News – Page 55

  • Article

    Employers examine benefits communication

    2008-03-28T11:10:38Z

    British businesses must improve benefits administration and communication in order to increase engagement and retention.According to the Current and Future Trends: UK Employee Benefits Report by Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) Benefits Solutions, 55% of businesses communicate benefits to staff less than once a month, while more than a quarter (26%) ...

  • Article

    Alternative Networks upgrades HR software

    2008-03-26T14:44:21Z

    Alternative Networks has upgraded its HR software to smooth HR processes and improve data management.The updated software, provided by Snowdrop, will also include a self-service function for employees and line managers, which will promote employee ownership of HR data.Melanie Hayden, HR manager at Alternative Networks, said: "By reducing the paper ...

  • Article

    Ceridian launches HR and payroll system for SMEs

    2008-03-18T12:03:29Z

    Ceridian has launched an integrated HR and payroll system for organisations with less than 500 employees.Doug Sawyers, managing director of Ceridian in the UK, said: "UK small-to-medium [sized] enterprises (SMEs) have increasingly complex compliance and administrative challenges, often with scant resources. Having reviewed the market, we felt there was a ...

  • Article

    Harsco installs new pensions administration system

    2008-03-12T11:58:00Z

    Harsco, an industrial services and engineering group, has installed a new software system to administer its pension scheme, following a tender process.The five-year contract, which will cover all 7,000 scheme members and 3,000 pensioners, will be provided by Xafinity Claybrook.Lynn Bartrum, group pensions manager at Harsco, said: “We were particularly ...

  • Article

    Flex switch at Southern

    2008-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Southern Housing Group has switched flexible benefits providers following an in-house employee survey and a tendering process.The group previously used Xafinity Consulting with a platform from a third-party provider, but it is now using Thomsons Online Benefits.The housing group, which offers holiday trading, critical illness cover, life assurance and childcare ...

  • Article

    Cadbury in green push

    2008-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Cadbury Schweppes is offering staff incentives to sign up to bikes-for-work and printing leaflets promoting flexible benefits on recyclable paper, as of part a company-wide green initiative.Suzanne Laverick, UK benefits manager, said: "With flexible benefits, our research has shown people want to take something home to discuss with families. However, ...

  • Article

    Wolters Kluwer (UK) outsources payroll

    2008-02-19T14:08:35Z

    Wolters Kluwer UK is to outsource its payroll from May.The firm, which had previously managed its payroll in-house, made the decision to outsource in a bid to cut costs and mitigate risk.ADP Employer Services will †provide a online system for the firm alongside training and development, absence management, performance management ...

  • Article

    Dartford Borough Council wholly outsources HR and payroll

    2008-02-13T09:42:35Z

    Dartford Borough Council has become the first UK council to fully outsource its entire HR and payroll function enabling it to meet government efficiency targets.By outsourcing the process, the council will save an estimated £50,000 per year.The first payroll run for the council's 400 employees is scheduled for April. All ...

  • Article

    Metropolitan Borough of Wirral introduces online absence management

    2008-02-05T11:44:54Z

    The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral has installed an automated online process for managing sickness absence that cuts out the need to double check and manually record sickness absence.The sickness absence system will enable line managers to process absence claims remotely making the process faster and more convenient. It will also ...

  • Article

    Buyer's Guide to Flexible Benefits Administration

    2008-02-04T00:00:00Z

    Flexible benefits administration systems have undergone a dramatic transformation in the past five years. Once just basic tools to help manage flex options, the newest, shiniest packages now come with a dizzying array of extras, such as online payslips and podcasts.A number of providers of flex administration systems are now ...

  • Article

    Take-up affected if perks don't suit staff lifestyles

    2008-02-04T00:00:00Z

    A lack of interest in benefits and a failure to tailor perks to suit individual lifestyles are the two main reasons why employees do not take up the benefits they are offered.Almost a third (27.9%) of HR managers believe staff are failing to utilise their benefits package because they are ...

  • Article

    Consider cultural impact carefully when integrating IT

    2008-02-04T00:00:00Z

    Cancer Research UK puts its benefits technology to the fore, but also takes account of the need for paper-based communicationMaking the most of the benefits offered by an employer is very important, and in my case I have joined the pension scheme, enjoyed my holiday, used childcare vouchers, bought a ...

  • Article

    Driving down cost of absence with analysis of sickness data

    2008-02-04T00:00:00Z

    Westminster City Council sees the battle against sickness absence as a business driver and reaps benefits from managers trained to analyse data and provide support to staffMost people would agree that there is a clear moral and overwhelming business case for employers, whether in the public or private sectors, to ...

  • Article

    Being proactive on health

    2008-02-04T00:00:00Z

    This article is brought to you by our sponsor Norwich Union.Dr Doug Wright, head of Integrated Services at Norwich Union Healthcare, says that employers gain by putting in place an absence management strategy that encourages prevention as well as cure.Insuring against the potential costs of illness and having a contingency ...

  • Article

    Prudential to outsource administration services

    2007-11-30T11:51:25Z

    Prudential UK is to outsource policy administration and claims activity to Capita, saving the pensions provider £60m by the end of 2010.Under the terms of the 15-year agreement, Capita will also provide customer servicing, new business processing and related IT support to Prudential UK.†It also means that 1,750 UK employees ...

  • Article

    Hackney Council launches self-service HR system

    2007-10-30T15:49:11Z

    Hackney Council has added a self-service element to its HR system so that employees can access HR information and services that include online payslips and expenses.Following a pilot, council employees are able to use an email address to access their own details and receive their payslips electronically. This offering is ...

  • Article

    Pre-Budget report: Consultation launched on benefits-in-kind tax

    2007-10-09T16:04:33Z

    The government is to launch a consultation on how best to collect tax on benefits in kind and expenses through payroll in November, which would remove the need for a separate end-of-year process.This will include a consultation on removing the £8,500 a year threshold at which most benefits in kind ...

  • Article

    Rewards management fails to keep pace with business needs

    2007-09-06T08:41:23Z

    Reward and performance management programmes are failing to keep pace with business needs, according to research from Towers Perrin.The survey found that despite shifts in the business landscape, including globalisation, the emergence of ageing populations, technological advances, and skill and labour shortages, most companies have made minimal changes in the ...

  • Article

    Benefits Administration - definitions - Third-party provider

    2007-06-15T10:01:18Z

    A company, outside the employer, which processes, provides or advises on benefits administration on behalf of the employer. The services they provide range from sickness absence management systems to flexible benefits systems.

  • Article

    Benefits Administration - definitions - Pension modellers

    2007-06-15T09:59:34Z

    Pension modellers allow employees to calculate the value of their future retirement pension †based on their current pension contributions. Modellers vary in sophistication, but usually take into account age, gender, length of savings, possible investment performance and sometimes state pensions.Pension modellers are especially useful communication tools to demonstrate to employees ...