News – Page 39
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Benefits technology
The latest analysis, news, case studies and opinion in relation to the benefits technology used to deliver and communicate employee benefits, including gamification, apps and workplace platforms.
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ArticleBaker Tilly acquires Employer Services
Baker Tilly has acquired payroll, human resources solutions and business services firm Employer Services (ESL).The acquisition aims to expand on the services and expertise Baker Tilly offers to employers and enhance its existing outsourced payroll service.All 45 staff at ESL based in Brentwood, Essex, will join Baker Tilly. Stuart Hall, ...
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ArticleMultiple flex windows boost employee engagement
Employee Benefits Live 2015: Multiple flexible benefit plan windows help to boost employee engagement, according to Donna Nind (pictured), reward director for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Ricoh Europe.As part of her presentation at Employee Benefits Live 2015, entitled ‘Strategies for boosting the take-up of flexible benefits schemes’, ...
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ArticleGovernment to end union fee payments
The government plans to end state-run trade union subscription payments for all public sector workers.Under the current employer-administered process, known as ‘check off’, subscriptions are taken directly from the salaries of public sector employees that are union members.Following the removal of this practice, staff will instead pay union subscriptions by ...
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ArticleAlere refreshes benefits for multi-generational workforce
Alere is refreshing its employee benefits programme in the UK in order to increase engagement and provide more choice for the different generations within its workforce. The diagnostic device and service provider will enhance and expand its existing benefits package from September 2015. This will include the launch of new ...
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ArticleDoncaster Council switches voluntary benefits provider
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council has switched voluntary benefits providers. It launched a new platform, provided by Xexec, for its 4,800 employees on 6 July.The portal provides access to benefits such as retail discounts, a concierge service, tickets and travel, as well as a number of salary sacrifice arrangements including bikes ...
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ArticleSky uses film imagery to increase flexible benefits take up
EXCLUSIVE: Sky has increased the take up of its flexible benefits by more than 30% following the introduction of new communication techniques.The home entertainment and communications organisation embedded the characters from the Monsters University film into the workplace and used them to create awareness around its My Sky Rewards benefits ...
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ArticleCentrica adds new benefits to flex for 30,000 staff
EXCLUSIVE: Centrica has added three new benefits to its flexible benefits package for its 30,000 employees.The energy organisation, which owns British Gas (pictured), is also continually communicating the benefits through its summer roadshows to help drive up employee engagement with benefits.It launched the new benefits in its flex enrolment window ...
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ArticleNorthgate Vehicle Hire launches voluntary benefits
Northgate Vehicle Hire has enhanced its employee benefits package with a new voluntary benefits plan for more than 2,000 members of staff. The vehicle rental organisation rolled out its ‘Just for You’ voluntary benefits programme in April 2015 and offers employees a broad range of retail and lifestyle discounts, as ...
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ArticleHeinz boosts flexible benefits take up
EXCLUSIVE: Heinz has nearly trebled its flexible benefits submission rates in 2015 through the use of an online benefits portal and effective communication practices.The food manufacturer took a ‘learn, see, change’ approach to guide more than 2,500 employees through the annual enrolment window in November 2014 to help them digest ...
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Article17,000 Tata Steel staff to strike over pensions
More than 17,000 Tata Steel employees will strike on 22 June in an ongoing dispute over the organisation’s pension scheme changes. The action will include a ban on overtime and work-to-rule will be carried out next week by employees.The dispute is over the closure of the steel workers’ final salary ...
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ArticleEvidera achieves cost-neutral flexible benefits scheme
EXCLUSIVE: Evidera has achieved a cost-neutral flexible benefits scheme in the first 10 months of launch after £100,000 worth of investment. The pharmaceutical consulting organisation, which has more than 110 employees, has also saved a total of £8,184 on benefits costs pre-flex versus post-flex costs of £105,131 a year to ...
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ArticleHoliday buy and sell receive highest take up in flex
EXCLUSIVE: Holiday buy and sell, critical illness cover and travel insurance are among the benefits with the highest take up in flexible benefits, according to research by benefits consultancy and technology provider Vebnet. The research, which is from 52 employer clients across five different industry sectors that have a total ...
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ArticlePension scheme members withdraw £1 billion from pots
Pension scheme members have withdrawn more than £1 billion from their pension pots since the introduction of the new freedoms in April 2015.Chancellor George Osborne (pictured) announced that more than 60,000 people have made use of the reforms, which allow members of defined contribution (DC) schemes aged over 55 to ...
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ArticlePension reforms impact slows down but DC landscape changes
But according to the Defined Contribution Investment Forum’s At-retirement solutions for the new pensions era report, published in April, the impact of the reforms on scheme redesign has been more limited than expected.It also found that many schemes are planning to introduce self-select options for each possible retirement option now ...
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ArticleNational Grid outsources pension fund management
National Grid is to outsource the fund management of its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme’s assets. The organisation, which runs the power network in England and Wales, took the decision to implement a new stratgegy following a review of its investment and governance model.The board of trustees of the National ...
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Samsung adds new perks to flex and revamps communications
EXCLUSIVE: Samsung has added six new benefits to its flexible benefits package for its 1,600 employees.The technology organisation has also introduced new communication techniques to promote the new benefits available, as well as its annual flex window.It launched the new benefits in its flex enrolment window in March, with employees’ ...
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ArticleTribunal to reconsider if redundancy near pensionable age is allowed
The Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) has sent a case back to a tribunal for a re-hearing to consider whether redundancy dismissal, where the timing meant an employer avoided significant pension costs, could amount to age discrimination. In the case of Sturmey v Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, it is being ...
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ArticleHayman Group improves DB pensions administration
Hayman Group has improved its defined benefit pension (DB) scheme administration to help the firm adapt to funding changes. The distiller’s Hayman Limited Retirement Benefits Scheme will implement new technology, provided by pensions actuarial firm Spence and Partners, to use live administration data to calculate actuarial results to help develop ...
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ArticlePeel Ports Group to add cars and holiday trading to flex
Peel Ports Group is to introduce a green cars scheme and holiday trading to its flexible benefits scheme to help keep it fresh for employees.The organisation will allow employees to opt into the new benefits during its enrolment window in May, with the savings made from tax-efficient benefits schemes being ...