EXCLUSIVE: Mills and Reeve has aligned pensions auto-enrolment with its annual flexible benefits enrolment window.
The law firm has 888 UK employees, but will also include 80 new employees who are part of the June 2013 merger with law firm George Davis.
Samantha Neaves, reward and HR information systems manager, said: “Following the merger of Mills and Reeve and George Davies, this will be their first opportunity to participate in the flexible benefits scheme.
“As with Mills and Reeve staff earlier in 2013, we will be moving all current pension members onto our auto-enrolment-complaint Scottish Widows’ scheme.”
In April 2013, the law firm streamlined its three defined contribution (DC) pension schemes, one stakeholder and two group personal pension (GPP) plans, into a single GPP provided by Scottish Widows following a full pensions review.
Its annual flexible benefits enrolment window opened on 1 October for three weeks, during which time all eligible employees who are not members of the pension scheme will be invited to a pensions presentation with its flexible benefits platform provider Thomsons Online Benefits.
Neaves added: “The aim is to provide them with enough information to either elect to join the scheme prior to auto-enrolment, or provide them with enough information to make an informed choice should it get to that stage.
“Employees can join the pension at any time and can opt straight into a salary sacrifice arrangement, but while everyone is thinking about benefits it seems the most appropriate time to up the communications.”
Employees can also opt to have a one-to-one meeting with Thomsons Online Benefits.
Mills and Reeve’s auto-enrolment staging date is 1 November. It currently has around 85% employees enrolled in its pension scheme.
