All articles by Louise Fordham – Page 8
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AnalysisPensions in numbers
£1m: The lifetime allowance for pension contributions announced in the Summer Budget, reduced from £1.25m bit.ly/1eMdScs37% of employers think that the introduction of the pension freedoms has encouraged them to offer a greater level of financial education to their staff (Source: Close Brothers Asset Management research, published July 2015) bit.ly/1CtrUep83% ...
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AnalysisTop tips for engaging staff in share schemes
If you read nothing else, read this…Share scheme communications should be focused, clear and accessible.Signposts can be used to direct employees towards a range of information sources.Continuous communications can help to drive engagement with share schemes throughout the year. Employees in the UK saved £40 million more through staff share ...
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ArticlePensions research deadline extended
The Employee Benefits/Close Brothers Pensions research 2015 deadline has been extended to Wednesday 30 September so there is still time to have your say.How are the pension reforms impacting workplace pension strategies? How are employers communicating the pension changes to staff? Share your experiences by taking part in the short ...
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ArticleBaker and McKenzie sees benefits of supporting working carers
Employee Benefits Live 2015: Law firm Baker and McKenzie has consolidated its parental policies to enhance its support for working parents.At the beginning of 2015, the organisation brought together its maternity, paternity, shared parental leave and adoption policies to form its ‘new parent policy’, providing staff with greater flexibility.The law ...
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ArticleConsumer Electronics Association recognised for work-life balance support
The US-based Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has been recognised for its commitment to helping staff achieve a healthy work-life balance.For the seventh consecutive year, CEA received a Companies As Responsive Employers (Care) Award from the Northern Virginia Family Services.The organisation, which has 150 staff, offers a flexible working arrangement that ...
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ArticleWealth at Work acquires Life Academy
Financial education provider Wealth at Work has acquired Life Academy, a Wales-based provider of financial education and employee engagement programmes.The acquisition aims to expand Wealth at Work’s presence in the market, particularly in light of the increased demand for pre- and at-retirement financial education triggered by the pension reforms.Jonathan Watts-Lay ...
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Article82% want benefits to reflect their priorities
EXCLUSIVE: More than four-fifths (82%) of respondents believe their benefits package should change as their personal circumstances and priorities do, according to research by Davidson Asset Management (DAM).Its survey of 439 employees, directors and business owners, which is featured in its Employee benefits: 2035 report, also found that 87% of ...
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Article43% plan to offer pension drawdown option
Less than half (43%) of respondents plan to offer a drawdown option as part of their pension plan, according to research by Towers Watson’s UK DC master trust, LifeSight.Its survey of 100 employers also found that 87% of respondents believe that their employees will want to access some or all ...
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Article32% will not review defined contribution pension schemes
Almost a third (32%) of respondents do not plan on reviewing or adjusting existing defined contribution (DC) pension services for employees following the introduction of the pension flexibilities in April, according to research by Close Brothers Asset Management.Its latest Business barometer survey, which questioned 685 employers, also found that 34% ...
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Article9% to repay mortgage with retirement savings
Almost one-tenth (9%) of respondents intend to use their retirement savings to repay their mortgage, according to research by insurance firm Partnership.Its survey of 1,494 people aged 40-70 in 2015 and 1,541 in 2014, found that 6% of respondents in 2015 plan to use their tax-free pension lump sum to ...
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ArticleWorkplace should promote mental wellbeing
More than four-fifths (85%) of respondents believe they have a significant responsibility to provide staff with a working environment that promotes mental wellbeing, according to research by Buck Consultants at Xerox.Its survey of more than 400 employers across 31 countries also revealed that 28% of UK employers rate stress levels ...
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ArticleCaledonian MacBrayne earns living wage accreditation
Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne’s parent company, David MacBrayne, has been accredited by the Poverty Alliance on behalf of the Living Wage Foundation.The organisation has committed to paying its 1,450 staff the hourly living wage rate of £7.85, including all employees at Argyll Ferries.Caledonian MacBrayne has also made a commitment to ...
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Analysis
3: Motivation and recognition: a roundup of case studies on boosting staff morale
LateRooms.com has launched a long-service awards scheme that will reward long-serving staff with a voucher of either £150 or £250 for a Red Letter Days’ experience. The organisation has also relaunched its recognition scheme http://bit.ly/1EiRXFK Nearly all (95%) the staff at Chiswick Park, which includes organisations such as Discovery, PepsiCo, ...
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Analysis
13: Total reward in numbers
2,200: The number of employees receiving total reward statements at TalkTalk http://bit.ly/1LACIe9 32%: The percentage of London workers that are most motivated by non-monetary benefits (Source: NGA Human Resources, August 2015) http://bit.ly/1Igb4vh 37%: The percentage of employees that name access to a better mortgage rate as the benefit they would ...
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ArticleBonus payments increase by 2.7%
Total bonus payments reached £42.4 billion in the UK in the 2014-2015 financial year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).Its annual report found that bonus payments increased by 2.7% on the previous financial year and came in at just 0.1% below the 2007-2008 financial year, when bonuses reached ...
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Article96% foresee changes to state pension
Just 4% of financial advisers believe the state pension will continue in its present form over the next 30 years, according to research by pension provider Aegon UK.Its survey of 208 financial advisers found that almost half (49%) of respondents that think there will be changes to the current system ...
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ArticleTop 10 most read stories this week
The top ten most read stories on employeebenefits.co.uk on 13-19 August:1. British Airways gives staff allotment.2. CEOs paid 183 times more than average worker.3. Workers at Stansted Airport to strike over pay.4. LateRooms.com launches long-service awards.5. Duncan Brown to discuss unequal pay at Employee Benefits Live.6. Adobe enhances family leave ...
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ArticleJelf confirms takeover discussions with Marsh
Jelf has confirmed that it is in the early stages of discussions with insurance broking and risk management firm Marsh regarding a possible takeover offer.In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, the board of Jelf confirmed that the discussions, which are ongoing, related to a potential cash offer by ...
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ArticleUS court rules Yelp reviewers are not employees
US District Judge Richard Seeborg has dismissed a class action against Yelp in which a group of reviewers sought to be considered employees and therefore be compensated as such.In the case of Lily Jeung, et al., vs Yelp. the claimants alleged that they were ‘directed how to write reviews and ...
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ArticleRadian boosts staff engagement
Housing association Radian has seen its employee engagement levels increase from 58% in 2010 to 84% this year, according to ratings calculated by business performance firm ORC International.Radian achieved the highest employee engagement rating of all the UK housing associations analysed by ORC International. The average housing association rating is ...