do not actively support employees in improving their sleep habits or getting a healthy night’s sleep.A straw poll of www.employeebenefits.co.uk readers, which received 33 responses, also found that less than a third (30%) of organisations offer flexible working arrangements in ...
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ArticleThe top 10 most read stories: 17-23 October 2019
The top 10 most read stories on www.employeebenefits.co.uk between 17 and 23 October 2019 were: Channel 4 introduces menopause policy to tackle stigma and support female staffBarclays, John Lewis and Royal Mail sign new mental health commitmentOrganisation behind Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge launches reward and recognition schemeHushHush.com to pay ...
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ArticleTeam building organisation pays clowns £100 an hour to scare staff for Halloween
Something for the weekend: London-based team building organisation Team Tactics is seeking to hire 10 clowns across the UK, paying £100 an hour to prank unwitting employees for Halloween.Team Tactics wishes to hire 10 individuals who can impersonate famed clowns such as Pennywise, from horror author Stephen King’s novel It, ...
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Article
Poll: What is the primary method your organisation uses to improve employees’ carbon footprint?
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